JLL’s biennial Global Future of Work survey has been exploring the evolving world of work since 2011 and is recognized as a leading industry publication on the emerging CRE trends. This year, we draw on the experience of over 2,300 CRE decision-makers and the perspectives of JLL experts, highlighting the key areas of focus and strategies CRE leaders should be prioritizing over the next 12-24 months and beyond. Future of Work 2024 is part of JLL’s Future Vision program, a scenario-led exploration of the future of Real Estate. 

Organizational headcount growth

‘Hybrid adopters’ and ‘Office advocates’

Business expectations

How to deliver change

Even though there is often a gap between what employers expect and what is happening in reality, CRE leaders must assess whether the return to more office time will continue and what this means for office utilization. They also need to consider how space design can support the coexistence of different workstyles within their organization. For example, planning for full-time attendance for populations of engineers, while tech support teams might work in a hybrid manner. Despite this complex and evolving landscape, it’s clear that the office is central to work: 85% of organizations have a policy of at least three days of office attendance per week. And 43% expect the number of days in the office to increase by 2030, though this may still be within a hybrid work strategy for many organizations.

The Future of Work survey results indicate challenging times ahead for CRE professionals, as they grapple with portfolio and location strategies, as well as the demands of their organizations’ shifting work patterns.

As CRE teams ready themselves to help deliver the most attractive work environment for their organization, while securing organizational efficiency and building a future-ready CRE function, we set out four ways in which decision-makers can succeed: