A Work From Home Survey conducted by Gensler Research Institute found that only 12% of U.S. workers want to work from home full-time, while 70% want to work in the office the majority of their week. It’s not surprising to see the top reason employees want to come to the office, is the people. 45% of respondents identified “to be part of the community” as one of the most important reasons for returning to the workplace.

Our team at HILO recognizes a need for balance, and we believe that the concept of working from everywhere better reflects the current needs of the workforce. It’s not only an option to work from home or work from the office, but you can work from a local park or Starbucks, from collaboration/co-working spaces, or from the dock at the cottage. Working from everywhere was already a phenomenon that was emerging over the last many years, but Covid continues to shine a spotlight on this flexible way of working.

With that said, the workplace is still an organizations’ home base. The office is the physical heart of the company where colleagues can come together to collaborate, connect, and ultimately build community. Recognizing that people will continue working from home, the office, or anywhere, CRE operators have the opportunity to take a leadership position in carving out their place in the new ecosystem of working from everywhere. Buildings should strive to be the hub from which all other workspaces extend out from the home base and become the true centerpoint of an organization, rather than the endpoint.

As the center of all work activity, the importance of staying connected with building tenants is critical. Operators will need a tool to connect and communicate in real time so that tenants feel safe and secure in their buildings. They will need a digital platform to create engaging virtual experiences, or in-person when the time is right. Implementing an all-in-one technology that allows tenants to enter the building, access amenities, order lunch, connect with each other socially and professionally, should be a top priority to make tenants work life safer, easier and better.

The HILO network is the software solution used by building operators to attract tenants, boost revenues, and streamline operations by creating connected, engaged and informed building communities. Our team of CRE marketing and engagement experts provide hands-on support to help create unrivalled content, programs and experiences uniquely tailored to a building community, regardless of where tenants are working. More than a building app, HILO seamlessly connects tenants to everything that a building and its neighborhood has to offer, creating a unique user experience that builds long-term tenant loyalty. During this era of Covid, earning trust and loyalty will be the differentiator for building operators to attract and retain tenants.

As we continue working from everywhere, building operators should take advantage of this unique opportunity to position their buildings as the hub in the workplace ecosystem. Reminding tenants why they love working in their building and why it’s a safe place to be with engaging and rewarding content, as well as direct real time communication, will help bring them back to the workplace when they are ready. In the meantime, with a tool like HILO, tenants can connect to their building community with ease when they work from everywhere.