CHALLENGE AREA 3
Pressure Points: The Top Challenges Shaping Workplace Strategy
Workplace management has become a central focus of corporate real estate (CRE) strategy as organisations adjust to new patterns of work, shifting employee expectations, and ongoing pressure to reduce cost and improve space performance. The workplace is no longer just a backdrop to business, rather it is a tool for culture, productivity, and change.
As part of this year’s (Y)OUR SPACE survey, occupiers were asked to identify the biggest challenges they face in managing the workplace today. Their responses reveal five leading issues that are shaping decision-making and driving investment. Presented in ranked order by number of respondents, these themes represent the current strategic agenda for workplace leaders.
The data shows a clear consensus around the complexity of aligning space with evolving ways of working. Topping the list with 30% of respondents is the challenge of understanding and influencing usage patterns - a fundamental step in creating workplaces that are fit for purpose. This reflects a broader recognition that space efficiency is no longer about density metrics alone, but about matching design to behaviour. In response, organisations are doubling down on real-time data tools - from occupancy sensors to space booking analytics - to better understand how, when, and why spaces are used. Illustrating this, nine per cent of respondents highlighted mobilising workplace technology and data as their greatest challenge in workplace management.
There are also considerable concerns around creating compelling in-office experiences and maintaining cultural cohesion in hybrid environments. These challenges speak to a deeper shift: the workplace is being reframed not just as a cost centre, but as a platform for engagement, innovation, and belonging. As such, investment priorities are expanding beyond physical infrastructure to include service design, hospitality models, and digital enablement. The workplace is becoming more experiential, more responsive, more human – and critically, more functional. The data in this latest (Y)OUR SPACE survey reinforces the need for CRE strategies that go beyond footprint optimisation to embrace workplace experience as a driver of organisational success.
My biggest challenge in workplace management is... By % of respondents (n=292)
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #1
When presence becomes a problem
The most frequently cited workplace challenge, selected by 30% of survey respondents, is improving the utilisation and occupancy of existing space. This reflects a widely shared concern that more flexible work styles have reduced office attendance and undermined the efficiency of long-term workplace investments.
Inconsistent patterns of presence are leaving CRE teams with space that is underused for large parts of the week. While peak occupancy may still stretch capacity, average daily usage can often fall well below pre-pandemic levels. 34 per cent of those respondents recognising utilisation as their biggest challenge are either ‘somewhat dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with the current level of workplace utilisation in their organisation. They are highly focused on finding ways to make retained space work harder - through layout changes, shared zones, and new occupancy models - as well as exploring potential consolidation.
This challenge also ties into broader conversations around cost, sustainability, and value. Underutilised space is expensive to maintain and difficult to justify, particularly when employee expectations about flexibility remain high. Improving occupancy is therefore not just an operational concern, but a strategic imperative for many CRE functions.
At the heart of this issue is the need for better insight. Many organisations are investing in more granular workplace data, tracking not just badge swipes, but patterns of desk and meeting room use, peak times by team or function, and correlations with productivity and engagement. This intelligence is essential in making informed decisions about reconfiguration, subletting, or even exiting certain locations. Importantly in the context of workplace management, it also helps in identifying opportunities to activate space differently - for example, by opening offices to clients, partners, or events during low-usage periods.
Improving utilisation also demands a cultural shift. It’s not just about optimising layouts; it’s about designing spaces that people want to use. That means environments that are social, purposeful, and well-serviced - where being in the office is additive, not obligatory. CRE leaders are increasingly working alongside HR and business unit leaders to align workplace design with behavioural change strategies, including clearer in-office expectations, refreshed workplace etiquette, and incentives to draw employees back in for the moments that matter.
Ultimately, improving office utilisation - the number one workplace management challenge recognised by (Y)OUR SPACE respondents - is both a science and an art. It is a combination of hard data and soft cultural factors, where analytics guide strategy, but experience, emotion and human connection determine success.
How satisfied are you with the current level of workplace utilisation in your organisation? By % of respondents (n=88)
of respondents are dissatisfied with current workplace utilisation levels
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #2
Mismatch at the core
The second most selected issue, cited by a quarter of respondents, is the challenge of aligning evolving workstyles with the physical workplace. The way we work has changed immeasurably, accelerated by technology and shaped by greater flexibility in the where (and to some extent when) of work. This transformation has created visible tension between the old and the new: between traditional office norms and emerging patterns of flexibility; between employer priorities and employee preferences; and even between different roles and generations within the same organisation. While hybrid working is now widely accepted in principle - seen as the predominant future workstyle by 47% of respondents - the workplace itself has not always adapted in parallel, leaving a disconnect between how people work, and the environments meant to support them.
Q: How would you describe your organisations predominant workstyle 3 years from today? By % of respondents (n=72)
Many office environments were designed around traditional patterns of presence, co-location, and synchronous collaboration. But these assumptions have shifted. Teams now operate across multiple time zones and channels, and the rhythms of work vary by function, geography, and seniority. Survey respondents highlighted the difficulty of creating spaces that support this diversity - providing for both quiet focus and creative interaction, remote engagement and in-person connection.
This challenge is about more than space planning. It requires a responsive approach to workplace strategy that reflects how teams work today. CRE leaders are now under pressure to map workstyles more accurately and match them to adaptable, fit-for-purpose environments.
At the core of this issue is the need for stronger cross-functional alignment. Workplace performance is no longer just the remit of real estate teams - it increasingly involves HR, IT and business unit leaders working together to decode behavioural patterns and co-create solutions. This means integrating workplace planning with workforce strategy: understanding how people collaborate, what tools they rely on, and when and why they come together. Organisations that succeed are those treating the workplace not as a fixed asset but as a dynamic service that supports business performance.
There is a growing demand for evidence. Leadership teams are looking for clear justification for workplace decisions - linking spatial changes to measurable impacts on engagement, productivity and retention. As a result, many CRE teams are investing in workplace research, pilot programmes, and longitudinal studies to better understand how different workstyles interact with different environments. Aligning space with work is no longer a one-off design intervention. It’s a continuous learning process grounded in data, dialogue and strategic intent.
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #3
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #4
The experience gap
The third-ranked concern in this challenge area, raised by 19% of respondents, is the need to deliver more meaningful workplace amenities and services. In part, this reflects rising employee expectations, particularly given the competitive nature of global labour markets. But it also highlights a broader shift in how the workplace is valued as an experience and a support structure.
Amenities such as food and beverage, wellness spaces, concierge-style support, and shared social areas are increasingly seen as integral to attracting people into the office. However, respondents point to the challenge of ensuring these services are relevant, well-used, and appropriately scaled for different locations.
There is also a clear cost dimension. Investing in workplace services must deliver demonstrable value, whether in terms of usage, satisfaction, or business impact. Survey feedback suggests a growing emphasis on data-driven decision-making in this area, as organisations seek to fine-tune amenity provision in line with real needs and behaviours.
Fixing the floorplate
The challenge of changing the design and configuration of the workplace was selected by 17% of respondents. This reflects ongoing tension between inherited layouts and new ways of working.
Many respondents are managing offices that were planned around fixed desks, enclosed meeting rooms, and static team locations. These environments often struggle to support hybrid collaboration, agile workflows, or informal connection. Redesigning space to meet these new requirements while managing cost, disruption, and legacy expectations, remains a significant task.
This theme also touches on the need for more flexibility in design. As occupancy patterns remain fluid, workplace layouts must be able to adapt over time, whether through modular furniture, multi-use zones, or scalable fit outs. The survey indicates that many organisations are rethinking design strategy not just as a one-off intervention, but as an ongoing, iterative process.
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #3
The experience gap
The third-ranked concern in this challenge area, raised by 19% of respondents, is the need to deliver more meaningful workplace amenities and services. In part, this reflects rising employee expectations, particularly given the competitive nature of global labour markets. But it also highlights a broader shift in how the workplace is valued as an experience and a support structure.
Amenities such as food and beverage, wellness spaces, concierge-style support, and shared social areas are increasingly seen as integral to attracting people into the office. However, respondents point to the challenge of ensuring these services are relevant, well-used, and appropriately scaled for different locations.
There is also a clear cost dimension. Investing in workplace services must deliver demonstrable value, whether in terms of usage, satisfaction, or business impact. Survey feedback suggests a growing emphasis on data-driven decision-making in this area, as organisations seek to fine-tune amenity provision in line with real needs and behaviours.
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #4
Fixing the floorplate
The challenge of changing the design and configuration of the workplace was selected by 17% of respondents. This reflects ongoing tension between inherited layouts and new ways of working.
Many respondents are managing offices that were planned around fixed desks, enclosed meeting rooms, and static team locations. These environments often struggle to support hybrid collaboration, agile workflows, or informal connection. Redesigning space to meet these new requirements while managing cost, disruption, and legacy expectations, remains a significant task.
This theme also touches on the need for more flexibility in design. As occupancy patterns remain fluid, workplace layouts must be able to adapt over time, whether through modular furniture, multi-use zones, or scalable fit outs. The survey indicates that many organisations are rethinking design strategy not just as a one-off intervention, but as an ongoing, iterative process.
WORKPLACE CHALLENGE #5
Data without direction
Finally, 9% of respondents identified the challenge of mobilising workplace technology and data to support effective management. Although ranked fifth overall, this theme underpins many of the others, particularly around utilisation, amenities, and hybrid working.
Respondents point to the need for better tools to track occupancy, monitor space usage, and understand employee preferences. The ability to gather, interpret, and act on this data is becoming central to workplace planning. Yet many organisations face internal barriers: disconnected systems, inconsistent data streams, or limited capacity to turn information into action.
The survey results suggest that workplace technology remains underutilised in many settings. Realising its full value will depend on improved integration, clearer governance, and stronger collaboration between CRE, IT, and HR functions. While not yet a universal priority, workplace leaders increasingly see data capability as a key enabler of strategic progress.
MOBILISING THE MESSAGE: FROM FRICTION TO FOCUS
These five challenges - directly identified and ranked by survey respondents - reflect a clear shift in the role of the workplace. From post-pandemic adjustment to long-term transformation, organisations are now looking to create spaces that are efficient, engaging, and aligned with how work happens today.
Whether the goal is to raise utilisation, adapt to hybrid work, improve services, redesign space, or harness data, the pressure on workplace strategy is increasing. In practice, these are not separate tasks, they are interlinked demands that require integrated thinking and cross-functional delivery. For CRE leaders, the path forward lies in clarity of purpose, confidence in evidence, and a willingness to reshape the workplace for what it has become: a strategic platform for performance.
MOBILISING THE MESSAGE: FROM FRICTION TO FOCUS
These five challenges - directly identified and ranked by survey respondents - reflect a clear shift in the role of the workplace. From post-pandemic adjustment to long-term transformation, organisations are now looking to create spaces that are efficient, engaging, and aligned with how work happens today.
Whether the goal is to raise utilisation, adapt to hybrid work, improve services, redesign space, or harness data, the pressure on workplace strategy is increasing. In practice, these are not separate tasks, they are interlinked demands that require integrated thinking and cross-functional delivery. For CRE leaders, the path forward lies in clarity of purpose, confidence in evidence, and a willingness to reshape the workplace for what it has become: a strategic platform for performance.
