February 14, 2007—Where have the workers gone? Increasingly, according to new survey results released by CoreNet Global’s Applied Research Center (ARC), they are working remotely as companies seek to reduce their real estate portfolios and save money.
More than half of respondents indicated that 10 percent or more of their knowledge workers work remotely, and 65 percent have stopped providing an assigned workspace to at least 10 percent of their workforce.
These findings are in line with CoreNet Global’s landmark study, “Corporate Real Estate 2010: Enabling Work in a Networked World (CoRE 2010),” which indicated that at least 25 percent of corporations’ knowledge workers would work remotely by 2010, a prediction that is gradually coming true, says CoreNet.
With the widespread availability of broadband and DSL, combined with extensive use of laptop computers, work no longer has to be performed in a traditional office setting. The last five years have firmly established the capability for most knowledge workers to do their jobs outside of an assigned workspace and in most cases outside the walls of the company.
CoreNet Global, a leading professional association for corporate real estate executives and a thought leader in workplace strategies, announced the CoRE 2010 research in 2004 to forge a collaborative vision of the business and work models of the future.
From the company perspective, the desire for efficiency is driving workplace initiatives. Fifty-four percent of respondents cited higher utilization of space as one of the top three workplace objectives. Fifty-eight percent cited the need to improve efficiency and productivity, and 45 percent said they wanted to reduce cost.
CoreNet Global’s CoRE 2010 research also showed that the “demand for assigned or traditional office space will decrease substantially by 2010 as corporations rely on unassigned office space for workers.”
The new survey found that these early projections and workplace practices are indeed infiltrating companies and alternative workplace features are being found in respondents’ existing workplaces.
For more information, visit the CoreNet Global Web site.
