In 2025, the office is no longer just a place to work—it’s a place to connect. A growing number of employees are engaging in what’s been dubbed “coffee badging”: showing up at the office for a quick coffee and chat, swiping their badge for attendance, and heading back home to work remotely. As highlighted in a recent BBC feature, this trend is reshaping how organisations think about office space and employee engagement.
The Social Shift in Office Culture
Rather than spending hours at a desk, many workers now use the office as a social anchor—a space for spontaneous collaboration, casual catch-ups, and cultural connection. This shift is especially pronounced among younger professionals, who value flexibility but still crave in-person interaction.
Brian Elliott, former executive leader at Slack and now a workplace strategist, notes:
“The office is becoming a magnet, not a mandate. People come in for connection, not compulsion” 1
This evolution challenges traditional metrics of office utilisation, which have long focused on desk occupancy. If employees are no longer tethered to desks, how can organisations understand how their spaces are truly being used?
Enter Accordant by CadM: Measuring What Matters
Accordant by CadM is at the forefront of this transformation. Its Utilisation Survey app empowers organisations to monitor how all types of spaces—not just desks—are being used. From cafés and lounges to collaboration zones and quiet pods, the app captures real-time data on how employees interact with their environment.
This is crucial in a world where, as Sheena Gohil of Colliers puts it:
“2025 is the year companies act on their hybrid strategies—recalibrating office footprints and rethinking what space is actually needed” 2
From Insight to Action
With Accordant’s tools, workplace managers can:
- Visualise usage patterns across all space types
- Identify underutilised areas and opportunities for redesign
- Support data-driven decisions about space allocation and investment
For example, if a company finds that its breakout areas are consistently full while desk banks remain empty, it might choose to convert some desk space into more informal gathering zones—aligning the office layout with actual employee behaviour.
The Future of Work Is Measurable
As hybrid work continues to evolve, so too must the way we measure and manage the workplace. Coffee badging isn’t just a quirk—it’s a signal that employees are redefining the value of the office. And with tools like Accordant’s Utilisation Survey app, organisations can stay ahead of the curve, ensuring their spaces support not just productivity, but people.
“The smartest companies aren’t fighting hybrid—they’re designing for it,” says Dougal Jeppe, workplace strategist at Colliers 2. “That means understanding how every square metre is used, not just the desks.”