Easy collaboration tools will increase productivity and make return-to-office more appealing to employees, according to the Appspace 2023 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report

DALLAS, TX – May 9, 2023 – Despite recent news of return-to-office mandates, only 3% of employees (with flexible work options) work entirely in-person, compared to 43% who are completely remote. Moreover, 93% of respondents who work from the office – whether part-time or fully – feel their organization could do more to improve the in-office experience.

These findings come from the Appspace 2023 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report, which examines employees’ evolving workplace needs and experiences as they continue to navigate new ways of working. The report, released today, also addresses how organizations can best use technology to improve employee engagement, productivity, and collaboration.

Employees ranked providing “consistent and simultaneous communications to all employees,” whether they work from the traditional office, remote, or hybrid, as the most necessary office improvement. This priority topped “providing more flexibility on hybrid and remote work options.”

Offering additional training on workplace technology and reducing the number of apps required to perform their jobs ranked third and fourth respectively on employees’ collective wish lists.

From Desk to Destination
When deciding to go into the office, younger employees (93% of millennials) are more likely to factor in whether their colleagues will be there too. This compares to 82% of Gen Xers and 63% of Baby Boomers. Younger employees (78% of millennials compared to 35% of Baby Boomers) also are more likely to agree they waste time transitioning from working outside the office to working in the traditional office setting.

According to the report, organizations are investing in technology to improve hybrid and return-to-office workplace experiences. However, legacy solutions and an overemphasis on improving efficiency prevent gains in performance and social connectivity.
“Most organizations have moved past the remote vs. in-office debate, realizing that hybrid models are here to stay,” says Appspace CEO, Tony DiBenedetto. “With this realization at the forefront, organizations now can focus on improving collaboration – regardless of where employees work. Winning organizations will take this a step further and use technology to simplify the workplace experience, improve productivity, and make the traditional office more appealing.”

Other key findings include:

• For employees working remotely, the majority (79%) experience at least one of the following challenges:
  • Feeling connected and engaged with my work
  • Finding a sense of belonging and culture at my company
  • Feeling a sense of camaraderie with my coworkers
  • Inclusion in virtual meetings, email, or messaging conversations
• Important news doesn’t always travel fast, according to respondents:
  • Only 29% of respondents hear about company news within minutes
  • 43% hear within hours
  • Nearly one-third of employees (29%) reported that it takes days or even longer to receive critical information.
• Vendor, visitor, colleague?
  • 51% of respondents have been unsure if someone they encountered at the office worked for their company or was authorized to be on site.

“When it comes to employees’ biggest challenges with their company’s workplace tools, the number one problem is that not everyone uses the same technologies,” says Mike Hicks, Appspace’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This is consistent with findings from similar research we conducted more than a year ago and offers one clear path to streamlining IT office experiences and generating cost savings through tech consolidation.”

For more insight on workplace trends and technology solutions, download the 2023 Workplace Experience Trends & Insights Report:

About the Survey
The independent research report surveyed 800 employees and 100 IT managers working full-time at organizations with more than 1,000 employees in the U.S. All respondents work at organizations currently offering hybrid and/or fully remote work opportunities.

About Appspace
Appspace is the workplace experience platform for communications and workplace management. It’s the first to combine a modern intranet, space reservation, digital signage, and more – all in a single, easy-to-use platform. Now organizations can replace siloed products that are costly to integrate and unite their physical and digital workplace. More than 150 Fortune 500 companies, and 10 million on-site, remote, and frontline employees, are using Appspace to make work a more connected and engaging experience. Learn more at www.appspace.com.

Media Contacts
Jackie Parker
jackie.parker@appspace.com