Embracing optimism - the new frontier for businesses Following the shocks of the pandemic and all that followed, businesses are ready to be optimistic again. High on their agenda is a signal from government that it's safe for them to invest. And that they can start making exciting decisions about the future once more. Yet, despite a desire for business optimism, there are still some challenges too. Labour and skills shortages remain obstacles to progress and growth - especially in the technology and construction sectors. In the tech sector, for example, they're finding technological advancement is outpacing the training and development of new talent. As a result, 81% of UK businesses report being negatively affected by a skills gap that's posing a serious threat to their operations 6 . Labour and skills shortages remain obstacles to progress and growth - especially in the technology and construction sectors. In the construction industry, the situation is much the same. Here, an extra 251,500 new construction workers will be needed by 2028 to meet current demand 7 . There are also concerns that perhaps not enough is being done to attract people with the right skills to the right parts of the country. The trend of working from home also comes into the equation.
Something born of necessity during the pandemic, working from home has resulted in some unintended consequences. In London, for example, occupancy in the office market is at its lowest level in many years at just 55% in 2024 compared to 62% pre-pandemic. But, people are now slowly returning to the office, with occupancy steadily increasing and peak utilisation – Tuesday to Thursday – returning to 2019 levels 8 . It's a trend gradually being repeated across the country, with more employers asking: do they keep the status quo or encourage staff back to the workplace? According to a recent survey by Virgin Media O2, 40% of companies now require staff to work a five-day- week. Meanwhile, 92% of firms have some kind of mandatory in-office working policy 9 . To make returning to work easier for everyone, many companies are exploring ways to be more attractive to employees. Making them better places to work. “With remote working, the tech sector found keeping the office culture strong extremely difficult. As a result, innovation suffered. Now, we’re developing ways to attract people back to the workplace full time, such as offering extra support and office perks. We also frequently record our conferences to any attendees who may be nervous about travelling to a new place so they can watch it in the comfort of their own home – offering them a personalised experience.” said Katie Gallagher, CEO of Manchester Digital. Workplace design is also becoming less formal. For example, seating arrangements and furniture more reflective of home environments to make workspaces feel more relaxing and collaborative.
Crown | Colour Insights | 2025/2026 | page 11
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