Do U.S Office Workers Really Have a Strong Preference to Work in the Office?

It is tough to accept a survey report from a commercial real estate firm that espouses a return to the office as a preference among U.S employees, but sharing the information and taking it all in with a grain of salt and clear eyes may open minds to the latest thinking in the market today. It may change how companies and employees communicate on the matter.

Lincoln Property Company, a global, full-service real estate firm, has released its Office Views: What Employees Value Most report. The report outlines that, contrary to common assumptions, most U.S. employees prefer to work in the office rather than remotely. The company said more than one-half of U.S. employees expressed interest in working in-office four to five days a week, while less than 20 percent expressed interest in working entirely remotely.

“A survey of 1,000 U.S. workers, the first annual Office Views: What Employees Value Most report provides valuable insights into employees’ work preferences. The findings describe the value different generations place on amenities common in modern workplace design, comparing popular work/play amenities with more traditional work motivations including dedicated/private workspaces, increased compensation and shorter commute times,” the company said in a media release.

The report highlights key considerations for corporate occupiers as they grapple with creating office environments that encourage in-office work in support of their firms’ business initiatives.

Rob Kane, senior EVP within Lincoln’s Corporate Advisory and Solutions (CAS) group, said: “Employees across all demographics report that they want to work in an office environment, but the current office trends aren’t necessarily enticing them. These new insights give corporate occupiers an important opportunity to rethink their office investments and ensure the dollars they spend to create compelling workplaces align with what their employees truly value.

“The most important thing corporate leaders can do is listen to their employees and avoid making assumptions that can lead to ineffective, costly mistakes. We have worked with hundreds of occupier clients across the country and across a variety of industries and we know there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we help put the focus on what employees care about, and in doing so, ensure real estate investments serve as a strategic lever to achieve broader business goals.”

Deskside Dynamics: The Office Reality Check
Lincoln said that companies have invested substantially in shared spaces and high-end amenities, from catered lunches to modern outdoor spaces, to entice employees back into office buildings in the post-pandemic work landscape. However, Lincoln’s Office Views: What Employees Value Most report finds that some of these investments must align with features and resources that many employees value most.

“Appetites for dedicated meeting spaces, social activities and other shared amenities varied between generations and other demographic cohorts, while traditional motivators including increased compensation, workplace functionality, colleague relationships and career development rank high among employees’ preferences when it comes to motivations to work in the office. Across generations, dedicated seats and private offices emerged as the most desired motivators, indicating a preference for productivity, efficiency and a sense of belonging—even among Gen Z respondents, who are most likely of all surveyed cohorts to value work/play amenities,” the company highlights in the report.

“Employees’ strong preference for dedicated workspace underscores the importance of corporate executives listening to their workforce and prioritizing functional and supportive work environments to boost employee engagement and retention,” said Terence Kirk, EVP within Lincoln’s CAS team. “Our survey suggests that continuing to invest in a plethora of upscale amenities that don’t meet these core needs could be a costly mistake for corporate occupiers.”

Career Stage Influences Office Work Preferences
While Millennials are often viewed as the top proponents of remote working, the Lincoln report shows that this group and Gen X counterparts prefer in-office work. Millennials (46 percent) and Gen X (49 percent) expressed interest in working in-office four days a week, whereas early-stage career employees value a hybrid environment, with 55 percent of Gen Z respondents wanting to work in-office one to three days per week, according to the survey report data.

By contrast, Baby Boomers had the strongest preference for remote work, representing the highest percentage of fully remote workers (19 percent) and expressing the strongest desire for full-time remote work (23 percent).

“The report findings show that an employee’s career stage significantly influences their preference for in-office work,” noted Adin Perera, director of Insights and Research for Lincoln and the lead analyst for the report. “Mid-level professionals often seek the career development and collaboration opportunities that only in-person work can provide, while senior or established employees tend to value comfort and flexibility. Entry-level employees appreciate some flexibility but also tend to want to be in the office at least some portion of the week to build their professional and social connections.”

The Commute Clash: Road Time Hinders Return-to-Office Efforts
The Lincoln report suggests that commute time for employees is playing an increasingly crucial role amid broader calls to return to office.

According to the report, all cohorts value shorter commutes; however, employees tend to be more idealistic than realistic. Approximately three-quarters of respondents (73 percent) said they would not consider going into the office if their commute was longer than 45 minutes roundtrip.

Travel times this short may be tough to find, with roundtrips averaging more than 50 minutes nationally and more than 65 minutes across the 15 largest office markets.

Generationally, Baby Boomers are the most averse to longer commutes. More than 60 percent of Baby Boomers report commute time as their most crucial location feature, with only 4 percent considering a commute longer than an hour and fifteen minutes roundtrip, according to the report data.

“Location will become increasingly important for occupiers as they evaluate office spaces, especially as employees weigh the productivity of working at home against the time spent commuting to the office,” Kirk advised. “At Lincoln, we spend a lot of time understanding city demographic data to help guide our clients in identifying the optimal locations for their office spaces, carefully considering commute times and proximity to transportation options to ensure they meet their workforce’s needs.”

Methodology
Lincoln partnered with Big Village to conduct a survey of 1,008 full-time employed U.S. adults ages 21 and older who work outside the home in an office setting or only work remotely. The survey was live from June 11-17, 2024. Go Here to view the full report.

Image courtesy Lincoln Property Company