If you’re among the majority of companies (according to August 2024 Flex Index data) that practice hybrid work, then the question of how to measure the performance of your hybrid office must have come up. Perhaps more than just once or twice.  

To find out what the right hybrid office metrics are, we did extensive research and had in-depth discussions with hybrid office experts. Based on this, I've compiled a list of essential metrics you should be tracking, along with tips and tools to help you monitor them effectively.. 

Here's the shortlist:

1. Sense of Community
2. Space Utilization, Desk Occupancy, and Meeting Room Usage
3. Knowledge and Idea Sharing 
4. Productivity and Performance 
5. Employee Well-being 

Key Office Metrics for Running a Successful Hybrid Office in Q3 2024

The goal of managing a hybrid office is simple: create a workspace that's efficient, flexible, and supportive. The metrics in this section will show you exactly how well you’re achieving that. 

Whether you're tweaking your management approach or discussing strategic improvements with your team, the following metrics are essential for understanding the overall effectiveness of your hybrid office.

1. Sense of Community

This metric is crucial because a strong sense community at work fulfills essential emotional needs, positively impacting job satisfaction and overall well-being. When employees feel connected, they experience higher job satisfaction and mental health, which benefits their personal lives and organizational performance.

While a May 2024 study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health revealed that hybrid employees actually felt a stronger sense of community compared to in-office worker, tracking and improving community is key. 

According to Luc Kamperman of Veldhoen + Company, an expert in hybrid workplaces, leaders can measure the sense of community among their team members by conducting regular employee surveys to assess how connected employees feel to the company, their teams, and the overall hybrid office environment. 

Tracking participation rates in virtual and in-person team-building activities, social events, and company-wide meetings is also essential for measuring engagement. 

Additionally, Luc told me exclusively that monitoring retention rates can indicate the sense of community and belonging within your company. 

Todd Presley, VP of Human Resources at Chronicle Books, acknowledged the challenges of the hybrid work model in an interview with hybrid work expert Gleb Tsipursky. 

In the interview, he noted that maintaining a sense of community and culture is particularly complex when employees are not physically together. To address this, he implemented regular virtual meet-ups and in-person events to strengthen team bonds and sustain its culture.

2. Space Utilization, Desk Occupancy, and Meeting Room Usage

If certain office areas are often empty, it might indicate that the layout doesn't meet your team's needs or preferences. Gleb Tsipursky highlights that tracking space, desk, and meeting room usage drives key insights.

Low usage could highlight, for example, that large open spaces may not be ideal for focused work, causing employees to avoid them. 

He suggests repurpose these underused spaces for functions that are in higher demand, such as creating more private pods for individual work or converting them into collaborative zones for teamwork.

Luc Kamperman agrees, adding that regularly monitoring office occupancy rates – aiming for around 70% on selected days – helps maintain a vibrant atmosphere. 

Additionally, conducting surveys to assess employee satisfaction with the workspace, including energy, noise levels, and overall atmosphere, can provide valuable insights. 

Gleb Tsipursky noted that in a hybrid office, hot desk booking data offers valuable insights into daily space usage. Workplace leaders can analyze which desks are most frequently booked and when, helping to identify patterns in workspace demand. 

If certain areas are consistently popular, it might be worth expanding those zones or replicating their features elsewhere in the office. On the other hand, underused areas can be re-evaluated or repurposed.

3. Knowledge and Idea Sharing

Another key metric is the velocity of work. To assess knowledge and idea sharing, Luc Kamperman suggests using employee pulse checks to gauge how employees perceive the quality and quantity of shared knowledge. 

Additionally, monitoring the usage of collaboration tools like Slack and MS Teams can reveal how frequently employees are brainstorming, sharing ideas, and working together on projects, both within and outside their direct teams. 

From a long-term perspective, measuring innovation metrics – such as the number of new ideas generated, patents filed, or initiatives launched – can provide insights into the effectiveness of these collaborative efforts.

This metric is especially important considering  2022 Forrester research which found that respondents tend to share more knowledge in the office than in hybrid settings. 

Another study by a group of Master's students at ESCP Business School recommends a three-pronged approach for managers and organizational leaders to build an effective knowledge-sharing system in a hybrid work environment: 

• Organize regular in-person events to help employees connect
• Foster a culture of asking for help to create a collaborative environment and implement dedicated knowledge-sharing platforms that provide employee-centric methods for sharing information.

4. Productivity and Performance

According to Luc Kamperman, productivity and performance metrics can be effectively measured by conducting employee pulse checks to assess whether the hybrid office setup is supporting individual and team productivity. 

He also emphasizes the importance of regular performance reviews to determine if the hybrid model is helping or hindering employees in achieving their goals. 

Additionally, Luc Kamperman suggests tracking task completion times and comparing remote versus in-office work to identify any significant discrepancies in efficiency.

In an article, Gleb Tsipursky noted that while performance is a key metric, it may vary in ease of measurement depending on the nature of the work. 

For example, a study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research reported on a randomized control trial comparing software engineers on a hybrid work schedule to those on an office-centric schedule. 

The study found that engineers working in a hybrid model wrote 8% more code over six months, proving higher productivity with at least some remote work. 

For roles where such objective measures aren’t available, Gleb advises regular weekly performance assessments from supervisors. 

However, he cautions against using software tracking programs, as an Owl Labs report indicated that they cause 45% of employees to feel stressed.

5. Employee Well-being 

Luc Kamperman recommends using work-life balance scores by including specific questions in employee surveys to assess how well employees feel they are balancing work with personal life in a hybrid setup. 

He suggests monitoring absenteeism rates as a potential indicator of burnout or disengagement in remote or in-office environments.

This metric resonates deeply with 2023 study by Mind Share Partners, in which the researchers found that “hybrid workers who had the freedom to decide where they work reported a shorter duration of mental health symptoms, a more positive impact of work on mental health, greater comfort talking about mental health at work, lower likelihood of leaving roles for mental health reasons, and greater pride and intent to stay at their current employer for two or more years.” 

What Are Hybrid Office Management Metrics? 

Hybrid office management metrics are key measurements used to evaluate how effectively a hybrid work environment is managed. By tracking these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and fine-tune strategies to meet your organizational goals.

These metrics support informed decisions that can lead to cost savings, a better employee experience, and a more efficient workflow.

Traditional metrics, such as office occupancy rates, employee engagement levels, and retention rates, have been foundational in workplace management and continue to play a crucial role. However, newer metrics like occupancy, productivity and performance and employee well-being scores have gained importance as hybrid work models evolve.

Choosing which metrics to focus on depends on various critical factors, including your organizational priorities, management approaches, and industry standards. 

For example, a company aiming to improve employee satisfaction in a hybrid environment might focus on metrics related to well-being and virtual collaboration, while an organization seeking to optimize office space usage would prioritize metrics related to occupancy and resource utilization.

As hybrid work becomes more common, metrics like sharing ratios, employee sentiment, and attendance have become key for CRE (Corporate Real Estate and Workplace Experience) leaders., 

Meanwhile, traditional metrics such as square footage per person are now less critical, as per the 2024 latest Workplace & Occupancy Report by CBRE. This report, which shows that tools like occupancy sensors, surveys, benchmarking, and emerging AI technologies are increasingly used to gather data and predict future space needs, ensuring a more efficient and responsive workplace environment.

The Bottom Line & Key Takeaways

With hybrid work now the new norm, finding the right metrics for running a successful hybrid office can be challenging, especially when you're trying to balance results, culture, and employee well-being. 

Traditional workplace performance metrics aren’t effective in this context, so adopting these expert-provided and research-based approaches tailored to hybrid work will be key to making your hybrid office work. 

Whichever metrics you end up using, remember to make them as people-centric as possible, especially in a hybrid work environment.

I’m always curious about how workplace leaders address challenges like choosing the right office metrics. Please feel free to reach out to me here if you have a story to share, want to provide feedback, or ask a question.