The purpose of hybrid work is to provide the benefits of both remote work and in-person experiences, while minimizing the downsides.

Working from home gives teams the opportunity to get more heads-down focused work done in an environment that best suits them while also offering more flexibility in their day-to-day. Whereas the physical office space provides opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, team-building and the ideating that spawns innovative ideas. 

A hybrid working policy gives hybrid employees both work-life balance and moments of collaboration and connection.

Despite all this back-and-forth around the return to office, don’t forget that a hybrid working environment was always meant to give teams the best of both worlds.

The Value of In‑Person Work

When we ask our customers why they have an office, their majority of answers involve one word: Collaboration. 

In-person time is critical to not just planned collaboration, but the spontaneous collaboration that comes with being in the same space as other people who are working toward the same goal. According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans have tripled the time spent in meetings since 2020, leaving less time for the casual interactions that social scientists say foster happiness at work. What's more? People who described themselves as “very lonely” tended to have heavier meeting loads than less-lonely staffers. More than 40% of those people spent more than half their work hours in meetings.

​​We surveyed nearly 600 full-time hybrid employees at companies to learn more about what does and doesn’t draw them into the office.

When asked what would make them come into the office more, the top two incentives were office perks (44%), like catered lunch or on-site services, and coverage of commuter costs (39%). 

Both the third and fourth most cited draws to in-person work were centered around who would be in the office. When respondents knew their manager or leaders would be around, 35% would be motivated to head into the office. Another 31% would want to come in if they knew their colleagues would be there. 

The power of other people was a common theme in participant’s responses. In fact, 73% of respondents reported feeling more connected to their company when in-office with their colleagues. Providing teams with visibility into office activity is an integral part of getting people back into the office together.

The Value of Working from Home (WFH)

When asked what stops them from coming into the office, many respondents cited concerns centering around an employee’s sense of productivity. Whether it be time lost to the commute or time lost in the office, participants regularly noted that these things took up time that would have otherwise been used for their work. 

Whether that was spending time each morning finding the equipment needed for their ideal desk setup or wandering around trying to find a free meeting room - respondents regularly noted that these time-sucks make the office less appealing. 

In fact, 46% of respondents said that the reason they don’t come into the office is because they believe they are more productive with their at-home work setup. We dug a little deeper and found that:

• 76% of employees said they would be more productive in the office if they had all the equipment they needed set up on their desk
• 89% of people spend up to 20 minutes when they get to the office looking for the right equipment

Of respondents who chose “other,” noise levels in the office were a frequently cited concern. When you pair that with the fact that not only do they feel more productive at home, they also feel more energized and more creative, it begs the question: Does the way we define productivity influence our opinions about the office? 

Perhaps people today are looking at productivity purely through the lens of output, task assigned, task complete and repeat again. But companies' definitions of productive work should be expanded. The time spent chatting in the kitchen, the moments you spend listening to client calls and those chance encounters with other teams - these moments are also productive, just in a different way.

That’s where in-office work becomes so critical.

The data tells us that a part of the puzzle is about getting the office resourced correctly but once the rooms are named and the booking app is rolled out, what comes next? In a recent survey by Brandon Hall Group, 80% of organizations indicated that increased productivity is a key measure of employee engagement, but only 8% believe that they can actually measure productivity.

Research shows that the way your office is set up can play a considerable role in collaboration, innovation and, ultimately, business success.

The Link Between In‑Person Collaboration and Productivity

The advantages of a collaborative work environment are well-documented. For instance, companies that actively promote team collaboration are five times more likely to be high-performing organizations, according to a joint study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity and Babson College. Moreover, 86% of executives attribute business failures to ineffective collaboration, underscoring its critical role in organizational success (Salesforce).

The social benefits of collaboration are also significant. Cisco's research highlights that 74% of professionals appreciate the interaction and socialization that in-person work facilitates, while 71% value collaboration, 53% enjoy ideation and brainstorming, and 46% feel a sense of belonging. These factors contribute to a positive work environment, which in turn boosts employee morale and retention.

Scientific research consistently shows that in-person teams are more collaborative and productive than their remote counterparts. So what does that look like?

Where People Sit Matters: The Impact of Proximity

Where you sit matters; and not just for the great views or the nearby coffee machine. Proximity to other people plays a big role in a person’s ability to effectively collaborate in the office without a dedicated room. 

In fact, 90% of in-person interaction occurred at people's office desks, according to Harvard Business Review research, with just 3% occurring in common areas and the rest taking place in meeting rooms. 

And the data on this “proximity effect” doesn't stop there: 

• People on the same floor and team were 6 times more likely to interact and people on different teams were 9 times more likely to interact if they were on the same floor. 
• When a person sits within 25 feet of a high performer, it boosts their performance by 15% or more, according to research conducted by Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. 
• This "positive spillover" effect can translate into substantial financial gains for companies. For example, strategically seating employees can bring in an estimated $1 million in additional annual profits for an organization with 2,000 workers.

More face-to-face connections, better business outcomes and busy offices? Sounds like a win-win-win to us. 

Office layout has always played a role in overall employee engagement. Plants promote well-being. Lighting influences mood. Even paint color can affect the activities that happen in any given space. 

But in the world of flexible work, the stakes with in-person time are higher. Not only do you have to design an office space, you need to structure it in a way that reaps the most benefits. When you get your office space right, increased productivity, improved collaboration and better business outcomes are the results.

Even better? ​​Turns out, the benefits of strategic seating don’t end there.

Knowledge Sharing: Proximity plays a crucial role in facilitating knowledge transfer. When employees are physically close to one another, it becomes easier to share information, ask questions, and provide immediate feedback. This seamless exchange of knowledge fosters a more dynamic and innovative work environment.

For example, a study from the National Library of Medicine found that moving two researchers to the same building increased their collaboration rate up to 2.7 times in the third year after moving. Additionally, spaces that dedicate specific areas to shared services and amenities, for example, are strongly associated with knowledge sharing.

Motivation by Association: Being physically present in an office can significantly boost employee motivation. The social dynamics of an office environment, where employees can see their peers working hard, create a sense of accountability and motivation. 

Research supports this idea. A study from the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that individuals working in a collaborative setting were 50% more effective at completing tasks compared to those working alone. Moreover, participants primed to act collaboratively reported higher engagement levels, lower fatigue and greater success rates.

To optimize the impact of in-office days, it is essential to measure how effectively your workplace supports collaboration. At Robin, we leverage extensive data from desk bookings, room reservations and check-ins to provide a comprehensive view of workplace dynamics. 

By leveraging the data you are already collecting through space bookings, seating reservations and office check-ins, you can identify patterns and areas for improvement–ultimately ensuring that the office environment fosters maximum collaboration.

What Office Data Points Should You Track?

1. Workplace Occupancy: Measures the overall density and vibrancy of the office. Higher occupancy rates often correlate with increased opportunities for spontaneous and planned collaboration.
2. Planned Collaboration: Calculates the percentage of in-person meetings involving two or more people. In-person meetings are generally more effective, leading to higher participation and creativity.‍
3. Ad hoc Collaboration: Tracks the average number of employees sitting near one another. Research shows that proximity to high performers can significantly boost individual performance.

So, how can you plan for more in-person time for teams in ways that actually work for them? And is there a way to measure its effectiveness? 

To maximize the benefits of in-person collaboration, companies need to implement strategies that foster a collaborative culture and optimize workplace design. Here are some actionable steps:

1. Review Your Office Layout

Proximity plays a big role in collaboration. If an employee is sitting alone at one end of the office (let alone on a different floor) and everyone else is lumped together, that employee may as well be in a different country. 

In-the-moment collaboration happens when teams are frequenting the same spaces and having conversations within earshot. 

Your space utilization data can help you better understand if your office needs a refresh. Try implementing new layouts or consider what kind of office would better suit your current needs. Additionally, when people use the space, it is very important.  

To encourage collaboration teams utilizing the office on the same days should be seated in closer proximity rather than in far corners of the office. For a longer-term change, reconsider your closed vs. open spaces: Start by looking at the spaces intended for collaboration.

• If your goal is to increase spontaneous collaboration, then maybe it’s time to consider fewer phone booths for solo calls to encourage open conversations. ‍
• If your goal is planned collaboration then maybe all your meeting rooms should be more conference-style with plenty of room for bigger groups of attendees.

2. Check Your Workplace Data

88% of companies mandate employees work a certain number of days in the office yet only 28% of businesses are using 100% of their office. That’s why it’s critical to understand (and capture) the data behind your score. 

Information about how your office is being used can help you confidently determine whether you need to expand, contract or reconfigure your workplace. If a space is too large, it is unlikely that employees will have as many in-person interactions. Here’s where to start:

• Review your space utilization: Do you have too much office space? Too little? Or maybe you just need to reconfigure the space you have. Try implementing new layouts or consider what kind of office would better suit your current needs.‍
• Consider your workplace policy: What steps are you taking to encourage more people to come to the office? Many companies use anchor days as a way to encourage regular attendance. Consider how to structure your policies to increase attendance.

3. Redefine The Purpose of In‑Office Days

Low levels of planned collaboration often signal that employees come to the office and then spend most of their time in solo remote meetings with their co-workers.  By working with department leaders, you can design your workplace and your workplace policies to allow people to connect in person when in the office, which is kind of the whole point of an office in the first place. 

Encourage collaboration across different teams and departments by facilitating cross-functional seating, flexible desk pods, and neighborhoods. This provides opportunities for employees to interact with colleagues they may not typically engage with.

The verdict is in: face-to-face collaboration enhances productivity, innovation and overall business performance. As organizations navigate the new normal of hybrid work, it is crucial to understand the science behind collaboration and leverage data-driven insights to optimize workplace strategies.

By fostering a collaborative culture, designing spaces that facilitate interaction and utilizing workplace analytics, companies can create environments that attract employees back to the office and drive higher productivity. 

For more insights and to measure your office's collaboration effectiveness, explore our platform and discover how Robin can transform your workplace strategy.