Not all hybrid employees are the same. As companies settle into new work patterns, two distinct personas have emerged: the “Resident” and the “Commuter.” Residents are employees who spend the majority of their time in the office, using it as their primary workspace. Commuters, on the other hand, treat the office as a destination for specific purposes, coming in perhaps one or two days a week for collaboration, meetings, or cultural connection. A one-size-fits-all office design cannot effectively serve both groups. A successful workplace strategy requires a nuanced approach, offering a mix of spaces and resources tailored to these different needs and supported by flexible
.
Catering to the Office Resident
The Resident employee needs a sense of stability and permanence, even in a flexible environment. While they may not have a single assigned desk forever, they benefit from having a consistent “home base” or neighborhood where they can reliably find their team and their equipment. They require easy access to ergonomic setups, personal storage like lockers, and quiet areas for focused work, as the office is their primary place of productivity. For Residents, the office needs to feel like a well-equipped, comfortable, and reliable home base.
Empowering the Purposeful Commuter
The Commuter employee has a different set of needs. Their trip to the office is intentional and purpose-driven. They are not coming in to sit alone at a desk and answer emails—they can do that from home. They are coming in to connect with colleagues, participate in workshops, and absorb the company culture. For them, the most valuable real estate is not the individual workstation, but the high-energy collaborative spaces: project rooms with large whiteboards, comfortable lounges for informal brainstorming, and vibrant social hubs. The technology they rely on must make their visit frictionless, allowing them to book spaces on the fly and easily find the people they came to see.
A Unified Platform for All Personas
The key to supporting both Residents and Commuters is a unified workplace platform that provides choice and flexibility. The Resident can use the system to book a desk within their team neighborhood for the entire week, giving them a sense of routine. The Commuter can use the same system to book a collaborative space for a three-hour workshop or a hot desk for a day. The platform’s analytics can provide insights into the ratio of Residents to Commuters, allowing facilities teams to adjust the mix of individual and collaborative spaces over time. This data-driven, flexible approach ensures the workplace can effectively cater to the diverse needs of its entire population.