Health, Wellness Is Most Important Factor Drawing People To Work: CBRE Study

While hybrid working has been more widely adopted across India, 69 per cent of the respondents preferred to work at least three days from the office

Photo Credit : India Picture Budget,

CBRE South Asia, one of India’s leading real estate consulting firm, on Monday announced the findings of its report, ‘Voices from India: How will people live, work and shop in the future?,’ which is based on the first-of-its-kind survey wherein more than 20,000 people were polled globally. According to the work section of the India report, better workplace safety measures and environmental amenities were cited by more than 80 per cent of respondents as the most desirable aspects motivating people to visit the office more regularly. This is in accordance with corporates' desire to occupy ESG-friendly premises.

While hybrid working has been more widely adopted across India, 69 per cent of the respondents preferred to work at least three days from the office. However, a slight variation in trends amongst genders is visible as female employees tend to place a greater emphasis on flexibility when evaluating potential job opportunities, as they may have higher family commitments and strive for a better work-life balance by preferring to work remotely. Preference for working in an office under the hybrid working model is likely to increase from the current 67 per cent to 78 per cent in the future in India - in line with global and APAC trends. 

More than 60 per cent of both sets of future employees (office and hybrid) across generations indicated that compensation remained the overriding factor in job selection.

Further, 50 per cent of both sets of workers place importance on workplace services and amenities. Hybrid workers also place a higher importance on when and where they can work while considering a new job.

According to the survey, the top three reasons for employees to visit office included more effectiveness in working, preference for in-person interactions, and more connectedness while working in office. About 39 per cent of respondents prefer hybrid/remote working patterns in India as their physical presence was not required for their roles. This was also due to their personal responsibilities and their reluctance to commute. About 39 per cent of the respondents cited health concerns as a reason not to visit office, mainly delaying RTO – resulting in employers introducing health and wellbeing programs.

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE said, “The survey indicates that majority of respondents prefer workplace quality and focus space for them to be regular at the office, while specially after the pandemic, health and wellness has become the most important factor for them to consider for frequent office visits. In addition, technology, space design, location, and services and amenities have become desirable factors for the employees at work”.

The survey also highlighted that of those planning to move, more than 70 per cent wanted to buy a house, instead of renting. While India has always been an economy where home buying is preferred over renting, the uncertainty around the pandemic has further accelerated the need for homeownership and security.

With the pandemic having raised the importance of health and safety, the demand for professional property management services, particularly in apartment buildings has been on the rise. There is also an increasing need for dedicated office space at home as hybrid working becomes more widespread.