ResearchSIEMENS companies report on ‘seismic’ shifts towards hybrid working – but 88% of companies ‘unprepared’

The New Workplace Reality report reveals the move to flexible working is widely accepted, but preparedness to implement this strategy is not yet fully realized.
Content Team2 years ago6 min

Comfy and Enlighted, leading providers of intelligent and sustainable workspace solutions, have released findings from The New Workplace Reality report, revealing that while the move to flexible working is widely accepted, preparedness to implement such a strategy is not yet fully realised.

Commissioned by Siemens (both subsidiary companies of Siemens) from leading analyst firm Verdantix, the study polled 75 corporate real estate (CRE) executives from global companies with annual revenues of over $1 billion on the strategic considerations of redefining workforce models due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key findings include:

  • 83% have shifted permanently to a hybrid work model
  • 88% are not prepared with change management processes to implement the shift
  • 25% of respondents are still firming up their return-to-work strategies.
  • 91% of CRE executives noted sustainability as the second highest priority

Seismic shifts

“Our study results indicate that enterprise companies are considering how the seismic shift in work impacts top-line objectives such as productivity and sustainability,” said Matthias Rebellius, managing board member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure. “At the core of any business is the health and wellbeing of its workforce. We understand the criticality of a smooth transition to the new ways of hybrid working because we have made a global corporate commitment to this ourselves. Our real-world experience puts us in a unique position to advise and assist enterprise organizations through this universal transformation.”

“We see the movement to hybrid working as a fundamental change in how people connect to their co-workers and their workspaces,” stated Stefan Schwab, CEO of Comfy and Enlighted. “Corporate real estate executives need ways to understand, track and adapt to shifting working models, leveraging technologies and data insights for smart building optimization and sustainability. Our solutions address these related, yet diverse needs.”

To explore all of the study’s findings and analysis, download the full report, which includes other workplace insights.

Research Methodology

This report, concluded in August, is the first in a series of pulse studies examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working models, real estate plans and business priorities at large commercial organizations. To gain an up-to-date insight from corporate real estate executives, Siemens commissioned the independent analyst firm Verdantix to undertake independent, anonymized phone interviews with 75 executives in real estate, workplace and facilities management roles based in North America, Europe and APAC. All respondents held senior roles and work for firms with annual revenues of over $1 billion. Verdantix asked these respondents about their evolving working model and real estate plans, business priorities, job role and responsibility changes, and technology investment plans.

More content on the shift towards hybrid working here. 

Content Team

Work in Mind is a content platform designed to give a voice to thinkers, businesses, journalists and regulatory bodies in the field of healthy buildings.

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