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Rethinking where we work. While many employees are still working from home, companies are considering what to do with their existing offices. Some are downsizing. Others are redesigning their offices into spaces where employees collaborate and work together, versus perform individual tasks 9-to-5 style. And still other organizations are building new offices, including elaborate showplace headquarters. More than half—57%—of a global architecture firm’s current 2,300 projects, for example, were started last year. [Fortune] |
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Lobby makeover. Office lobbies across the US are undergoing renovations—but they may not be as noticeable as some of the security-inspired additions of the past, such as cameras and extra security guards. These latest updates, prompted by a focus on health and safety, are meant to streamline entrances and reduce direct contact. Workers can potentially expect air sensors and body scanners, as well as mobile apps that replace manual check-in processes and ID badges. [NYT] |
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New working models. The role of the workplace has dramatically shifted over the past two years, during which 42% of the US labor force (making up almost two-thirds of US economic activity) began working from home. Now, as offices look to reopen after multiple stops and starts, organizations are thinking about how work is—and can be—done. The stigma around remote-working models is mostly gone; certain studies also show that remote-working options don’t negatively impact productivity and may even give more workers better opportunities to thrive.
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Reinvented workplaces. For Diane Hoskins, co-CEO of global design and architecture firm Gensler, well-designed workplaces—ones that optimize performance and keep employees safe—have always been top of mind. And now that COVID-19 has disrupted workplace norms for good, she’s considering how to address organizations’ new needs, including employees who want flexible working models and are willing to switch jobs to get them. Hoskins spoke with McKinsey about how organizations can reinvent their workplaces after two years of pandemic-induced disruption, and why she believes that human-centric workspaces will help organizations emerge stronger. |
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| — Edited by Justine Jablonska |
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Copyright © 2022 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007
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