How to attract employees back to the office? A stated choice study on hybrid working preferences

Abstract

It is expected that most office workers will work from home more often after COVID-19, but it remains unclear who is inclined to go back to the office and who is not when hybrid working becomes reality. Existing studies lack insights how (design) characteristics of the available office and home workspace influences workspace choice behavior. This survey-based stated choice experiment identifies two employee segments: one that intends to re-embrace the office and one that prefers to stay home a lot. Especially the expected crowdedness on the floor and availability of private spaces for concentration and meetings determined these employees’ choices. Also, the office workers segment contained relatively more male, highly educated, full-time workers with communication as an important component of their work and a short commute, while the home workers segment contained relatively more females, part-time employees, and administrative roles, plus employees with more individually focused work and a long commute.