The Hybrid Gap - What Workplace Data Is Really Telling Us

An interview with Dan Sommer, Qlik, & Heléne Lidström, Castellum

📅 Available on demand | Zoom | Svenska

Global office utilisation has hit 53% according to CBRE's 2026 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights — its highest point since before the pandemic. Hybrid strategies are maturing, policies are tightening, and the office is more important than ever. So why does it still feel like the workplace is half empty? And why are 70% of leaders saying employees aren't showing up as much as expected?

In the premiere episode of The Workplace Shift, we’ll discuss the hybrid gap with Heléne Lidström, Workplace Strategist at Castellum, and Dan Sommer, Global Market Intelligence Lead at Qlik. They’ll unpack what the data is really telling us — and what it isn't.

We discuss the conclusions of CBRE Research's annual report, "2026 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights", and reveal new Nordic insights from Castellum’s just-released report, “Framtidens Arbetsliv 2026”, that paint a strikingly different picture than the global headlines.

Most importantly, we explore the gap between perceived and actual workplace utilisation, what it takes to measure your workplace accurately and how you turn that data into a strategy you can act on with confidence.

This episode is essential viewing for workplace, facility, HR, and finance leaders. You will:

• Understand where global workplace utilisation really stands, and what the numbers are hiding
• Get new insights from Castellum’s just-released report ”Framtidens Arbetsliv 2026”
• Learn how Qlik enables organisations to unify their data and build a truly data-driven workplace strategy
• Discover the gap between perceived and actual utilisation — and how to close it
• Leave with concrete steps toward a data-driven workplace strategy you can act on

The workplace is shifting. This is your front row seat.

Meet the guests

Heléne Lidström, Workplace Strategist, Castellum & Healthy Business
Heléne Lidström is one of Sweden's most experienced experts on the future of work and workplace development. With over 25 years across consulting and leadership roles at organisations including Microsoft, Tele2 and Finnair, she helps businesses build sustainable, flexible and needs-based workplaces. As Workplace Strategist at Castellum and through her own firm Healthy Business, Heléne advises on strategy, behavioural change and how the office can create genuine value for both people and organisations.

Dan Sommer, Senior Director & Global Market Intelligence Lead, Qlik
Dan Sommer is one of the world's leading voices on data, analytics and data-driven decision-making. As Global Market Intelligence Lead at Qlik, he tracks the forces shaping how organisations use data — from market dynamics to the practical realities of building data-literate businesses. A former Research Director at Gartner, Dan brings over two decades of experience helping organisations understand what the data is really telling them — and what to do about it.

Secure your front row seat

📅 Available on demand | Zoom | Svenska

Disclaimer: The insights presented in this episode are based on CBRE's 2026 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights, a report produced by CBRE Research. Interpretations and conclusions are Flowscape's own.