In this insightful article, David Maddison, Senior Workspace Consultant at Abintra, explores the widening gap between leadership expectations for office attendance and the reality of hybrid work, revealing how most workplaces are not optimised for actual use. He shows how data, sensor technology, and continuous feedback can transform static office estates into adaptive, demand-led ecosystems that enhance efficiency, well-being, and long-term value.


Despite bold pronouncements about a full return to the office, the reality is very different. Flexible working is not a temporary experiment but a permanent shift in how people engage with work.

Even organisations that have called employees back to their desks are discovering that people favour hybrid or flex-first models.

There is a widening gap between what leaders may expect and what happens. Teams now have varied workstyles: some value the energy of face-to-face collaboration while others prize the focus and balance that remote work offers. The result is a workplace landscape that’s dynamic, diverse — and often under-utilised.

Recent research underlines this disconnect. A recent study by Knight Frank found that more than a third of corporate real estate leaders are dissatisfied with current workplace utilisation levels. Nearly 30% identify delivering higher occupancy as their top challenge, and one in four sees aligning workstyles and workplaces as the biggest challenge.

This matters because unused or underused office space is more than just a cost — it’s a missed opportunity. An effectively utilised workplace not only optimises real estate investment but also enhances employee experience, providing the right mix of spaces for collaboration, concentration, and connection.

So, how do organisations plan for the right amount and type of space in such a fluid environment? The answer lies in embracing innovation — using data, sensor technology and software to make decisions grounded in evidence, not assumption.

At Abintra, we’ve been helping global corporations and leading UK public sector organisations to do exactly that for more than two decades. Our technology measures workspace utilisation — tracking how desks, meeting rooms and shared areas are used across hours, days, weeks and months. This granular insight reveals the real story of workplace behaviour, helping businesses right-size, reconfigure and re-energise their real estate.

In major corporations, our data typically reveals that traditional desks are occupied only two-thirds of the time. Often less. Meeting rooms designed for 12 people may be used by just a few people, sometimes only two or even one. Rooms are booked but not occupied. Breakout and soft seating areas – once thought to be the key to getting teams together post-lockdown – are often sitting empty, while demand is higher for private booths where people can make confidential calls or work quietly.

The data gives not only broad insights like these but also detailed data about which spaces are used or unused and when, down to the individual desk or seat in a meeting room.

By leveraging these insights, organisations can design offices that reflect how people work — not how they’re expected to. That might mean modular layouts, more shared or multi-purpose spaces and environments that flex as teams and priorities change.

Innovation for generational change

Technology also helps organisations adapt to generational shifts. New research shows that UK workers aged 30–34 now prize flexibility above pay — a powerful signal that the next generation views autonomy as central to work satisfaction. For these employees, the office must offer something distinct: a place that enables collaboration, creativity and well-being, not just attendance.

Sensor technology and smart analytics help meet these expectations. By understanding patterns of use across different demographics, teams and times of day, managers can continuously adapt the workplace experience. Environmental data — tracking factors such as temperature, air quality and noise — further supports wellbeing, comfort and productivity.

From static estate to adaptive ecosystem

This is the future of workspace management: a living, data-driven ecosystem rather than a fixed asset. Demand-led insights and continuous feedback loops allow more innovative space planning, right-sizing of underused assets, and measurable links between design, occupancy and staff satisfaction.

Organisations that embrace this approach won’t just optimise space – they’ll create workplaces that attract talent, enhance well-being, and future-proof their real estate investments.