In part one of this two-part blog series, we dug into what some important national data and research says about the way employees around the country view workplace design. This information was based on Capital One’s 2019 Work Environment Survey, a study conducted each year to detail how elements of office design and layout impact employee productivity, happiness and other vital areas.
At New Life Office, we’re happy to offer numerous office furniture options that will help promote employee comfort and productivity, from quality office seating and chair options to cubicles, desks and much more. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll dig into several of the specific areas where employees around the nation reported interesting findings when it comes to office design preferences.
Design Over Location
Location has long been considered a vital element for any office space, and it still absolutely is – how far employees have to travel for work, whether they work in a convenient area and what kinds of amenities are close by are all important factors. But did you realize that for a majority of employees, location actually comes second to office design?
Per the Capital one study, this was the third straight year where over 50 percent of employees believe office design is more important than location. When speaking about mid-level employees in particular, the number is close to two-thirds of all those surveyed.
Amenities and Attracting Talent
All modern workplaces want to attract the brightest and most talented employees to their offices, and this is one area where things remain consistent year-to-year: Employees highly value flexible scheduling and health amenities as their top priorities here. In addition to strong culture and design formats, be attentive to these two areas.
Outdoor Design Formats
Evoking nature-based themes in office design is a major trend in recent years, and with good reason. A majority of employees connect elements like natural light and physical connection to the outdoors as factors that directly relate to productivity, while many others enjoy a material connection like an indoor plant or a water feature near where they work. As you look at the younger groups of respondents, this trend becomes even starker.
Other Important Elements
A few other elements that participants in this study identified as important:
- Natural light: As we noted, natural light is a major element employees desire, with nearly 60 percent stating its importance.
- Rest and relaxation spaces: More and more employees are signaling a desire for overall wellness experiences in the office, including areas to rest and relax.
- Non-traditional desks or workstations
- Integration of natural or organic themes inside or just outside office buildings