New Research: 5 Ways Your Office Will Change by 2027
From the boardroom to the breakroom, fresh data shows leaders believe an office overhaul is overdue.
The modern workplace is in the middle of a quiet revolution. This is driven by shifting habits, bold leadership decisions, and a growing realization that the office needs a serious rethink.
Steelcase recently surveyed nearly 500 U.S.-based decision-makers across industries and regions. It’s a strategic tool to spark collaboration, support wellbeing, and boost performance in uncertain times. Work patterns and attendance are stabilizing. AI and sustainability are reshaping the landscape that demand ongoing flexibility. As a result, the workplace needs to stay adaptable. Spaces that aren’t designed for future ways of working could risk becoming outdated and less functional with time.
1. Stabilizing Work Patterns Brings Confidence
After years of uncertainty, the dust is settling, and we have a clearer picture of hybrid and in-office work behaviors. Leaders expect almost half (46%) of employees to be in the office five days per week, while the number of people expected to work at least three days a week in-office has consistently hovered around 70% for the past two years.
Takeaway:
As hybrid work patterns stabilize, organizations are gaining clarity and confidence in planning for the future. Nearly half of employees are expected to return to the office full-time. Overall, a consistent 70% of employees will be present at least three days a week. Leaders can now make more informed decisions about space design, culture, and collaboration.
2. Organizations Need to Flex for What’s Next
2026 is the year leaders plan to roll up their sleeves and make meaningful changes to their offices.
96% of leaders plan to update their workspaces in the next two years.
Additionally, the need for greater flexibility is also driven by the unknown. AI will change the nature of people’s jobs and the ways they’ll work as the technology matures. As AI continues to reshape how and where we work, spaces need to be ready to evolve alongside it.
Most Companies Plan to Redesign Their Office for AI
Takeaway:
Leaders feel a sense of urgency about their offices after years of waiting for the pandemic dust to settle. Updating aesthetics and technology matters. The immediacy is driven by the need to be more flexible and adaptable in the face of change today and the likelihood of more change in the future. As organizations race to unlock the benefits of AI, the workplace is becoming a strategic asset in that transformation.
3. Elevating the Employee Experience
The “flight to quality,” as it’s been dubbed, is about creating a better employee experience. Updated aesthetics matter. Adaptable, hard-working spaces in a vibrant office neighborhood makes people want to come to work in the office.
70% of organizations already have – or plan to move to – higher-tier properties. The goal? High-performing spaces that provide an elevated experience and support productivity and adaptability.
4. Dynamic Desking Adds Flexibility
In-office attendance and hybrid work gives an understanding of how space is being used. A decade ago, most offices were still built around a one-to-one desk-to-employee ratio. Today, that model has shifted dramatically in response to the rise of hybrid work, new ways of working, and a growing need for flexibility.
Most organizations plan for 2:1 or higher workstation-sharing ratios
Takeaway:
There is a shift from one-to-one desking to unassigned desks. This requires an emphasis on flexibility, efficiency, and adapting to evolving and diverse workstyles.
5. Human-Centered Needs Matter More
Continued concerns about sustainability and social issues like inclusivity, wellbeing, and belonging will shape how organizations design offices. Inclusive design principles and environmental stewardship are important aspects of workplace planning for today’s leaders. They are looking for a supportive workplace that provides long-term value.
People and planet commitments remain high priorities
Takeaway:
Flexible offices play a key role in this shift. They’re more sustainable by nature, and more inclusive by design, offering environments that can meet a wide range of needs. Organizations that embrace this approach are building spaces that support people, purpose, and progress.
The Light After a Long Journey
Previously, organizations navigated uncharted territory during and after the pandemic, from remote work upheaval to hybrid growing pains. Now, there’s a sense that change is not only possible, it’s already underway.
Stabilizing conditions give leaders the confidence to move forward. Emerging tech like AI and people and planet issues are driving the next wave of transformation. Flexibility is essential.
Communities: A Model for Resilience and Adaptability
The most vibrant communities constantly adapt to the changing needs of the people who live there. Community-Based Design is Steelcase’s approach to reimagining the workplace as a dynamic ecosystem based on principles from urban planning. Its methodology is based on designing the workplace with distinct “districts” that support different kinds of work. This includes collaboration, learning, rejuvenation and focused areas. This approach treats employees as members of a community to have choice and control over where and how they work. It enables them to move fluidly between spaces based on their needs and roles. Community-Based Design creates flexible and adaptable environments that evolve with changing work patterns. Leaders can meet the needs of their people and organization by fostering productivity and human connection.
Hybrid Work Patterns Vary by Industry
The latest Steelcase research reveals most business leaders expect people to spend three-to-five days in the office. These work patterns have stabilized over the last two years; leaders now appear ready to improve outdated and underperforming spaces as employees spend more time in the workplace.
