As more organizations return to offices or fine tune their existing hybrid work arrangements, 2023 will be a crucial year for streamlining and solidifying the workplace changes that have occurred since the start of the pandemic. The past few years have been an exercise in experimentation with massive changes occurring across office occupancy and workplace culture. It’s clear that hybrid is here to stay, shaping office environments and compelling employers to shift focus from cost savings to the needs and well-being of employees. By developing strong partnerships with facility managers and workplace experience experts, leaders have a rare opportunity to enhance how their spaces operate to boost worker engagement, prioritize critical strategies around sustainability, and invest in effective tools to achieve big goals and keep outstanding people. 

To meet crucial Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) benchmarks, sustainability continues to be a major priority for leaders as they plan for a future with fewer emissions. A sustainable approach to facility management helps companies reduce consumption, implement energy efficiency programs, optimize waste management, and explore new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. ESG has become a central consideration, and increased sustainability practices are necessary for organizations to demonstrate corporate responsibility and accountability for their environmental impacts.

With businesses and other institutions across the globe pledging to achieve net-zero emissions, leaders must explore how to make their spaces more sustainable while also maintaining high standards for their workplace experience. A facility management partner provides energy and waste audits to examine consumption, review costs, and make recommendations to increase efficiency, like upgrading climate control or lighting. After an on-site review and recommendations report, updated lighting and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems offer near-immediate energy and cost savings, as well as prolong the life and reliability of vital office infrastructure.

Property technology and artificial intelligence have reshaped what is possible in the workplace, allowing organizations to collect and actionize data to make building operations more sustainable and provide employees with digital tools to increase their productivity. Workplace mobile apps and sensors collect extensive information on what employees utilize and prefer, helping leaders create a setting where people can do their best work with fewer barriers. Robust data collection also allows property owners to develop a detailed understanding of how their asset operates and where to make changes for increased efficacy.