Top managers are the most frequent attendees

The return to the office continues to grow this year as employees increasingly feel the need for direct interaction with colleagues, and employers implement strategies that encourage a full-time return to the office while balancing the hybrid model. According to a survey conducted by Genesis Property, one of the leading office building owners in Romania, among 1,168 respondents nationwide, nearly 63% of employees are already working exclusively from the office, while 13% opt for a 3-4 days workweek in the office. Additionally, only 10% of respondents continue to work exclusively remotely.

Top managers, employees in administrative teams (HR, finance-accounting), and middle managers are the professional categories with the highest office attendance. This trend highlights the importance of physical presence for strategic roles and departments that require active coordination with other teams and face-to-face meetings. Employees in executive roles remain more flexible due to the nature of their individual activities, while sales teams spend much of their time in the field.

”Nearly five years after the pandemic fundamentally changed the way we work, we are seeing a clear increase in the preference for physical presence in the office, and the data confirms what we observe in our office parks. More than half of respondents now prefer to come to the office five days a week, while maintaining some flexibility in their schedule. This highlights the need for direct interaction and socialization, with top managers setting an example through their consistent presence,” says Elena Panait, Head of Leasing, Genesis Property.

Generations and preferences regarding office work

Generation X records the highest percentage of employees working exclusively from the office (74.8%), followed by Millennials (54.1%) and Generation Z (53.8%). However, for employees working in a hybrid system, a full-time return to the office often depends on additional incentives and benefits offered by employers to increase the appeal of working onsite. Among these, 37.2% of respondents indicated provided lunch, 34.5% cited subsidized transportation, and 26.9% mentioned additional vacation days.

Generation X appears less influenced by financial benefits and more motivated by a desire to be actively involved in the company’s life. In contrast, younger employees, such as those from Generation Z, would prefer a significant salary increase to work full-time from the office, as many are at the start of their careers with lower incomes compared to more experienced generations.

The survey reveals that if employers were to offer a 20% salary increase to those working exclusively from the office, 75.2% of Generation X employees would opt for this model—a percentage similar to those who have already returned to the office. The situation is slightly different for Generation Z, where 61.5% of respondents would choose to work full-time in the office under these conditions, compared to 53% who are already working exclusively onsite.

Genesis Property has redefined the employee office experience through the YUNITY Park project, offering a unique mix of facilities and benefits designed to transform daily work into an experience tailored to the modern lifestyle. The campus features an open-air amphitheater with 1,500 seats, 2 kilometers of pedestrian pathways, cascading water mirrors, an urban forest, and creative meeting spaces. The second phase of the project, completed last year, benefited from an investment of over 20 million euros.

The survey was conducted by Genesis Property, a company founded by entrepreneur Liviu Tudor, and analyzed new trends in employee requirements. It was carried out nationally in July – August 2024 through the iVox platform, with a total sample of 1,168 internet users in Romania. Approximately 49% of participants were female, and nearly 42% had a net income exceeding 5,000 lei.