The pandemic has shifted the way we work and has highlighted the need for a flexible, hybrid workplace that accommodates remote work, in-office work, and everything in between. While many factors contribute to a successful hybrid workplace, two key players in this space are people operations (People Ops) and corporate real estate (CRE).
People Ops is responsible for the employee experience and ensuring that the workplace supports employee acquisition, well-being, DEI, culture, productivity, and compliance (to name a few). On the other hand, CRE is responsible for procuring and designing the physical workplace and ensuring budgetary goals are met.
While these two leadership stakeholders often worked in more of a siloed fashion in the world before hybrid work, it’s now critical that both POVs align in solving for new work models.These two functions can create a truly dynamic and effective hybrid workplace when they come together.
The Changing Roles of People Ops and CRE
The shift to hybrid work has led to new roles and responsibilities of People Ops and CRE. People Ops is now increasingly focused on managing remote work and the employee experience, while CRE is now tasked with saving money on office overhead while ensuring there’s a cohesive experience for in-office work.
To accommodate these changes, People Ops and CRE have begun to collaborate more closely. They are now working together to create a seamless and integrated employee experience in concert with capturing real estate savings, as they transition into hybrid work models.
The Benefits of This Duo
The collaboration between People Ops and CRE can lead to several valuable outcomes for organizations, including:
1. Recognized cost savings
Make informed decisions around cutting under-utilized office space. Recognize significant cost savings in real estate and facilities overhead.
2. Greater need for data & technology solutions
Collect and analyze data defining utilization and occupancy to better-informed decisions about the workplace. We’re entering a new era where the actual demand for workspace is no longer derived by number of people x square feet per person plus a growth assumption. Data will be the key to unlocking cost savings and efficient procurements moving forward.
3. Improved employee experience
Create a workplace that is designed with the employee experience in mind. Transform the office from an obligation to a destination to drive improved employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity.
Investing in collaboration between People Ops and CRE is crucial for creating an engaging, productive, and supportive hybrid workplace. Rather than thinking of this as an either-or solution, an approach and technology solution that works for both stakeholders is needed. With the help of technology and an emphasis on collaboration, organizations will reap the benefits of improved employee experience, cost savings, better data and analytics, and more.