APAC organisations redesigning space for employee return

• One fourth already redesigning their offices, 70% will do so in 18 months
• Companies willing to invest between 11–30% of their budget in office redesign

According to a new IDC Future of Work report, The Future of Workspace: Bringing Employees Back into the Office, around 25% of organisations across Asia/Pacific are already redesigning their offices and 70% of them will do so in an 18-month period. 

The research said in a statement hat organisations are redesigning their offices to bring employees back onsite and, at the same time, improve operational efficiency.

However, disruption to operations is the main challenge for APAC organizations in redesigning the workplace, it said.

Lily Phan, research director, future of work, IDC Asia/Pacific said, without a clear road map and demonstrated tangible ROI, office redesign projects will fail to deliver expected outcomes. 

“For leaders and organisations, office redesign goals are to improve productivity and employee experience.

“However, they are averse to any disruptions to their business operations even if these will improve productivity,” she added 

The research noted that organisations are prioritsing and are willing to invest from 11–30% of their budget in office redesign. 

It said they plan to transform the office to enhance both team collaboration and focused work by 2024. 

Smart office management software and infrastructure are also focused investments for AP organizations, it said.

It also said that  improving employee experience, enhancing operational efficiency, accommodating hybrid work, developing the company culture, and saving costs are all major drivers for organisations to redesign their offices.

“Hybrid work is no longer debated - about 60% of employees prefer to work remotely, so the office must provide a comparable or even better experience for them when they are to come back in person.

“Many organizations are redesigning their offices, thereby improving employees' in-office experience and increasing collaboration and productivity,” said Phan.

The IDC Future of Work framework takes a holistic, integrated approach, encompassing three interrelated and interconnected pillars: culture, augmentation, and space. 

This, IDC said, refers to how the work environment should adapt to support a new hybrid workforce and new work culture, specifically a borderless digital workspace and reimagined workplace.