SAN FRANCISCO — Employers around the country are monitoring modern office trends as the country’s return-to-office (RTO) movement gains some momentum. Envoy, a San Francisco-based tech company specializing in workplace solutions for office workers and their clients, has produced its annual Workplace Predictions report, which found that the U.S. office sector is a “workplace in flux.”
The company surveyed nearly 500 executives from across various roles, including HR, IT and management, as well as across generations — from Gen Z to baby boomers — to collate the data. Envoy partnered with Hanover Research for the report.
The Workplace Predictions survey found that participants expect for emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning to play a key role in reshaping office environments — both physical and virtual — moving forward. Another key finding is that different generations of office workers have different needs when it comes to how they value their physical office environments.
Larry Gadea, founder and CEO at Envoy, said that modern workplaces are “rapidly evolving,” thus the findings from this report are “critical” for companies that are rethinking how to boost morale, work culture and employee engagement at the property level.
“The conversation about the workplace of tomorrow has moved from speculation to action,” said Gadea. “Forward-thinking companies are reimagining their spaces, harnessing technology and aligning with evolving employee needs.”
Early returns from the survey are backing up Gadea’s statement as the survey found that 66 percent of participants are making workplace flexibility a top priority for 2025. Additionally, 91 percent of professionals believe that investing in their physical workplaces provides a return on investment (ROI). However, only 49 percent of participants say that they’re measuring how their office space is being utilized.
Envoy thus asserts in the introduction of the report that “the companies that act on complete information — not guesswork — will lead the way in 2025 and beyond.”
Key findings
Among the survey participants, more than half (57 percent) of professionals said they come to the office for company culture and team engagement. This suggests that strong social connections are helpful in drawing employees back to the physical office.
Emerging technologies are also influential in shaping modern office environments as they can boost efficiencies and streamline operations for everything from security to conference calls. Seventy-six percent of employees predict AI and machine learning will be transformative for workplace operations in 2025. Additionally, 84 percent agree that AI-powered tools drive productivity, emphasizing their potential to optimize workflows and decision-making.
Another key takeaway is that Gen Z (i.e. those who were born between 1997 and 2012) is upending office norms. Seventy-three percent of professionals believe Gen Z will push companies to ditch rigid in-office policies in favor of more flexible work options.
Among the Gen Z participants, about 51 percent said that office comfort and design are key motivators for returning to the office. Favorable design elements for this age cohort include quiet wellbeing zones and tech-oriented environments.
Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are also partial to hybrid work options as 66 percent want to see an emphasis on employee autonomy and flexible work configurations.
Despite the generational divides, 66 percent of participants across all age groups rank workplace flexibility as a top priority. According to the survey, 60 percent of respondents say their organizations are prioritizing immersive technologies for hybrid and remote work.
Envoy’s portfolio of office-using clients currently exceeds 16,000 separate workplaces, from tech companies to coworking spaces to educational institutions. Click here view the full Workplace Predictions report.
— Staff Reports