Destination: Office

On the other: It’s at the office every day as it largely was before March 2020. They believe that while much can be accomplished at home with technology and a webcam, there are things that lend themselves better to being present with colleagues in an office where idea generation and mentoring can occur more readily. They want to be able to pop by a colleague’s desk and get answers without having to type out their thoughts in a chat. 

The compromise: hybrid work options. And it seems to be the option that the working world is migrating toward. A Gallup poll from March 2022 found that 53% of respondents expect a hybrid arrangement. Meanwhile, 24% expect to work exclusively remotely. Firms that aren’t embracing a more flexible work arrangement stand a high probability of not being able to recruit the talent they need. 

One thing is clear — the workplace is different than it was three years ago. Technology and a generation entering the workforce that has never known a world without Wi-Fi translate into a need to reimagine what it means to “go to the office.” But it can be a tough sell. To make hybrid work possible means giving people a reason to come back to an office. Working from home does its own sales pitch — the flexibility, jammy pants and other comforts of home. So what can firms do to entice people back to the office to make the hybrid model successful? From natural light and green spaces, here are what some legal organizations are focusing on.

1. MAKE IT AN INVITING SPACE FOR EMPLOYEES

Making the office a destination is consistently top of mind for firms, according to Asher Inman, Associate in Tenant Advisory and Transaction Services at CBRE’s Washington, D.C. office. “It’s been an interesting few years during the pandemic to see how firms are adjusting. Law firms have been constantly [asking for] ways to magnetize the office when it comes to build-outs and design because many firms haven’t required attendance. It’s been more of a soft policy to be there three days a week,” says Inman. 

As firms shift to a more concrete hybrid option, Inman says firms are looking for options that promote quality of office life. “If you’re going to bring people back, they’re going to want to be in an office that promotes health, promotes wellness, it promotes social interaction, that promotes mentorship,” says Inman.

Ball Janik, LLP, has a hybrid/flexible policy that enables their employees to efficiently accomplish their work regardless of location, while also creating positive work/life balance, says Heather Oden, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Oregon Chapter. A key part of this was a redesign of their office to make it a place people enjoyed coming to (see the cover). 

“We had to reevaluate what the modern office space should look like in the aftermath of COVID. Having an inclusive and modern office space that reflects our company’s ethos is crucial. We created more spaces for collaboration and gathering, and the office feels … well, kinda cool! The warm textures combined with bright colors make it a place people want to be in,” says Oden. “Change is difficult, especially in the legal industry, and our goal with this redesign was to plant a flag in the ground showcasing what a legal firm’s workspace can look like in the modern world.” 

2. ASK YOUR EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY WANT

Understanding what employees want and need in a workspace is also an important step that shouldn’t be overlooked. At Reich & Binstock, LLP in Houston, where Kimberly Friery is Controller, she’s overseeing a construction buildout that was designed with a hybrid environment in mind. In order to understand what staff are looking for when it comes to office space, she started with a survey.

“I first put out a survey using SurveyMonkey, of how they felt about remote work, how well their setup at home works, if they need anything, what days they prefer to come in to the office, if they enjoy coming to the office and why,” says Friery, an Independent member. She adds that they also focused on specific work environments. “All paralegals now have an office, but with the remodel, I am condensing the space and giving everyone a 5-by-5 cubicle with an electric desk that they can also stand at,” says Friery.

One general sticking point for attorneys at some firms is they want or need their support staff around them. This can be solved with a schedule. Friery says she used results from this survey to devise a schedule according to dockets for when each support staff member must come into the office. All other days they can work from home. 

Oden notes that Ball Janik also surveyed employees and put a detailed schedule in place for the working arrangements. “We have to meticulously plan our hybrid work schedules based on client and team needs. We’ve dramatically expanded our technology toolset over the last several years to improve workflow and collaboration no matter where someone is working from,” says Oden.

3. INVEST IN TECH, GREEN SPACE AND WELLNESS

Speaking of expanding tech, for a hybrid option to securely work, there must be an investment in tech. 

Inman says this is a request they consistently get, too. “The leading thing firms are focused on [is] accommodations and meeting spaces for people who are physically present in the office and those who aren’t. They’re really thinking deeply about interacting in this digital realm so that you feel like you're still sitting across the table from your colleague rather than just a little box on the screen,” says Inman. 

Oden says while incorporating modern tech into their new office to help keep them working efficiently was a priority, the design itself was part of the draw. “More than anything else, we want this space to draw in talent and make everyone feel welcome and a part of the BJLLP family.” 

It goes to the heart of the argument for in-office time: Even the best videoconferencing systems can’t replicate the happenstance of interactions with colleagues that occur in collaborative, community spaces. 

“The benefit of [a] physical office is the socialized collaboration to build culture with your firm and with other employees. Our workplace team says the best amenity in the office is your coworker,” Inman says. “So, firms have doubled down on their investment in areas meant for social interaction that you can’t have when you’re working remotely. Firms have been very thoughtful about incorporating amenity areas like elevated cafés, coffee stations or lounge areas, and these [play a role in] magnetizing the office and people wanting to come to the office and feel attracted to that social interaction in a great new space with natural light,” he says. 

Friery says she looked for ways to let light in with their buildout at Reich & Binstock. She put a lot of glass in the attorneys’ offices so that it opens the space and “makes everyone in a cubicle feel like they have windows.” 

With an eye toward well-being, natural light and access to the outdoors are recurring design themes. “Green space and outdoor space [are] in very high demand,” says Inman. It would have been unthought of just a few years ago, but he says landlords or building owners are looking to carve out space that could be used as rentable square footage and turning that into outdoor terraces. 

“A great example of this is a client of ours moved from a lower quality building to a trophy quality building, and it had a great outdoor terrace on the rooftop. [That] space is gorgeous and bright. It received tons of natural light. It has café features throughout the space and an interconnecting stairwell so you can see people as they move throughout the workplace,” says Inman.

There’s an outdoor area at Faraci Lange’s new space, too. Katrina L. Connelly, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Western New York Chapter, oversaw their office move earlier this year. Connelly says the new office includes an outdoor area where they have furniture for staff. The hope is staff will gather there for lunches and other social events. 

4. SMALLER FOOTPRINT — BIG IMPACT 

Even before the pandemic, firms were starting to examine ways to make their footprints healthier and more cost-effective, says Inman. But like many things, the pandemic accelerated it. 

“We were already seeing law firms adjusting secretarial ratios, finding new uses for the library space they didn’t necessarily need — coupled with intentional downsizing and hybrid, remote work environments in mind,” says Inman. 

At Faraci Lange, Connelly says they cut their space in half when they moved because of the hybrid arrangements since 2020. They needed less storage space and fewer large offices and conference rooms, as now they often meet with clients via Zoom. 

With that, there needed to be a shift in workspaces. She says they’ve implemented hoteling spaces for those who only come in a few days per week. They’ve also said that if employees want a dedicated spot in the office, they need to come in three days a week. Want an office with a window? They need to come in five days a week.

Connelly is happy to report that staff have responded well to the changes and are thrilled with the efficiency of the new space. “We have been lucky to have a wonderful staff that works hard and, for the most part, everyone has chosen an arrangement that works best both for them and the firm,” says Connelly. 

It’s been positive at Ball Janik, too. “Our team loves the new space, and in fact, our employees and industry partners located in different parts of the country joke that they also want a place here! Morale has always been positive at our firm, but we felt it was important to be proactive in redefining our office space for how we operate now and plan to in the future. We’re confident that, as we grow, our office will remain a place where everyone feels included and inspired.”