Choose Your Own Adventure

A roadmap to your next workplace

Navigating the ever-changing steps and a look at the wide range of workplace scenarios.

Where might your next road trip take you?

Thoughts to consider along the way

What is your company culture and how does it inform the way your employees work?

How do your teams work together?

To what extent does in-person collaboration impact productivity and delivery of goods and services?

How will you keep employees engaged with each other and with the whole company?

Based on workflow and culture, can diversifying your real estate portfolio provide cost-saving opportunities?

Choose Your Own Adventure Scenarios

The portfolio of workspace strategies and approaches is now broader than ever. With the addition of new variables in play, the ability and acceptance of work from home (WFH), the approach to the next wave of the workplace becomes ever more interdependent on the cultures, values and priorities of a company.

Regardless of the scenario, there are a few things that remain necessary for the workplace, including a balance of space types — from collaborative to heads-down spaces — and the right tools for teams and individuals to be productive.

The journey to your next workplace will vary from others’ journeys. The scenarios may even differ amongst teams within the company, as desk-to-employee ratios may vary from one business unit to the next. Every stepping stone along this journey should lead you down the road best suited for you and your employees.

Scenario A

100% Assigned Seating + WFH only as needed
1 Desk : 1 Employee  

A growing company, whose culture has yet to be codified, but has a clearly defined workflow. Employees may still be figuring out the dynamics of working as a team. Therefore, in-person communication is best to help establish this groundwork to transfer and share knowledge seamlessly. At the same time, the nature of the business may require teams to be present together.

Scenario B

100% Unassigned Seating + WFH only as needed 
1 Desk : 1.25 Employees (may vary by business unit)

An established company with a strong culture. Employees have flexible and dynamic workflows that are clearly defined. Teams cross-collaborate and require constant communication to resolve complex issues. A mobile workforce and culture may aready exist, such as sales teams that flow in and out of the office or employees frequently collaborating away from their desks. Similarly, complex issues require deep-focus and, therefore, the multi-faceted needs of this dynamic team will need to be met with diversified work settings for all.

Scenario C

80% Assigned Seating at a Location + 20% Unassigned Seating + WFH only as needed
Desk : Employee Ratio Varies By Location 
Smaller, distributed satellite offices (hubs, not headquarters)

A company whose business relies more on individual work and less collaborative efforts. Teamwork is not essential and/or can be done virtually and in-person only as needed, but a sense of place for goods and services is needed. This company requires customer-facing services through building smaller hub offices, in lieu of a larger main campus. The robust technologies of this company allow for the seamless connectivity between the smaller hub offices.

Scenario D

50% Assigned Seating + 30% Unassigned Seating + 20% WFH 
1 Desk : 1.5 Employees (may vary by business unit)

A company whose structure is so dynamic and layered, that not one size will fit all employees. Ultimately, the choice is up to the employee, within certain parameters, defined by the business units and their roles. As such, the workflows require agility and flexibility, but more importantly, the workplace will need to stay attuned to the wide-ranging needs of all their employees.

Scenario E

100% Unassigned + WFH + Distributed/Mobile Workforce1 Desk : 3 Employees (may vary by business unit)

Equipped with a robust technology platform, Scenario E is a company who is able to communicate and work seamlessly together regardless of where they are in the world. Their workflows or their line of work may either be simple enough for this to happen, or it may be well established and defined. The scenario lends itself to a wider talent pool and a situation where the employee chooses how they can be the most productive.