April 21, 2025 by Emily DeNardo
Great Expectations: What Is Today's Workforce Looking For As It Returns To The Office?
It is estimated that nearly 75% of the U.S. workforce works either in a hybrid or full-time in-office capacity, with hybrid work accounting for the vast majority of this figure. The number of people returning to the office is expected to climb, as several major companies have initiated back-to-office mandates.
As the nature of work continues to evolve, so do the expectations that employees and employers have for their workspaces.
“Change in the workplace isn’t new, but it has historically been driven by new technology changing the way we work,” said Lindsay Wilson, president of architecture and design firm Corgan. “The demands on the workplace today are coming from all sides but are largely driven by human expectation. These expectations are conveyed by organizations in statements like, ‘We will earn the commute,’ ‘Our workplace is meant for connection,’ and ‘Our office is designed for collaboration and innovation.’ Employers have goals of lowering attrition, attracting new talent and seeing increases in engagement and financial performance. There are a lot of expectations put on a place.”
The reality of the office market shows that building owners still have a ways to go to catch up with today’s demands.
Class-A office buildings only account for about 15% of the market, yet this asset class sees the most leasing activity across the sector. Many middle-of-the-road buildings, estimated to account for 60% of the market, may need upgrades to stay relevant, and the bottom 25% of the market needs to modernize or face obsolescence.
How can office owners transform their spaces into what today’s tenants want, both for themselves and for their workers? How are executives working to meet the needs and expectations of their workforce?
To find out more about what today’s tenants and executives expect from their workspaces, Bisnow spoke with some of the country’s leading commercial real estate firms, including Howard Hughes Holdings Inc., Stream Realty Partners and Lincoln Property Co. Below is an edited selection of their answers.
Alex Hancock, Senior Vice President, National Sales And Leasing, Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.
The No. 1 reason employees resist returning to the office is their commute, Hancock said. Factors like commute time, ease of access and parking — including flexible and surge parking solutions — are receiving more scrutiny than ever.
“At Howard Hughes’ headquarters in The Woodlands, we’re proactively addressing this by upgrading our parking management technology to enhance employee convenience,” he said. “Employees want an office environment with immediate proximity to meaningful amenities — not just standard in-building ‘check-the-box’ features, but true social destinations, including spaces for happy hours, casual team gatherings and service-oriented retailers that allow employees to tackle personal tasks and errands during the workday, preserving their free time.”
Hancock said retail and ground-level amenities are more crucial than ever before. A daycare next to the office or in the workplace ecosystem is now as essential as an on-site fitness center. In-building conferencing facilities provide companies with much-needed surge capacity, making office space more adaptable to evolving work patterns, he said.
“Proximity to retailers, especially those catering to daily lunch needs, is a simple yet impactful perk that can entice employees back to the office,” Hancock said. “After all, there’s no quicker way to bring employees back than offering them lunch.”
Chris Wright, Executive Vice President, Colliers
Tenants are approaching their office strategies with sharper expectations, Wright said. The demand isn’t just for quality space — it’s for environments that support culture, performance and the evolving behaviors of today’s workforce.
While flexibility was necessary in recent years, many employers always envisioned a return, Wright said. The difference today is the level of planning and intent. Leaders are working to align the office with cultural values and how people work most effectively. It's not only about occupancy but also impact, he said.
“A steady transition toward five days is underway, driven by the belief that in-person collaboration, connection and problem-solving remain critical to long-term success,” Wright said. “In response, layouts are being reworked to provide variety — spaces for focus, moments of pause and casual interactions that promote spontaneous exchange. Landlords have been proactive, investing in hospitality-style upgrades over the last eight to 12 quarters that help reposition buildings as intentional, experience-driven environments.”
Amenities have become strategic levers not just to attract tenants but also to help them deliver on their own workplace goals, retention of employees and recruitment of top talent, he added. In buildings where experience is prioritized, amenities serve as extensions of company culture, not just conveniences.
“For tenants, these spaces also communicate identity,” Wright said. “How an office feels — the materials, lighting, energy and use — says as much about a company as its website. Amenities, when designed well, provide a tangible way to express brand values and elevate employee experience in parallel. Employers are striving to create a workplace environment so appealing that employees are willing to give up remote work or, at the very least, making the return to the office a more compelling choice.”
Bill Cawley, CEO, Cawley Partners
Today’s employers want to provide a working environment that makes an employee want to be there, Cawley said. It is all about creating an environment and providing amenities that create greater productivity and make the employee feel valued.
Commute times also play an important role in bringing workers back into the workplace, he said.
“Employees don’t want a long drive to work. Most want a work option that is within 20 minutes of their home,” Cawley said. “There is also a movement to stop putting people into tight spaces. Employees want higher-quality buildings that provide a more spacious environment.”
Cawley added that with amenities playing a big part in the return to work, offices in walkable environments are experiencing the most traction. This is because these locations typically provide quality food options as well as inside and outside gathering areas, which improve productivity, he said.
Office building interiors, on the other hand, are also becoming more amenity-rich with a hospitality feel, Cawley said.
“Workers are looking for spacious environments that provide all the services an employee will need to maximize productivity and feel valued,” he said. “An employee wants to work in an environment that allows them to be productive.”
Eric Stanley, President, Bright Realty
Today’s tenants are seeking flexible workspaces with high-quality amenities, Stanley said. Technology integration is also a priority, with smart office solutions and upgraded video capabilities supporting hybrid collaboration.
“Features like fitness centers, outdoor spaces, cafés and wellness rooms create a more engaging and productive workplace, offering benefits employees can’t get at home,” he said. “These amenities not only improve convenience and well-being but also strengthen a company’s brand identity by showcasing its commitment to employee satisfaction.”
Most importantly, location and accessibility remain key factors, as tenants prefer office spaces within mixed-use developments that provide convenient access to dining, retail and residential options, he added.
Paul Bennett, Senior Managing Director, Dallas And Houston, Granite Properties
Companies expect more than just traditional office space, Bennett said. They want an elevated work experience that enhances people’s daily lives and makes their teams more productive. These premium work environments should be thoughtfully designed and hospitality-driven. They should inspire, offer a variety of spaces for collaboration, connect to walkable restaurants, shops and green space, and provide fitness and recreational opportunities, he said.
“Leasing demand for high-quality, highly amenitized and well-located office buildings is very strong,” Bennett said. “Companies are willing to pay higher rents for exceptional work experiences where top talent can feel energized, connected and thrive.”
Bennett added that he is seeing an increase in design strategies optimizing sustainability and occupants’ well-being, such as outdoor workspaces, floor-to-ceiling windows for an abundance of natural light, and green space.
Designers are also focused on meeting employees’ social needs through unique and collaborative spaces such as lounges, lecture halls, conference centers, on-site restaurants and high-end fitness centers, he said.
“Choosing to be in a high-quality office building with collaborative spaces and amenities in a dense mixed-use environment like 23Springs in Uptown Dallas gives you an advantage,” Bennett said. “There is already a lot of attractive placemaking, including walkable shops and restaurants where people want to be. This underscores a commitment to work-life balance and fosters community-building, strengthening company culture.”
Lucian Bukowski, Vice Chairman, Stream Realty Partners
Bukowski said employers are doing what they can to reduce friction with employees to accomplish their productivity objectives. This involves accommodating different work styles through the use of any combination of sit-stand desks, spaces with multiple rooms for privacy or collaboration, and nice break rooms that are commonly stocked with an assortment of drinks and snacks, he said.
“Nice components within the workspace are table stakes these days,” Bukowski said. “The important thing is to be thoughtful about how you design them and where you place them.”
For example, he said, a company could design a large break room that sits in a “neutral” portion of the floor, serving both its executives and employees. This provides opportunities for those showing up at the office to be noticed and to interact with other people who could impact their career path.
“Those that want a career will want nice space, but more importantly, they will want access to their superiors in the organization,” Bukowski said. “They will want to learn and to be noticed to climb within the organization. Space is important, but a mediocre space where leaders are present and upward mobility is available is more important than a beautiful space where the leaders aren’t present.”
Bukowski added that the “unassigned office concept” that had been popularized in recent years has sterilized the workplace. If people don’t have their own assigned work areas, there are no more family photos or things that make a workspace personal.
“For employees who are committed and willing to come back to the office, employers should consider giving them a workspace that belongs to them,” Bukowski said.
Gabe Lerner, Executive Vice President, Lincoln Property Co.
Lerner said that as tenants return to in-person work, expectations for office space have shifted.
“Employers are focusing on creating office environments that focus on work flexibility, employee well-being and provide a space to collaborate and create value,” Lerner said. “Office spaces are evolving beyond traditional work environments to foster collaboration and social engagement. We see this with a lot of the new vertical or horizontal mixed-use projects that incorporate the live, work and play model.”
Offices are also shifting toward the idea of “neighborhood-based designs,” which Lerner said is where teams are grouped in specific locations in their offices to help create free-flowing creativity among peers.
Mixed-use districts and developments popping up nationally are reinforcing the live-work-play balance that employees demand. Having restaurants, services and personal care options nearby an office isn't a new concept, Lerner said. But what is becoming a larger trend is the creation of mixed-use districts that allow people to embrace coming back to work while having options within a few steps of where they work, allowing personal well-being to be readily achievable.
“The concept of ‘return on commute,’ which measures the value of an employee's commute in terms of the time they spend working productively versus the time they spend traveling to and from the office, is reinforcing return to office's worth the trip by offering social engagement, mixed-use options and personalized work environments,” Lerner said. “Owners, developers and landlords are designing to integrate with their surrounding neighborhoods, offering public gathering spaces, retail and dining to create a vibrant work environment for employees and employers alike.”
Connor Greissing, Managing Principal, Brick Row
Greissing said that tenants seem to be working through how to integrate experience as an amenity and create a “clubhouse” feel.
“It’s about the need for an office building to be a living and adapting ecosystem for how we work,” he said. “We foresee that meaning some element of flexible work/social club, some move-in-ready space for the company scaling up and traditional HQ space, as well as the requisite food and beverage, wellness and cultural offerings.”
He added that the word “amenities” is an evolving term that can mean different things to different tenants, depending on their needs. What his firm, as an owner, can offer the user inside the four walls of its buildings is as important as the amenities outside of the building, such as walkable retail, outdoor fitness, and food and beverage options, he said.
This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and Corgan. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.
Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.
