Real workplace wins: 3 leaders share how they use data to drive better strategy

Workplace teams aren’t just guessing anymore. The ones leading the charge into 2025 are using data to shape smarter, more responsive workplace strategies. In our latest webinar, Driving Workplace Strategy with Actionable Analytics in 2025, three workplace leaders share how they’re turning data into real-world results.

Danielle Ryan, Senior Workplace Programs Manager at Samsara, walks us through how analytics help her team forecast attendance trends, optimize office operations, and tailor space by team needs.

Sameer Pangrekar, Head of Real Estate and Workplace at Udemy, shares how his team combines attendance data with employee feedback to design spaces that reflect how people actually work—and why that’s reshaping their strategy.

Lauren Nelson, Program Manager on the Employee Experience team at Reddit, shows how data revealed overcrowding in a key office—and how that insight led to a successful expansion plan backed by leadership.

From shaping policy to space planning, these experts are using data not just to report on what’s happening—but to decide what happens next.

Here are the key takeaways from the session.

1. Workplace data isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of strategy

Every panelist echoed this theme: data underpins everything from real estate planning to lunch orders. Samir Pangrekar, Head of Real Estate and Workplace at Udemy, put it plainly:

“We use data to inform decisions at every stage—from real estate strategy to desk assignments.”

At Udemy, they use attendance trends to design new spaces and determine hybrid work models—whether that means adding coworking options, securing long-term leases, or rethinking how desks are assigned.

2. Utilization data helps identify both risk—and opportunity

Too few people in the office? That’s a red flag. Too many? It’s a sign of unmet needs. Lauren Nelson, Program Manager on the Employee Experience team at Reddit, shares how utilization data drove a key decision in London:

“Our ideal utilization rate is 40–60%. Anything below that is at risk, and anything above leads to overcrowding. Our London office was too busy… After consistently seeing utilization over 90% in Envoy quarter after quarter, we got approval to expand the office. Now, utilization sits at a perfect 50%.”

For Danielle at Samsara, attendance analytics helps her team track trends to inform resource planning and operational decisions: 

“For example, when summer vacation hits and people spend time with their families, office attendance tends to dip. Then it spikes again in the fall when school starts back up. This insight helps us plan for lunch orders, cleaning schedules, and security staffing so we’re not caught off guard.”

These are perfect examples of how data-backed decisions can create more balanced, efficient workplaces.

3. Analytics make policies feel intentional, not arbitrary

Attendance policies can be complicated—but data can provide a solid foundation for nuanced, role-based guidance. Danielle Ryan, Senior Workplace Programs Manager at Samsara, explained how they used analytics to refine their flexible work policy:

“We have a flexible work policy—no required days in the office. However, data revealed that junior employees benefit significantly from in-office mentorship and collaboration. So, we introduced a policy encouraging certain early-career employees to come in three days a week.

The result? A more personalized, data-driven approach to workplace engagement.

Ready to hear more?

From designing smarter spaces to influencing hybrid strategies, this session is full of actionable insights for workplace, facilities, and real estate leaders. Watch the full webinar.