Most People Want to Return to the Office — But They Expect Changes

There’s no place like work. Just before the pandemic hit, Gensler released the U.S. Workplace Survey 2020 research findings, the latest in our research series that measures how people work, as well as the effectiveness and experience of the workplace.

At the time that research was conducted, we asked a now-poignant question: where do people prefer to work? We gave respondents four choices: home, employer’s workplace, a coworking site, or a coffee shop. When their workplace was well-designed to meet their needs, U.S. knowledge workers overwhelming chose the workplace. The workplace mattered.

When we return to the office, it will be anything but a return to normal. While we’ve been working from home, we’ve changed how we work. We’ve built new skills in how to work virtually. We’ve developed new ways to connect with our colleagues, clients, friends, and extended families. We’ve learned that working from home has, in fact, been brutally efficient and productive for most, especially for those trying to work individually.