Most have predicted it, but CBRE's 2022 US Occupier Survey make it official: most companies will adopt a hybrid workplace strategy going forward. "Employers are responding to employee desire for flexibility, and they are largely welcoming employees back under largely different work patterns," Julie Whelan, global head of occupier thought leadership at CBRE, said in a recent webinar hosted by CBRE to discuss survey results.

According to the survey, 73% of companies will adopt a hybrid workplace model that allows employees to both work from home and in the office. Most companies will adopt what CBRE called "guided flexibility," which gives companies control of the days employees are in the office or at home, while 12% of companies have full flexibility, where employees can choose their own schedule. Only 19% of companies have office-only policies, 4% have virtual first and the remaining 4% have remote work. "This has been consistent with past surveys that hybrid is the way forward," added Whelan.

While employees have always been more amenable to this change, now managers are beginning to embrace the idea. "Those that reported hybrid work also report that the executive sentiment is strengthening around this idea," said Whelan. "They know their employees want flexibility and they are very willing to provide that, especially given the labor environment that we are in."