SUSTAINABILITY

The past year saw continued backlash related to—dare we speak the word—ESG (environmental, social, and governance). The term is losing favor, particularly in the United States, as political and cultural forces shift and regulatory pressures take hold. In fact, data show that ESG mentions in corporate earnings calls have dropped considerably.

While the controversial acronym is being replaced by phrases such as “responsible business” or simply “sustainability,” our survey found that employees want their companies to take action.

In our sample, 62 percent of respondents reported that their company’s active participation in fighting climate change was somewhat or very important to them. So while corporate attitudes on ESG may be in flux, most individuals agree that companies have a role to play, and the climate change conversation isn’t going away. Since regulatory change and stakeholder demands will continue to evolve, companies should think of sustainability as a powerful part of their brand narrative and storytelling. Tonally, we expect to see a mix of urgency and optimism as companies focus more heavily on data, reporting, and new technologies.

THOUGHT
LEADERSHIP

It’s perhaps the essential question in our industry: What exactly is thought leadership?

We like the following definition, courtesy of Cindy Anderson, chief brand officer at IBV:

“[Thought leadership is] distinctive and evidence-based intelligence that gives leaders the insights they need to make better business decisions.”

Indeed, more than half of our survey respondents find thought leadership valuable in helping solve problems. But how people consume this content expands the question even further. While most (38 percent) still get their thought leadership via online articles and charts, about one-sixth look to social media (17 percent) or podcasts (19 percent) for content that inspires solutions.

It seems increasingly clear that diversity of content formats and channels is a priority if thought leadership is to reach the right audience at the right time. But is an infographic about emerging tech still considered thought leadership? Can a 90-second TikTok video be considered distinctive, evidence-based intelligence? It seems the answer is increasingly “yes.”

AI AND

DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY

Is the fanfare over generative AI really little more than a year old? The existential dread that colored many of the conversations around ChatGPT and other applications has given way to pragmatism and even a sense of opportunity. Many respondents, rather than sensing doom and gloom, noted that AI is bringing new skills to the fore. And companies are already putting their AI plans in place.

Our focus this year is understanding the impact of AI on how individuals work and how companies choose to deploy it as one piece of a much larger digital toolbox. The need to adapt is clear, and viewing AI as an accelerator is a start.

Of course, as companies hurtle forward, conversations about the secondary effects of technology are growing louder, particularly regarding AI ethics and governance. How do we ensure these new tools don’t simply parrot the blind spots of the humans who created them?

HOW

WE
WORK

Let’s start with the most surprising finding from our survey: 34 percent of respondents did not anticipate that their company would take action regarding their real estate strategy. The problem? Not taking any action in a changing work environment means not keeping pace with change, adapting, or innovating when there’s real opportunity to do so.

We see other angles to consider. For example, some office workers may not have a comfortable or decent place to work at home, whether because of space constraints, living conditions, caregiving demands, or something else. There’s also a broader economy of people who are dependent on office workers. How can a real estate strategy be inclusive or thoughtful of that, too? What role should the office play in the life of the town or city? Maybe these underexplored questions can encourage people to rethink how they do things.