Architecture, engineering, and construction companies traditionally required employees to work in the office during standard business hours. The COVID-19 pandemic upended that. With the next new normal still up in the air—if such a thing is to exist—what is the sentiment among AEC professionals about the future of their own workplace?
The San Francisco–headquartered AEC business consultancy Cameron MacAllister Group has released a series of reports on how the pandemic has shifted perspectives as firms contemplate the transition process back to the office. Led by CMG principal consultants Annelise Pitts, AIA, Saskia Dennis-van Dijl, and Mark Cameron, Hon. AIA, the seventh report in the series, “AEC Employee Perspectives on Reopening,” examines the future of the workplace in the AEC sector.
From June 25 to July 15, 2021, CMG conducted on online survey of 1,335 professionals, diverse in race, ethnicity, age, parental status, and seniority and employed at nearly 50 firms—mostly CMG clients—across the country. The format of the 24 survey questions included degree of agreement (with an option to comment), multiple choice, and multiple answer. The final question was open-ended and asked participants to reflect on challenges they anticipate as their firms transitioned to post-pandemic work. “These comments added richness to the data, helping our team to understand not only how respondents were experiencing a significant period of change, but also why they felt the way that they did about these issues,” Pitts says.
Dueling Desires: Personal Well-Being Versus Team Camaraderie
CMG’s survey found that AEC professionals are overwhelmingly in favor of a hybrid work model: 93% of respondents indicated that they would like to split their time between their office and home. Most respondents said their experiences with remote work have been either neutral or positive, that their personal productivity remained stable or increased, and their work-related stress remained stable or decreased.
However, six in 10 professionals reported remote work has diminished their connection with colleagues, revealing a tension between personal well-being and the desire for camaraderie. White men and senior leaders were more likely to report diminished experiences, while women and professionals of color were more likely to report improvements in their productivity and well-being. Prepandemic research suggests the latter two groups had experienced the highest levels of work-related stress and exclusion in the industry, so the differences in the impact of remote work are striking.
"Against this backdrop of decreased connection, we observed interesting bright spots for groups that are underrepresented in the field,” the report states. “BIPOC women are twice as likely as white men to report experiencing increased connection and are 15% less likely to report decreased levels of connection. Similarly, young women are significantly more likely than older men to report experiencing improvements in connectivity as a result of the shift to remote work.”
The independence that comes with remote work also led some respondents’ reports to grow professionally. “While I do enjoy the people I work with and support/manage, I am far more productive at home and save time with my commute,” shared one respondent. “I have found that my team members have developed their problem-solving skills since being at home, as they can't just pop in someone's office or desk. … [T]hey come to me with potential solutions instead of asking me for the answers.”
Cultivating a Hybrid-Friendly Firm Culture
From CMG’s survey results, firm leaders hoping to retain top talent should evaluate their company culture and adopt progressive policies. Most importantly, the report finds, is that firm leaders must show empathy: Employees want their perspectives to be considered in decisions regarding work models. Firm leaders should consider not only offering employees the option to work from home regularly—two days remote per week was the average respondent preference—but also adapting workplace culture to support hybrid teams.
While many respondents reported that their firms have set timelines for returning to the office, they haven’t revealed specifics about plans, policies, and expectations, such as core hours for when employees are expected to be available for real-time collaboration in-office or remotely.
The survey also reveals a disconnect between employee and perceived employer preferences. A majority of respondents reported that their firms will allow some form of remote work but that their leaders preferred employees to return to the office full-time. Firm leaders must communicate expectations clearly to avoid situations that are biased against remote workers or that give in-person workers enhanced opportunities, recognition, feedback, and access to leadership.
Finally, business leaders and employers alike should keep in mind that transitioning to a hybrid work model takes time, accountability, and trust from both sides. By supporting workers while clearly communicating expectations, firm leaders will not only retain and attract top talent but also nurture a healthy workplace culture, both inside and outside the office.
