As hybrid working becomes the norm in the post-pandemic landscape, several major companies have opened new Chicago offices they hope will give employees a reason to ditch their fuzzy slippers and head downtown.
Cisco and Accenture are among those seeking to earn the commute and redefine the workplace with communal settings, creative amenities and seamless technology they hope will blow away your home Wi-Fi. Both share a collaborative vision far removed from the dystopian cubicle farms of yore.
In the office of the future, there are plenty of seats, but no assigned desks at all.
“No one ever loved to go to their office because of their desk,” said Todd Heiser, 48, co-managing director of architecture firm Gensler’s Chicago office, which designed both spaces. “But I think people would go to the office because of the great experience they might have using a cafe, or incredible technology.”
Tech giant Cisco Systems opened its 130,000-square-foot space in the Old Post Office in July. Accenture, the global consulting firm, moved into its new 264,000-square-foot Chicago headquarters in the renamed Accenture Tower last month.
The openings follow Meta/Facebook, which launched its new Loop headquarters in June, covering 263,000 square feet across 11 floors at 151 N. Franklin St. In March, Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm, fully moved into its new 92,000-square-foot loft space in the Gogo building, a century-old former warehouse at 111 N. Canal St. in the West Loop.
The offices were conceived before the pandemic and reshaped during it to reflect the reality of a hybrid workforce. They offer such features as locally sourced cafes, rooftop desks, cozy nooks, sweeping views of the city and endless meeting rooms to reconnect with long-lost colleagues. Large video screens adorn the walls to loop in remote holdouts.
Hallway sinks, ubiquitous hand sanitizers, touchless doors and air purification systems stand ready to quash germs, while masks remain optional. Crowded elevators and other choke points make social distancing a distant memory, however.
Despite gleaming new facilities, the companies may have their work cut out for them luring employees back to the office after two-and-a-half years of remote working. Empowered by a robust labor market, employees have embraced the flexibility afforded by a home office, while companies have treaded lightly with mandates that they return to their corporate confines.
A McKinsey study published in June found that 58% of U.S. employees are able to work from home at least one day a week, while more than a third can be fully remote. That means 92 million employees have the option to work remotely for all or part of the week.
Nearly 9 out of 10 employees given the option work remotely at least three days a week, according to the study.
That has translated into record downtown office vacancies in Chicago, with companies continuing to shed space as long-term leases come up for renewal. For the second quarter, vacancy rates in the central business district rose to 19.3%, while the Chicago metro ticked up to 21.6%, according to a Newmark report.
Things are getting a little busier at offices in recent months, as workers are “encouraged” to return more frequently. A study by Kastle Systems, which tracks entry badge swipes, found that the number of employees at Chicago office buildings is at 42.6% of pre-pandemic levels as of Aug. 31.
Tuesday and Wednesday are the busiest days for hybrid workers to hit the office, according to the study.
Early employee returns are modest but…
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