How to Know if Your Office Is Working — Not Just Who’s Showing Up
At MySeat, we help organizations capture data in real time. Using non-intrusive office sensors and our analytics platform, we provide visibility into how space is being used day to day. We believe the best strategies start with evidence so let’s get to know how to know if your office is really working today!
This allows CRE teams to move from assumptions to insights, whether they’re reinforcing a return-to-office plan, adopting a flexible model, or rethinking their real estate footprint.
Key Insight from the Flex Index Q2 2025 Report:
According to Brian Elliott, 75 percent of U.S. companies now have formal return-to-office policies. However, actual in-person attendance often lags by 20 to 30 percentage points. This growing discrepancy highlights a critical challenge for workplace leaders: measuring and aligning how office space is actually being used with evolving employee behavior.
In a recent update from the Flex Index, Brian Elliott notes an emerging trend. While many companies have established clear in-office expectations, actual employee presence often really diverges from those goals. This isn’t a failure of leadership. It’s a reminder that the workplace is evolving, and understanding how it functions today requires more than policies and planning. It requires data.
Why Data Complements Policy
Each company’s approach to in-office work reflects its own business needs, culture, and goals. Some prioritize collaboration, others focus on flexibility, and many are blending both. Regardless of strategy, one constant remains: decisions must be grounded in facts.
Traditional methods like badge swipes offer limited visibility. They may indicate that someone entered the building, but not how long they stayed, which spaces they used, or whether those spaces supported their work.
In contrast, a structured office study supported by occupancy sensors delivers a more complete picture. It shows how meeting rooms, workstations, and shared zones are actually being used, and when.
Defining Success in the Hybrid Workplace
The hybrid workplace is not just about where work happens. It’s about how the office supports productivity, focus, and connection. To know whether your workplace is effective, it helps to measure:
- Real-time usage of workstations and collaborative zones
- Availability and demand for meeting rooms
- Whether leasehold improvements match current usage patterns
- The frequency and distribution of presence across teams and days
With precise data, organizations can test ideas, compare locations, and validate whether the current space aligns with team needs. These insights help drive workplace experience improvements while reducing unnecessary costs.
A Practical Approach to Space Strategy
At MySeat, we’ve supported companies across sectors in gathering actionable space data, including:
- Identifying underutilized areas that could be repurposed or downsized
- Understanding occupancy trends before making investment decisions
- Supporting the refinement of workplace platforms with accurate space metrics
- Validating how office layouts impact collaboration and focus time
This approach supports both short-term decision making and long-term planning. It adds a layer of objectivity to discussions that are often based on perception or preference.
From Guessing to Knowing – How to know if your office is really working
There is no universal template for workplace success. Some organizations benefit from a more structured in-office rhythm. Others operate effectively with a high degree of autonomy and flexibility. In both cases, understanding how space is used is essential.
Better data enables better choices, not just about space, but about how to support teams and business goals.
If your organization is exploring changes to your office layout, reviewing your leases, or planning your next phase of growth, a data-backed office study can support you at every step. Our platform and services are built to integrate seamlessly, with minimal disruption and maximum clarity.
You can learn more at MySeat.ca, or reach out to schedule a consultation. We believe the best strategies start with evidence so let’s get to know how to know if your office is working today!