Corporate real estate leaders are facing a fundamental shift. Traditional metrics like cost per square foot or density are no longer sufficient to guide strategic decision-making. Today’s workplace is more fluid, more flexible, and more people-centric than ever. As a result, CRE teams must expand how they measure performance, incorporating new human-centered metrics that reflect how employees use and experience the workplace.
To build a proactive, holistic digital transformation strategy, CRE leaders need a deeper understanding of their real estate portfolio, how space is being utilized, and how workplace experience impacts employee performance. This requires a new set of KPIs and the technology to support them.
From Space-Centric to Human-Centric Workplaces
In the past, CRE success was defined by occupancy costs, square footage efficiency, and portfolio consolidation. But as organizations embrace hybrid work and more flexible ways of working, the definition of “performance” is expanding.
Human-centric KPIs, focused on wellbeing, engagement, experience, and safety, have moved to the forefront. These metrics have become especially critical since the COVID-19 pandemic, when CRE teams were required to support safe re-entry, reduce crowding, and create healthier environments.
Looking forward, these people-oriented KPIs aren’t temporary. They represent a permanent evolution in how organizations evaluate the value of their workplace. After all, the true purpose of corporate real estate is to support the employees who drive business performance.
Why Human-Centric Metrics Matter Now
Work is no longer tied to a single location, time, or mode. Employees choose where and how work gets done, creating new variability in occupancy patterns and space demand. At the same time, IoT sensors, reservation systems, and advanced workplace analytics, like those available through Tango Workplace, give teams access to richer, more accurate data than ever before.
That combination has elevated the importance of understanding how people interact with space:
- Which spaces they prefer
- When occupancy peaks occur
- How hybrid schedules impact utilization
- Whether the workplace supports productivity, focus, and collaboration
- How environmental and safety metrics influence wellbeing
Modern CRE leaders rely on data-backed insight to navigate these complexities and create spaces that empower people—not restrict them.
The New Human-Centric Metrics
As workplace expectations evolve, so do the metrics that matter. Below are the new categories of human-focused KPIs reshaping corporate real estate management. These measures help organizations align space, operations, and employee experience using accurate, real-time workplace analytics.
1. Utilization Metrics
Understanding actual utilization—not just planned capacity—helps CRE teams right-size their portfolio, eliminate wasted space, and support hybrid work efficiently.
2. Meeting Room & Workstation Metrics
Booking vs. actual use, peak demand periods, and workspace preference patterns reveal how well the office supports collaboration and focused work.
3. Workplace Engagement Metrics
Tracking engagement through feedback, sentiment insights, and in-office behavior signals how effectively the space supports employees’ needs.
4. Employee Wellbeing Metrics
Factors like comfort, environmental quality, noise levels, and access to preferred spaces directly influence performance and satisfaction.
5. Healthy Building Certifications
Adhering to standards such as WELL or LEED supports physical and mental wellbeing while strengthening an organization’s employer brand.
6. Social Distancing Metrics
Originally accelerated by COVID-19, these metrics remain relevant for organizations prioritizing safety, spacing, and crowd management.
7. Employee Availability & Absence Metrics
Understanding who is on-site—and when—helps CRE teams plan for demand and ensure workspace availability.
8. Entry & Exit Metrics
Access control and traffic flow data highlight peak arrival times, congestion risks, and security considerations.
9. Visitor Metrics
Visitor density and patterns help organizations design more flexible, safe, and welcoming environments for guests and partners.
10. Location Metrics
Insights into which sites, floors, or neighborhoods perform best help inform long-term portfolio decisions, office consolidations, and workplace investments.
Key Takeaways
- Corporate real estate management is shifting from cost-centric to human-centric KPIs.
- New technology and workplace analytics are enabling deeper insights into occupancy, behavior, and experience.
- The most competitive organizations will be those that adopt metrics aligned with hybrid work, wellbeing, and employee engagement.
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