WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Working from home has become the norm for many people here in Iowa. Now, as some companies start to get back to pre-pandemic routines, they're re-thinking how work gets done.
Debbie Hannam is the president of Brokers Clearing House, a financial services firm in West Des Moines. Her team of 25 employees is getting ready to come back to the office at the beginning of February.
"I think it was important from a psyche standpoint, a financial standpoint, and the human interaction that eventually we still try to get together," said Hannam.
As her employees get ready to come back, Hannam is thinking about how her office will look long-term.
"We’ll probably engage in some kind of hybrid where employees come in for two or three days a week and then they're home two or three days a week," she said.
While that change may not be happening anytime soon, she isn't the only one thinking about this.
Kevin Crowley, chief operating officer at Iowa Realty Commercial, said his clients are rethinking how they do business.
"Those employers are probably going to try to figure out what their right size is, whether they are going to downsize, stay the same, or expand, or relocate to some space that fits them better," Crowley said.
Crowley says they're also having to think about productivity and how to maintain the culture of the organization.
"It really about what the employee wants, and what the employers want out of their employees. There is no right answer," Crowley said.
As Hannam consider a hybrid model for her business, she's confident she'll always need a space for her employees.
"People will like having the opportunity to separate themselves from their home and come into a business environment. I'm sure we will always have a business to go to," she said.
