Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
What Coworkers Want
Workthere Research - July 2019
17%of workers based in
flexible officesYounger respondents
2.6x more likely to prefer a flexible office
67% satisfied with cleanliness
40%of flexible office workers
think their workspace improves their productivity
76%think a quiet space
is important40% satisfied with free food/snacks
Executive SummaryThis report provides an analysis of what office workers want and their satisfaction with various office components. It largely focuses on workers based in flexible office space (i.e. a serviced office or coworking space), but also makes comparisons with workers based in conventional office space. 11,217 European office workers were surveyed from 11 key European office markets: France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. We questioned workers on various office-related topics, including asking their views, in terms of importance and satisfaction, on 48 office features.
80%+ of respondents consider comfort of
work area, cleanliness & lighting as important
80% think Wi-Fi is important, but only 61%
are satisfied with it
Wellbeing and environment has the 3rd biggest satisfaction gap
Our key findings are:
• Crucial office features: In terms of the broader categories, technology is the most important factor for flexible office workers, followed by essentials (such as lighting, air quality, etc.) and then location.
• Flexible vs conventional office workers: Despite 59% of both flexible and conventional office workers being happy with their current office, flexible office workers are more satisfied than conventional office workers with 46 out of 48 of the office features that were explored.
• Technology: Technology is the number one priority for flexible office workers. 80% think that Wi-Fi is important, but only 61% are satisfied with it.
• Essentials: Essentials are the second highest priority for flexible office workers. 80%+ of respondents consider comfort of work area, cleanliness and lighting as important. Flexible office workers are more satisfied than conventional office workers with all of the essentials, except security. Air quality, noise levels and temperature have the greatest satisfaction gap.
• Location: A town or city centre is the preferred location for half of flexible office workers. Within the location category, workers’ commute came out top in terms of importance.
• Building design: Flexible office workers are happier than conventional office workers with all building design sub-categories, except ease of access into and around the building.
• Services and amenities: Free food has the largest satisfaction gap. Just over 60% of flexible office workers think it is important, but only 40% are happy with it.
• Wellbeing and environment: Wellbeing and environment has the third greatest satisfaction gap. Only 30% of flexible office workers are content with access to a gym.
• Space features: Access to a quiet space is considered to be the most important space feature, but satisfaction with this is low.
Introduction What does the current flexible office landscape look like? What are workers happy with? What do employees want to change? How important are recycling, free snacks and technology? What office type do workers prefer?
These are all questions that we address in this report, which largely focusses on flexible office workers, but also makes comparisons with conventional office workers. ‘Satisfaction gap’ is a metric that is frequently mentioned and is defined as the level of importance of a specific component minus the level of satisfaction.
In terms of importance and satisfaction ratings, respondents were asked how important or how satisfied they are with certain office criteria. The options of answers were from a rating scale of 1 (not at all important or not at all satisfied) to 5 (very important or very satisfied). We considered a rating of 4 or 5 as important or satisfied.
80% of our respondents work in a conventional office space and 17% in a flexible office space (i.e. a coworking space or serviced office), which largely resembles what we saw when we conducted this study three years ago, albeit the survey was just conducted in the UK.
Satisfaction levels with workers’ current workplace is high, with 59% of both flexible office and conventional workers being content. However, 10% of conventional office workers are unhappy with their current workplace, but only 6% of flexible office workers are. Despite satisfaction levels being broadly similar, flexible office workers are significantly happier with nearly every aspect of their office.
Flexible office workers are more satisfied than conventional office workers with 46 out of 48 office features. The only two aspects that conventional office workers are happier with are security and ease of access in and around the building. We consider different office components in terms of broader categories and more specific sub-categories.
The sub-categories that are included in each main category are listed below.
Main Category Sub-CategoryLocation • Proximity to green space/parks
• Area surrounding the office• Choice of local retail/leisure facilities • Public transport options• Cost of commute• Length of commute • Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Essentials • Temperature• Air quality• Lighting• Cleanliness• Security• Noise level• Smell• Comfort of work area• Availability of meeting rooms• Access to a number of toilets
Space features
• Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)• Breakout areas• A quiet space for focused work• Dedicated smoking area• Bicycle storage• Car parking• Outside building space (e.g. a garden)• Roof terrace• Facilities for pets• Crèche• Parent/nursing room• Staff restaurant/cafe
Building Design
• Colour (e.g. the walls, the floor)• The external building design• View from the workplace• The internal design• Ease of access in & around the building• Flexible working within the building
Services &amenities
• Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)• Parcel delivery lockers• Buildling management services• Self-service food facilities• Free snacks/food• Industry networking opportunities
Wellbeing & environment
• Access to showers• Gym• Plants/greenery inside office• Ability to recycle• Building environmental performance
Technology • Quality of Wi-Fi technology• Mobile signal in the office
In terms of the main categories, technology is paramount for flexible office workers, but getting the essentials right is also key. Four fifths of respondents consider quality Wi-Fi in the office important. However, essential elements, such as air quality and lighting, are also crucial. In terms of the sub-categories, the highest priority for flexible office workers is having a comfortable work area.
The greatest satisfaction gap is seen in the essentials category, rather than technology. 78% of flexible office workers consider the essentials important factors of an ideal office, but only 60% are satisfied. This is perhaps not surprising, given that technology is generally more impersonal. For example, if you offer best-in-class Wi-Fi, then most workers will be happy with it. However, personal preferences for elements such as smell and noise levels vary to a much greater degree, and thus it is more challenging to satisfy a range of employees.
Flexible office workers consider space features least important. However, the sub-categories within space features differed significantly. For example, only 28% of respondents said that having a crèche or nursing room in the office is important, but over double think that having access to a quiet space, breakout areas, a staff restaurant/café and car parking is key. Building design has the lowest satisfaction gap, which is fortunate in a sense, given this is a particularly difficult aspect of an office to change.
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction:
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap:
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Technology
Essentials
Location
Building design
Services & amenities
Wellbeing & environment
Space features
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
How long flexible office workers plan to stay with their current employer
Less than 2 years 2-5 years 6-10 years More than 10 years Don't know
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Essentials
Technology
Wellbeing & environment
Location
Services & amenities
Space features
Building design
Flexible office workers satisafaction gap
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Technology
Essentials
Location
Building design
Services & amenities
Wellbeing & environment
Space features
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
How long flexible office workers plan to stay with their current employer
Less than 2 years 2-5 years 6-10 years More than 10 years Don't know
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Essentials
Technology
Wellbeing & environment
Location
Services & amenities
Space features
Building design
Flexible office workers satisafaction gap
In terms of employee retention, 44% of flexible office workers plan to stay with their employer for less than 5 years. The fact that nearly half of flexible office workers are looking to move jobs within the next five years highlights that it is now more important than ever for employers to take note of what employees want from their workspace in order to retain and attract talent. In particular, providing a comfortable workspace (ideal temperature, good air quality, etc) and best-in-class technology is key. Without these offerings, employers may lose out on creating the best possible workforce and hiring new employees is expensive. Also, when starting a new job it takes time to get used to new systems, ways of working and teams, which reduces efficiency during the ‘settling in’ period.
Workers’ commitment to their current employer varies significantly with age. 60% of workers aged 18-24 expect to stay with their employer for less than 5 years, compared to just 25% of 45-54 year olds. The 55+ age group break the trend, most likely due to these workers approaching retirement age. While older generations begun their first jobs with the goal of long-term stability, the new workforce start work with a focus on personal fulfilment.
How long flexible office workers plan to stay with their current employer
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Technology
Essentials
Location
Building design
Services & amenities
Wellbeing & environment
Space features
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
How long flexible office workers plan to stay with their current employer
Less than 2 years 2-5 years 6-10 years More than 10 years Don't know
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Essentials
Technology
Wellbeing & environment
Location
Services & amenities
Space features
Building design
Flexible office workers satisafaction gap
Preferred office typesWhere do people want to work? Conventional offices? Coworking spaces? At home? Even though the split of respondents by office type is similar to when we last conducted the survey three years ago, preferences have changed.
Back then, over 70% of UK workers would have chosen to work in a conventional office. Now, following the rise of alternative working arrangements, this figure is 63%.
Half of flexible office workers would choose a flexible office as their preferred type, compared to just 14% of conventional office workers. This highlights an important point: education. In 2010, WeWork opened its first flexible office and in September 2018 it became Manhattan’s biggest tenant. Awareness of flexible offices has come a long way over the past 15 years, but there is still further to go. Of course, it is possible that the type of workers based in conventional offices innately prefer that setting, but lack of awareness of flexible office options most likely plays a major role. With the ever-increasing focus on flexibility in many aspects of our lives, an increasing number of workers will likely want to work in flexible offices going forward.
Preferred office type for flexible office workers
Preferred office type for conventional office workers
Preferred office type for flexible office workers
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Preferred office type for conventional office workers
0
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Flexible office as preferred office type by age
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Flexible office as preferred office type by country
Spain
Ireland
Italy
Norway
Poland
France
Portugal
Netherl
ands
Sweden
Germany UK
Preferred office type for flexible office workers
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Preferred office type for conventional office workers
0
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Flexible office as preferred office type by age
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Flexible office as preferred office type by country
Spain
Ireland
Italy
Norway
Poland
France
Portugal
Netherl
ands
Sweden
Germany UK
Half of flexible office workers would choose
a flexible office as their preferred type
WeWork opened its first flexible office in 2010 and
in September 2018 it became Manhattan’s
biggest tenant
Flexible office workers do tend to be a younger
demographic compared to conventional office
workers
Younger respondents are significantly more likely to prefer flexible offices. 31% of 18-24 year olds favour flexible offices, compared to 12% of workers aged 55 and above. Flexible office workers do tend to be a younger demographic compared to conventional office workers, with 40% of the former being under 35 compared to 31% of the latter. Preferences for flexible offices also vary significantly by country, with 35% of respondents in Spain and Ireland choosing them as their number one office type, compared to less than 10% in the UK and Germany. Respondents in the UK and Germany prefer working in a conventional office or at home.
Flexible office as the preferred office type by age
Flexible office as the preferred office type by country
Preferred office type for flexible office workers
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Preferred office type for conventional office workers
0
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Flexible office as preferred office type by age
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Flexible office as preferred office type by country
Spain
Ireland
Italy
Norway
Poland
France
Portugal
Netherl
ands
Sweden
Germany UK
Preferred office type for flexible office workers
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Conventional office
Flexible office
Incubator
At home
Preferred office type for conventional office workers
0
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Flexible office as preferred office type by age
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Flexible office as preferred office type by country
Spain
Ireland
Italy
Norway
Poland
France
Portugal
Netherl
ands
Sweden
Germany UK
Current workplaceLet us paint a picture of the current flexible office. It is split more or less equally between private offices and open plan. Nearly half of flexible office workers have a dedicated desk.
A similar portion have the option of working in communal areas, such as kitchens or breakout areas, and 30% are able to work at a shared desk. Less than 20% of flexible office workers are permitted to work from home.
Flexible office workers are positive about the impacts of office design, with 40% thinking that it increases their productivity, compared to 34% of conventional office workers. Flexible office workers are much more likely to feel in control of their office design than conventional office workers. 38% of conventional workers feel like they have no control over their office design, whereas only 20% of flexible office workers feel that way.
Where flexible office workers are permitted to work
Current office layout impact on productivity
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Dedicated desk
Communal space at workplace
Shared desk
Standing desk
A free public space (e.g. coffee shop)
Client space (e.g. in client offices)
From home
Where flexible office workers are permitted to work
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Decreases productivity
Increases productivity
Current office layout impact on productivity
Conventional office workers Flexible office workers
Where flexible office workers spend lunch time
At their desk
In a break-out area
Internal cafe
Outside the office
Other
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
Proportion of flexible office workers spending lunch time at their desk by country
UK
Netherl
ands
Ireland
Poland
France
Germany
Italy
Norway
Spain
Portugal
Sweden
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Dedicated desk
Communal space at workplace
Shared desk
Standing desk
A free public space (e.g. coffee shop)
Client space (e.g. in client offices)
From home
Where flexible office workers are permitted to work
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Decreases productivity
Increases productivity
Current office layout impact on productivity
Conventional office workers Flexible office workers
Where flexible office workers spend lunch time
At their desk
In a break-out area
Internal cafe
Outside the office
Other
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
Proportion of flexible office workers spending lunch time at their desk by country
UK
Netherl
ands
Ireland
Poland
France
Germany
Italy
Norway
Spain
Portugal
Sweden
The most common lunchtime destination for flexible office workers is…Their desk. Only a fifth leave the office for lunch. Breakout areas within the office building and internal cafes are also popular lunch spots. Lunchtime destinations vary greatly by country. 42% of UK flexible office workers eat at their desk, compared to just 14% in Sweden. The Portuguese and Spanish are also less likely to spend lunch time at their desks.
Where flexible office workers spend lunch time
Proportion of flexible office workers spending lunchtime at their desk by country
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Dedicated desk
Communal space at workplace
Shared desk
Standing desk
A free public space (e.g. coffee shop)
Client space (e.g. in client offices)
From home
Where flexible office workers are permitted to work
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Decreases productivity
Increases productivity
Current office layout impact on productivity
Conventional office workers Flexible office workers
Where flexible office workers spend lunch time
At their desk
In a break-out area
Internal cafe
Outside the office
Other
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
Proportion of flexible office workers spending lunch time at their desk by country
UK
Netherl
ands
Ireland
Poland
France
Germany
Italy
Norway
Spain
Portugal
Sweden
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Dedicated desk
Communal space at workplace
Shared desk
Standing desk
A free public space (e.g. coffee shop)
Client space (e.g. in client offices)
From home
Where flexible office workers are permitted to work
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Decreases productivity
Increases productivity
Current office layout impact on productivity
Conventional office workers Flexible office workers
Where flexible office workers spend lunch time
At their desk
In a break-out area
Internal cafe
Outside the office
Other
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%
Proportion of flexible office workers spending lunch time at their desk by country
UK
Netherl
ands
Ireland
Poland
France
Germany
Italy
Norway
Spain
Portugal
Sweden
The most common lunchtime destination
for flexible office workers is…Their desk
TechnologyCommunication is imperative in order to efficiently run a company and technology is a key facilitator of communication.
The average office worker receives an average 121 emails a day according to Campaign Monitor. Clearly not all of them will contain golden nuggets of information, but (hopefully) many of them will include messages that are essential for workers’ activities and therefore the daily operations of a business. Most office workers would be hard-pressed to go an hour without an internet connection, let alone any longer, particularly in an era of cloud-based applications that require an internet connection to work.
Our data shows that quality Wi-Fi is indeed one the most crucial components of an ideal flexible office. In fact, there are only three aspects that are more important: comfort of work area, cleanliness and lighting. It might be expected that quality Wi-Fi is a given
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap
Flexible office workers importance by age
Flexible office workers satisfaction with office technology by country
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
Technology: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Technology: flexible office workers importance by age
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in the office
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction with office technology by country
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in office
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
Technology: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Technology: flexible office workers importance by age
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in the office
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction with office technology by country
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in office
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
Technology: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Technology: flexible office workers importance by age
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in the office
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction with office technology by country
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in office
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Quality of Wi-Fi
Mobile signal in the office
Technology: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Technology: flexible office workers importance by age
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in the office
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Technology: flexible office workers satisfaction with office technology by country
Quality of Wi-Fi Mobile signal in office
within a flexible office, but this is not the case. 80% of flexible office workers think that Wi-Fi is important, but just 61% are satisfied with it.
Technology actually becomes more important to office workers with age. 66% of flexible office workers aged 18-24 consider the quality of Wi-Fi and mobile signal in the office important, compared to 85% of workers in the 55+ age group. Flexible office workers in Poland and Norway are most satisfied with office technology, whilst workers in the UK and Portugal are least satisfied. Flexible office workers tend to be happier with mobile signal in the office compared to the quality of Wi-Fi, except in Poland and Portugal.
Our data shows that quality Wi-Fi is indeed one the most
crucial components of an ideal flexible office
EssentialsAs with most things in life, you need to get the basics right first, and flexible offices are no exception.
This category ranks second highest in terms of importance for flexible office workers and includes cleanliness, access to toilets, meeting room availability, temperature, air quality, lighting, security, noise level, smell, comfort of work area and having access to a number of toilets. The essentials category saw the third greatest discrepancy in terms of importance vs satisfaction, indicating that it would be worthwhile as a flexible office provider to spend time and effort improving these factors.
Within the essentials category, 80% or more of respondents consider comfort of work area, cleanliness and lighting as important factors for an ideal office. Availability of meeting rooms and access to a number of toilets are both lower on flexible office workers’ list of priorities, but both still ranked relatively highly compared to non-essentials categories. Flexible office workers are more satisfied than conventional office workers with all the essential elements of an office, except security.
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Air quality
Noise level
Temperature
Comfort of work area
Smell
Lighting
Cleanliness
Access to a number of toilets
Security
Availability of meeting rooms
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingAir quality
TemperatureNoise level
SmellSecurity
Access to a number of toiletsAvailability of meeting rooms
Essentials: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Essentials: flexible office workers importance of temperature, lighting and security by age
Temperature Lighting Security
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction with air quality by country
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Air quality
Noise level
Temperature
Comfort of work area
Smell
Lighting
Cleanliness
Access to a number of toilets
Security
Availability of meeting rooms
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingAir quality
TemperatureNoise level
SmellSecurity
Access to a number of toiletsAvailability of meeting rooms
Essentials: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Essentials: flexible office workers importance of temperature, lighting and security by age
Temperature Lighting Security
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction with air quality by country
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap
80% or more consider comfort of work area,
cleanliness and lighting as important factors for
an ideal office.
Flexible office workers in the UK are most
dissatisfied with the office air quality
Availability of meeting rooms and access to a
number of toilets are both lower on flexible office
workers’ list of priorities
The sub-categories that have the greatest satisfaction gaps for flexible office workers are air quality, noise level and temperature. Flexible office workers in the UK are most dissatisfied with the office air quality, whereas Portuguese workers are most unhappy with noise levels. Noise levels are a hot topic within the flexible office landscape, particularly for providers that are more focused on shared spaces rather than private offices. It is not a factor that is easy to control, but more and more flexible offices are now including noise-blocking devices, which create a personal bubble of quiet.
Temperature is another widely discussed topic within the flexible office industry, with many providers now offering user-friendly, room-specific temperature control units. Office temperature becomes a higher priority with age, with 70% of 18-24 year olds considering it important, compared to 85% of flexible office workers aged 55 and above. Lighting and security also follow a similar trend of becoming more crucial for an ideal flexible office later in life, as do most of the essentials sub-categories. However, the two sub-categories that buck the trend are: having access to a number of toilets, which stays relatively constant with age, and the availability of meeting rooms, which peaks for 25-44 year olds.
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Air quality
Noise level
Temperature
Comfort of work area
Smell
Lighting
Cleanliness
Access to a number of toilets
Security
Availability of meeting rooms
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingAir quality
TemperatureNoise level
SmellSecurity
Access to a number of toiletsAvailability of meeting rooms
Essentials: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Essentials: flexible office workers importance of temperature, lighting and security by age
Temperature Lighting Security
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction with air quality by country
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Air quality
Noise level
Temperature
Comfort of work area
Smell
Lighting
Cleanliness
Access to a number of toilets
Security
Availability of meeting rooms
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingAir quality
TemperatureNoise level
SmellSecurity
Access to a number of toiletsAvailability of meeting rooms
Essentials: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Essentials: flexible office workers importance of temperature, lighting and security by age
Temperature Lighting Security
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
Essentials: flexible office workers satisfaction with air quality by country
Flexible office workers satisfaction with air quality by country
Flexible office workers importance of temperature, lighting and security by age
LocationAccording to the old adage, there are only three things that matter in property: location, location, location.
However, our survey results indicate that there are other more important factors for flexible office workers; namely technology and the essentials. Location ranked third in terms of importance for flexible office workers.
Just over half of flexible office workers are based in a town or city centre and a fifth are based in suburban locations. A town or city centre is also the preferred location for a flexible office, followed by a suburban location and then business park. The greatest
Flexible office workers office location Flexible office workers preferred office location
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Cost of commute
Length of commute
Proximity to green space/ parks
Public transport connections
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Flexible office workers office location
Flexible office workers preferred office location
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Length of commute
Cost of commute
Public transport connections
Proximity to green space/ parks
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Location: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Location: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Drive Train/tube/tram
Cycle Take thebus
Walk Taxi Run/ jog Scooter
Flexible workers mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible office workers
Conventional office workers
Commuting time
Up to 15 minutes 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes More than 60 minutes
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Cost of commute
Length of commute
Proximity to green space/ parks
Public transport connections
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Flexible office workers office location
Flexible office workers preferred office location
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Length of commute
Cost of commute
Public transport connections
Proximity to green space/ parks
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Location: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Location: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Drive Train/tube/tram
Cycle Take thebus
Walk Taxi Run/ jog Scooter
Flexible workers mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible office workers
Conventional office workers
Commuting time
Up to 15 minutes 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes More than 60 minutes
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Cost of commute
Length of commute
Proximity to green space/ parks
Public transport connections
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Flexible office workers office location
Flexible office workers preferred office location
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Length of commute
Cost of commute
Public transport connections
Proximity to green space/ parks
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Location: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Location: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Drive Train/tube/tram
Cycle Take thebus
Walk Taxi Run/ jog Scooter
Flexible workers mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible office workers
Conventional office workers
Commuting time
Up to 15 minutes 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes More than 60 minutes
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
discrepancy between actual and preferred location is for a rural setting, with only 8% of respondents working in this type of area, but 17% citing it as their preferred location.
Within the location category, it is no surprise the daily commute came out top in terms of importance. Commuting length is important to 77% of respondents and commuting cost is essential for 74%. Flexible office workers are slightly more satisfied with the length of the commute, so commuting cost ranks first in terms of satisfaction gap. Workers in The Netherlands and Poland are happiest with the cost of their commute, whereas workers in Sweden and Norway are least satisfied.
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap
Mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
Commuting time
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Cost of commute
Length of commute
Proximity to green space/ parks
Public transport connections
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Flexible office workers office location
Flexible office workers preferred office location
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Length of commute
Cost of commute
Public transport connections
Proximity to green space/ parks
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Location: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Location: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Drive Train/tube/tram
Cycle Take thebus
Walk Taxi Run/ jog Scooter
Flexible workers mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible office workers
Conventional office workers
Commuting time
Up to 15 minutes 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes More than 60 minutes
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Cost of commute
Length of commute
Proximity to green space/ parks
Public transport connections
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Flexible office workers office location
Flexible office workers preferred office location
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Length of commute
Cost of commute
Public transport connections
Proximity to green space/ parks
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Location: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Location: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Drive Train/tube/tram
Cycle Take thebus
Walk Taxi Run/ jog Scooter
Flexible workers mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible office workers
Conventional office workers
Commuting time
Up to 15 minutes 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes More than 60 minutes
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
-30% -25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Cost of commute
Length of commute
Proximity to green space/ parks
Public transport connections
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Flexible office workers office location
Flexible office workers preferred office location
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Length of commute
Cost of commute
Public transport connections
Proximity to green space/ parks
Area surrounding the office
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Choice of retail/leisure facilities
Location: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Location: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Drive Train/tube/tram
Cycle Take thebus
Walk Taxi Run/ jog Scooter
Flexible workers mode of transport used for commute either some or all of the time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Flexible office workers
Conventional office workers
Commuting time
Up to 15 minutes 16-30 minutes 31-60 minutes More than 60 minutes
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
A town/ city centre
A suburban location
A business park
A rural location
None of these
So what does the average commute look like? The average daily one-way trip to the office is a 15-45 minute drive. Half of flexible office workers drive to work some or all of the time. The train/tube/tram is the next most common commuting method, followed by cycling. Workers in Spain and The Netherlands are most likely to include exercise in their commute, and workers in Portugal are least likely to. In addition, CEOs are significantly more likely to exercise on their way to the office.
With urbanisation in full force, which will likely cause further hikes in real estate prices within cities, workers’ dissatisfaction with their commute will be a challenge for employers to remedy going forwards. Workers of the future will likely live further from the office, rather than closer to it, meaning that commuting times would increase. In addition, this is the factor that employers have the least control over, given an employer can choose the location of their office, but having an influence over where their employees live is another matter.
The average daily one-way trip to the office is a 15-45
minute drive
Commuting length is important to 77% of respondents and
commuting cost is essential for 74%
Building DesignFirst impressions matter. When you first see a new office, it is not the temperature or number of showers that stand out.
It is the design. Building design is key for attracting new tenants and retaining existing ones. Building design impacts productivity, which in turn impacts company profitability, which is universally important to businesses for obvious reasons. If a company feels that the office they are working in does not support employee productivity, they will not hang around for long.
In terms of building design, internal design is considered to be most important, and it has the largest satisfaction gap, with 71% of flexible office workers considering it important, but only 53% being satisfied with it. However, given internal design is a particularly subjective aspect of an office, it also means that it is one of more challenging elements in terms of widespread worker satisfaction. Flexible working within the building (i.e. the ability to work in different locations within the building) has the second highest satisfaction gap.
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
The internal design
Flexible working in building
View from the workplace
Ease of access in & around building
The external building design
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
The internal design
Ease of access in & around building
Flexible working in building
View from the workplace
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
The external building design
Building design: satisfaction of flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Building design: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Building design: importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office workers Conventional office workers
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
Instagram users Facebook users Non-social media users
Building design: flexible office workers importance of office colour by social media use
Ease of accessin & around
building
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
The externalbuildingdesign
The internaldesign
View from the workplace
Flexibleworking inbuilding
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
The internal design
Flexible working in building
View from the workplace
Ease of access in & around building
The external building design
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
The internal design
Ease of access in & around building
Flexible working in building
View from the workplace
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
The external building design
Building design: satisfaction of flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Building design: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Building design: importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office workers Conventional office workers
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
Instagram users Facebook users Non-social media users
Building design: flexible office workers importance of office colour by social media use
Ease of accessin & around
building
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
The externalbuildingdesign
The internaldesign
View from the workplace
Flexibleworking inbuilding
importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
In general, flexible office workers are happier than conventional office workers with the design aspect of their offices, particularly when it comes to the internal building design and office view. The only aspect that conventional office workers are more satisfied with is ease of access into and around the building. This is to be expected, given flexible offices are more likely to be based on a single floor (or multiple floors) as opposed to occupying a whole building, and are therefore more likely to share an office entrance with other workers.
Facebook and Instagram users based in flexible offices are over 10% more likely to consider office colour as an important factor. Securing a pastel pink backdrop for that Friday #officetreats snapshot is obviously not just a ‘nice-to-have’. Overall, social media use does not vary significantly between workers based in different office types. However, flexible office workers are marginally more likely to use Snapchat and Tumblr and slightly less likely to use Facebook and LinkedIn.
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
The internal design
Flexible working in building
View from the workplace
Ease of access in & around building
The external building design
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
The internal design
Ease of access in & around building
Flexible working in building
View from the workplace
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
The external building design
Building design: satisfaction of flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Building design: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Building design: importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office workers Conventional office workers
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
Instagram users Facebook users Non-social media users
Building design: flexible office workers importance of office colour by social media use
Ease of accessin & around
building
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
The externalbuildingdesign
The internaldesign
View from the workplace
Flexibleworking inbuilding
In terms of building design, internal design
is considered to be most important
Building design is key for attracting new
tenants and retaining existing ones
Flexible office workers are happier than
conventional office workers with the
design aspect of their offices
Facebook and Instagram users are
over 10% more likely to consider office colour as an important factor
Services and AmenitiesDespite being viewed by some as menial additions to an office, services and amenities have a much greater purpose.
They increase workers’ happiness and productivity (yes, those free bananas may well be contributing to reduced absenteeism). This can be achieved in many different ways. Being able to collect parcels from delivery and collection lockers can save a significant amount of time compared to having to walk or drive to the nearest Post Office. Free natural food can promote health and reduce sugar crashes from muffins and chocolate bars. Personal storage for gym kits can encourage workers to jog to work instead of take the train.
Even though each service and amenity tends to be idiosyncratic, each of our sub-categories ranks similarly in terms of importance, with the exception of parcel delivery lockers, which are a lower priority for flexible office workers. Industry networking opportunities just about edged it in terms of what flexible office workers most want and personal storage ranked second.
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap
Flexible office workers importance of free food by country
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Free snacks/food
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilities
Building management services
Parcel delivery lockers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Building management services
Self-service food facilities
Free snacks/food
Parcel delivery lockers
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Services & amenities: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance of free food by country
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Buildingmanagement
services
Personalstorage (e.g.
lockers,cabinets)
Industrynetworking
opportunities
Self-servicefood facilities
Parceldeliverylockers
Freesnacks/food
Services & amenities: satifaction of flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office space workers Conventional office workers
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Free snacks/food
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilities
Building management services
Parcel delivery lockers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Building management services
Self-service food facilities
Free snacks/food
Parcel delivery lockers
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Services & amenities: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance of free food by country
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Buildingmanagement
services
Personalstorage (e.g.
lockers,cabinets)
Industrynetworking
opportunities
Self-servicefood facilities
Parceldeliverylockers
Freesnacks/food
Services & amenities: satifaction of flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office space workers Conventional office workers
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Free snacks/food
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilities
Building management services
Parcel delivery lockers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Building management services
Self-service food facilities
Free snacks/food
Parcel delivery lockers
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Services & amenities: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance of free food by country
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Buildingmanagement
services
Personalstorage (e.g.
lockers,cabinets)
Industrynetworking
opportunities
Self-servicefood facilities
Parceldeliverylockers
Freesnacks/food
Services & amenities: satifaction of flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office space workers Conventional office workers
We are predictably irrational when it comes to food, and even more so when it is free. How often do you see colleagues attend a barely relevant breakfast or drinks event because they know there will be complimentary pastries or wine (and how often is ‘that colleague’ you)? Free food has the largest satisfaction gap. Just over 60% of flexible office workers think it is important, but only 40% are happy with it. However, this is much higher than for conventional office workers, of which only 22% are satisfied with the free food (or lack thereof) in their offices. Nearly double the portion of workers in Poland consider free food important compared to the UK.
Satifaction of flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
Free snacks/food
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilities
Building management services
Parcel delivery lockers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Industry networking opportunities
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Building management services
Self-service food facilities
Free snacks/food
Parcel delivery lockers
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Services & amenities: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Services & amenities: flexible office workers importance of free food by country
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Buildingmanagement
services
Personalstorage (e.g.
lockers,cabinets)
Industrynetworking
opportunities
Self-servicefood facilities
Parceldeliverylockers
Freesnacks/food
Services & amenities: satifaction of flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
Flexible office space workers Conventional office workers
Wellbeing and EnvironmentAs flexible working has become more accepted and technology advancements mean we are constantly connected, the lines between work and lifestyle have become increasingly blurred.
Clearly there are many advantages to these evolutions, the most evident one being flexibility, but the clear cut boundaries between work and home have disintegrated. As well as work filtering into our home lives, the reverse has happened. Workers now expect more wellbeing and environmental elements to be included in their office.
Overall, the wellbeing and environment category has the third greatest disparity between importance and satisfaction for flexible office workers, after the essentials and technology categories. Within wellbeing and environment, flexible office workers consider the ability to recycle and plants/greenery in the office as most important.
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Satisfaction gap
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Gym
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Ability to recycle
Access to showers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Ability to recycle
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Access to showers
Gym
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Wellbeing & environment: satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance of gym access by age
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Environmental & wellbeing: flexible office workers importance by country
Ability to recycle Building environmental performance
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Gym
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Ability to recycle
Access to showers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Ability to recycle
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Access to showers
Gym
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Wellbeing & environment: satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance of gym access by age
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Environmental & wellbeing: flexible office workers importance by country
Ability to recycle Building environmental performance
Flexible office workers importance of gym access by age
Flexible office workers importance by country
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Gym
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Ability to recycle
Access to showers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Ability to recycle
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Access to showers
Gym
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Wellbeing & environment: satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance of gym access by age
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Environmental & wellbeing: flexible office workers importance by country
Ability to recycle Building environmental performance
-18% -16% -14% -12% -10% -8% -6% -4% -2% 0%
Gym
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Ability to recycle
Access to showers
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Ability to recycle
Plants/greenery inside
Building environmental performance
Access to showers
Gym
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Important Satisfied
Wellbeing & environment: satisfaction gap
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Wellbeing & environment: flexible office workers importance of gym access by age
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%
Environmental & wellbeing: flexible office workers importance by country
Ability to recycle Building environmental performance
Access to showers and a gym are lower priorities. Flexible office workers are particularly unsatisfied with access to a gym, with only 30% feeling content, and this sub-category has the greatest satisfaction gap. Conventional office workers are even less happy with this aspect of their office, with only 18% being satisfied. Importance of gym access varies significantly with age, with over half of millennials viewing it as important for an ideal office, compared to less than a third of the 55+ age group.
Flexible office workers in Portugal are the most environmentally-conscious when it comes to office features: three-quarters think that the environmental performance of the building and the ability to recycle are important features of an ideal office. Flexible office workers in Spain and Poland are also particularly concerned about office environmental factors, whilst those in The Netherlands and Sweden are less so. In terms of age, environmental office factors are most pivotal to the 35-44 age group.
Flexible office workers are particularly unsatisfied with
access to a gym with only 30% feeling
content
Flexible office workers consider the ability to recycle and plants/
greenery in the office as most important
Workers now expect more wellbeing
and environmental elements to be
included in their office
Conventional office workers are even
less happy with gym access, with only 18%
being satisfied
18%
Space FeaturesWith flexible working and productivity becoming increasingly focal, access to various workspace types is more important than ever.
More and more time and resources are being poured into providing optimum workspaces to allow people to work as efficiently as possible, be this in breakout areas, quiet spaces, hot desking areas, etc. With such a variety of space types and features, optimising office design is complicated, to say the least.
Flexible office workers are noticeably happier with all space types and features compared to conventional office workers. This is perhaps unsurprising, given that flexible offices tend to be newer than conventional offices, and have therefore been designed with the current workforce in mind. Office space has evolved considerably. Two decades ago, breakout areas were seen as a luxury, whereas nowadays they are a core feature of a flexible office.
So what do workers really what when it comes to office design? A quiet space for focused work comes out top. This is also the workspace type that has the greatest satisfaction gap, and by quite a way. 76% of flexible office workers consider a quiet space important, but only 54% are satisfied with their access to one. Perhaps in this day and age where more exotic space features, such as roof terraces, are in the spotlight, providing a simple quiet space has fallen by the wayside. However, satisfaction with the availability of quiet areas varies significantly by country: two thirds of Polish workers are satisfied with this office offering, compared to less than 40% of UK workers.
Flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Flexible office workers satisfaction gap
Flexible office workers importance of space features by age
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
A quiet space for focused workStaff restaurant/caféCar parkingCrecheOutside building space (e.g. a garden)Parent/nursing roomSocial meeting space (e.g. games room)Facilities for petsBreakout areasBicycle storageRoof terraceDedicated smoking area
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
A quiet space for focused workBreakout areas
Staff restaurant/caféCar parking
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Social meeting space (e.g. games room)
Bicycle storageRoof terrace
Dedicated smoking areaCreche
Parent/nursing roomFacilities for pets
Space features: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Space features: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Space features: flexible office workers importance of space features by age
A quiet space for focused work Roof terrace
30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%
Space features: flexible workers satisfaction with accessibility to a quiet work area
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
A quiet space for focused workStaff restaurant/caféCar parkingCrecheOutside building space (e.g. a garden)Parent/nursing roomSocial meeting space (e.g. games room)Facilities for petsBreakout areasBicycle storageRoof terraceDedicated smoking area
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
A quiet space for focused workBreakout areas
Staff restaurant/caféCar parking
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Social meeting space (e.g. games room)
Bicycle storageRoof terrace
Dedicated smoking areaCreche
Parent/nursing roomFacilities for pets
Space features: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Space features: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Space features: flexible office workers importance of space features by age
A quiet space for focused work Roof terrace
30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%
Space features: flexible workers satisfaction with accessibility to a quiet work area
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
A quiet space for focused workStaff restaurant/caféCar parkingCrecheOutside building space (e.g. a garden)Parent/nursing roomSocial meeting space (e.g. games room)Facilities for petsBreakout areasBicycle storageRoof terraceDedicated smoking area
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
A quiet space for focused workBreakout areas
Staff restaurant/caféCar parking
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Social meeting space (e.g. games room)
Bicycle storageRoof terrace
Dedicated smoking areaCreche
Parent/nursing roomFacilities for pets
Space features: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Space features: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Space features: flexible office workers importance of space features by age
A quiet space for focused work Roof terrace
30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%
Space features: flexible workers satisfaction with accessibility to a quiet work area
of flexible office workers consider a
quiet space important
Two decades ago, breakout areas were seen
as a luxury, whereas nowadays they are a core feature of a flexible office
Just over a half of flexible office workers aged 18-24
consider having a roof terrace important for an
ideal office
76%
Availability of breakout areas and a staff restaurant/café are also high priorities for workers, but having access to a crèche, nursing room and facilities for pets are less so. Age comes into play in terms of desired use of space. Availability of a quiet space is more compelling to the older generations, whereas younger respondents are more enthused about having a roof terrace as part of their ideal office. Over half of flexible office workers aged 18-24 consider having a roof terrace as important, compared to just a third of workers aged 55 and above.
Flexible workers satisfaction with accessibility to a quiet work area
-25% -20% -15% -10% -5% 0%
A quiet space for focused workStaff restaurant/caféCar parkingCrecheOutside building space (e.g. a garden)Parent/nursing roomSocial meeting space (e.g. games room)Facilities for petsBreakout areasBicycle storageRoof terraceDedicated smoking area
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
A quiet space for focused workBreakout areas
Staff restaurant/caféCar parking
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Social meeting space (e.g. games room)
Bicycle storageRoof terrace
Dedicated smoking areaCreche
Parent/nursing roomFacilities for pets
Space features: flexible office workers importance vs satisfaction
Importance Satisfied
Space features: flexible office workers satisfaction gap
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55+
Space features: flexible office workers importance of space features by age
A quiet space for focused work Roof terrace
30%35%40%45%50%55%60%65%70%
Space features: flexible workers satisfaction with accessibility to a quiet work area
MethodologyWe surveyed 11,217 workers from 11 key European office markets: France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
1,874 respondents consider their main workplace to be either a serviced or coworking office, and we included both of these groups in the flexible office cate-gory. The gender distribution is roughly equal and the age distribution is as shown below. We had at least 100 flexible office respondents from each country.
87% of respondents work full-time and 92% are employees, as opposed to being self-employed. We had a cross-section of respondents from a variety of manage-ment levels. The most represented work sector for flexible office workers is tech-nology, followed by healthcare and then financial services.
In terms of importance and satisfaction ratings, respondents were asked how important or how satisfied they are with certain office criteria. The options of answers were from a rating scale of 1 (not at all important or not at all satisfied) to 5 (very important or very satisfied). We considered a rating of 4 or 5 as important or satisfied.
Age distribution of respondents
Work sector distribution of respondents
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
Age distribu�on of respondents
Work sector distribu�on of respondents
Public Services/ Government
Healthcare
Financial Services
Academic
Technology (e.g. IT, software etc.)
Manufacturing
Professional (Accountancy/ Consultancy)
Other
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
Age distribu�on of respondents
Work sector distribu�on of respondents
Public Services/ Government
Healthcare
Financial Services
Academic
Technology (e.g. IT, software etc.)
Manufacturing
Professional (Accountancy/ Consultancy)
Other
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
Age distribu�on of respondents
Work sector distribu�on of respondents
Public Services/ Government
Healthcare
Financial Services
Academic
Technology (e.g. IT, software etc.)
Manufacturing
Professional (Accountancy/ Consultancy)
Other
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
Age distribu�on of respondents
Work sector distribu�on of respondents
Public Services/ Government
Healthcare
Financial Services
Academic
Technology (e.g. IT, software etc.)
Manufacturing
Professional (Accountancy/ Consultancy)
Other
Appendices
Appendix 1:The Definitive Flexible Office Workers Importance Ranking
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingQuality of Wi-Fi technology
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelSmell
SecurityLength of commute
Mobile signal in the officeA quiet space for focused work
Access to a number of toiletsCost of commute
Public transport connectionsThe internal design
Breakout areasEase of access in & around the building
Proximity to green space/ parksStaff restaurant/ cafe
Area surrounding the officeCar parking
Industry networking opportunitiesAbility to recycle
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Plants/ greenery inside officeBuilding environmental performance
Building Management ServicesSelf-service food facilities
Flexible working within buildingOutside building space (e.g. a garden)
View from the workplaceSocial meeting space (e.g. a games room)
Free snacks/foodColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
The external building designChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Access to showersParcel delivery lockers
Bicycle storageGym
Roof terraceDedicated smoking area
CrècheParent/ nursing room
Facilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of importance of office components
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
SecurityCleanliness
LightingMobile signal in the office
Access to a number of toiletsComfort of work area
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyEase of access in & around the building
SmellArea surrounding the office
Availability of meeting roomsPublic transport connections
Breakout areasColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Length of commuteTemperature
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesA quiet space for focused work
Proximity to green space/ parksNoise level
Ability to recycleThe external building design
The internal designView from the workplace
Building Management ServicesAir quality
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)Industry networking opportunities
Car parkingFlexible working within building
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Self-service food facilities
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Staff restaurant/ cafe
Cost of commuteBuilding environmental performance
Plants/ greenery inside officeParcel delivery lockers
Access to showersChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Bicycle storageFree snacks/food
Dedicated smoking areaRoof terrace
GymParent/ nursing room
CrècheFacilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction with office components
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Air qualityCost of commute
Noise levelTemperature
A quiet space for focused workComfort of work area
Length of commuteFree snacks/food
Staff restaurant/ cafeQuality of Wi-Fi technology
The internal designSmell
Car parkingGym
Plants/ greenery inside officeIndustry networking opportunities
Building environmental performanceLighting
CleanlinessProximity to green space/ parks
CrèchePersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilitiesAbility to recycle
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Public transport connections
Mobile signal in the officeParent/ nursing room
Flexible working within buildingChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Access to showersFacilities for pets
Access to a number of toiletsBreakout areas
Building Management ServicesBicycle storage
Roof terraceView from the workplace
SecurityEase of access in & around the building
Area surrounding the officeParcel delivery lockers
Availability of meeting roomsThe external building design
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesDedicated smoking area
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction gap of office components
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for conventional office
workers
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for flexible office
workers
More important for conventional office
workers
More important for flexible office
workers
Appendix 2:The Definitive Flexible Office Workers Satisfaction Ranking
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingQuality of Wi-Fi technology
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelSmell
SecurityLength of commute
Mobile signal in the officeA quiet space for focused work
Access to a number of toiletsCost of commute
Public transport connectionsThe internal design
Breakout areasEase of access in & around the building
Proximity to green space/ parksStaff restaurant/ cafe
Area surrounding the officeCar parking
Industry networking opportunitiesAbility to recycle
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Plants/ greenery inside officeBuilding environmental performance
Building Management ServicesSelf-service food facilities
Flexible working within buildingOutside building space (e.g. a garden)
View from the workplaceSocial meeting space (e.g. a games room)
Free snacks/foodColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
The external building designChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Access to showersParcel delivery lockers
Bicycle storageGym
Roof terraceDedicated smoking area
CrècheParent/ nursing room
Facilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of importance of office components
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
SecurityCleanliness
LightingMobile signal in the office
Access to a number of toiletsComfort of work area
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyEase of access in & around the building
SmellArea surrounding the office
Availability of meeting roomsPublic transport connections
Breakout areasColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Length of commuteTemperature
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesA quiet space for focused work
Proximity to green space/ parksNoise level
Ability to recycleThe external building design
The internal designView from the workplace
Building Management ServicesAir quality
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)Industry networking opportunities
Car parkingFlexible working within building
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Self-service food facilities
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Staff restaurant/ cafe
Cost of commuteBuilding environmental performance
Plants/ greenery inside officeParcel delivery lockers
Access to showersChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Bicycle storageFree snacks/food
Dedicated smoking areaRoof terrace
GymParent/ nursing room
CrècheFacilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction with office components
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Air qualityCost of commute
Noise levelTemperature
A quiet space for focused workComfort of work area
Length of commuteFree snacks/food
Staff restaurant/ cafeQuality of Wi-Fi technology
The internal designSmell
Car parkingGym
Plants/ greenery inside officeIndustry networking opportunities
Building environmental performanceLighting
CleanlinessProximity to green space/ parks
CrèchePersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilitiesAbility to recycle
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Public transport connections
Mobile signal in the officeParent/ nursing room
Flexible working within buildingChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Access to showersFacilities for pets
Access to a number of toiletsBreakout areas
Building Management ServicesBicycle storage
Roof terraceView from the workplace
SecurityEase of access in & around the building
Area surrounding the officeParcel delivery lockers
Availability of meeting roomsThe external building design
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesDedicated smoking area
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction gap of office components
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for conventional office
workers
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for flexible office
workers
More important for conventional office
workers
More important for flexible office
workers
Appendix 3:The Definitive Flexible Office Workers Satisfaction Gap Ranking
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingQuality of Wi-Fi technology
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelSmell
SecurityLength of commute
Mobile signal in the officeA quiet space for focused work
Access to a number of toiletsCost of commute
Public transport connectionsThe internal design
Breakout areasEase of access in & around the building
Proximity to green space/ parksStaff restaurant/ cafe
Area surrounding the officeCar parking
Industry networking opportunitiesAbility to recycle
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Plants/ greenery inside officeBuilding environmental performance
Building Management ServicesSelf-service food facilities
Flexible working within buildingOutside building space (e.g. a garden)
View from the workplaceSocial meeting space (e.g. a games room)
Free snacks/foodColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
The external building designChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Access to showersParcel delivery lockers
Bicycle storageGym
Roof terraceDedicated smoking area
CrècheParent/ nursing room
Facilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of importance of office components
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
SecurityCleanliness
LightingMobile signal in the office
Access to a number of toiletsComfort of work area
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyEase of access in & around the building
SmellArea surrounding the office
Availability of meeting roomsPublic transport connections
Breakout areasColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Length of commuteTemperature
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesA quiet space for focused work
Proximity to green space/ parksNoise level
Ability to recycleThe external building design
The internal designView from the workplace
Building Management ServicesAir quality
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)Industry networking opportunities
Car parkingFlexible working within building
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Self-service food facilities
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Staff restaurant/ cafe
Cost of commuteBuilding environmental performance
Plants/ greenery inside officeParcel delivery lockers
Access to showersChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Bicycle storageFree snacks/food
Dedicated smoking areaRoof terrace
GymParent/ nursing room
CrècheFacilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction with office components
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Air qualityCost of commute
Noise levelTemperature
A quiet space for focused workComfort of work area
Length of commuteFree snacks/food
Staff restaurant/ cafeQuality of Wi-Fi technology
The internal designSmell
Car parkingGym
Plants/ greenery inside officeIndustry networking opportunities
Building environmental performanceLighting
CleanlinessProximity to green space/ parks
CrèchePersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilitiesAbility to recycle
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Public transport connections
Mobile signal in the officeParent/ nursing room
Flexible working within buildingChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Access to showersFacilities for pets
Access to a number of toiletsBreakout areas
Building Management ServicesBicycle storage
Roof terraceView from the workplace
SecurityEase of access in & around the building
Area surrounding the officeParcel delivery lockers
Availability of meeting roomsThe external building design
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesDedicated smoking area
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction gap of office components
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for conventional office
workers
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for flexible office
workers
More important for conventional office
workers
More important for flexible office
workers
Appendix 4:The Definitive Flexible Office Workers vs Conventional Office Workers Importance Differential Ranking
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingQuality of Wi-Fi technology
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelSmell
SecurityLength of commute
Mobile signal in the officeA quiet space for focused work
Access to a number of toiletsCost of commute
Public transport connectionsThe internal design
Breakout areasEase of access in & around the building
Proximity to green space/ parksStaff restaurant/ cafe
Area surrounding the officeCar parking
Industry networking opportunitiesAbility to recycle
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Plants/ greenery inside officeBuilding environmental performance
Building Management ServicesSelf-service food facilities
Flexible working within buildingOutside building space (e.g. a garden)
View from the workplaceSocial meeting space (e.g. a games room)
Free snacks/foodColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
The external building designChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Access to showersParcel delivery lockers
Bicycle storageGym
Roof terraceDedicated smoking area
CrècheParent/ nursing room
Facilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of importance of office components
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
SecurityCleanliness
LightingMobile signal in the office
Access to a number of toiletsComfort of work area
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyEase of access in & around the building
SmellArea surrounding the office
Availability of meeting roomsPublic transport connections
Breakout areasColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Length of commuteTemperature
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesA quiet space for focused work
Proximity to green space/ parksNoise level
Ability to recycleThe external building design
The internal designView from the workplace
Building Management ServicesAir quality
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)Industry networking opportunities
Car parkingFlexible working within building
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Self-service food facilities
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Staff restaurant/ cafe
Cost of commuteBuilding environmental performance
Plants/ greenery inside officeParcel delivery lockers
Access to showersChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Bicycle storageFree snacks/food
Dedicated smoking areaRoof terrace
GymParent/ nursing room
CrècheFacilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction with office components
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Air qualityCost of commute
Noise levelTemperature
A quiet space for focused workComfort of work area
Length of commuteFree snacks/food
Staff restaurant/ cafeQuality of Wi-Fi technology
The internal designSmell
Car parkingGym
Plants/ greenery inside officeIndustry networking opportunities
Building environmental performanceLighting
CleanlinessProximity to green space/ parks
CrèchePersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilitiesAbility to recycle
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Public transport connections
Mobile signal in the officeParent/ nursing room
Flexible working within buildingChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Access to showersFacilities for pets
Access to a number of toiletsBreakout areas
Building Management ServicesBicycle storage
Roof terraceView from the workplace
SecurityEase of access in & around the building
Area surrounding the officeParcel delivery lockers
Availability of meeting roomsThe external building design
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesDedicated smoking area
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction gap of office components
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for conventional office
workers
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for flexible office
workers
More important for conventional office
workers
More important for flexible office
workers
Appendix 5:The Definitive Flexible Office Workers vs Conventional Office Workers Satisfaction Differential Ranking
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Comfort of work areaCleanliness
LightingQuality of Wi-Fi technology
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelSmell
SecurityLength of commute
Mobile signal in the officeA quiet space for focused work
Access to a number of toiletsCost of commute
Public transport connectionsThe internal design
Breakout areasEase of access in & around the building
Proximity to green space/ parksStaff restaurant/ cafe
Area surrounding the officeCar parking
Industry networking opportunitiesAbility to recycle
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Plants/ greenery inside officeBuilding environmental performance
Building Management ServicesSelf-service food facilities
Flexible working within buildingOutside building space (e.g. a garden)
View from the workplaceSocial meeting space (e.g. a games room)
Free snacks/foodColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
The external building designChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Access to showersParcel delivery lockers
Bicycle storageGym
Roof terraceDedicated smoking area
CrècheParent/ nursing room
Facilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of importance of office components
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
SecurityCleanliness
LightingMobile signal in the office
Access to a number of toiletsComfort of work area
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyEase of access in & around the building
SmellArea surrounding the office
Availability of meeting roomsPublic transport connections
Breakout areasColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Length of commuteTemperature
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesA quiet space for focused work
Proximity to green space/ parksNoise level
Ability to recycleThe external building design
The internal designView from the workplace
Building Management ServicesAir quality
Personal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)Industry networking opportunities
Car parkingFlexible working within building
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Self-service food facilities
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Staff restaurant/ cafe
Cost of commuteBuilding environmental performance
Plants/ greenery inside officeParcel delivery lockers
Access to showersChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Bicycle storageFree snacks/food
Dedicated smoking areaRoof terrace
GymParent/ nursing room
CrècheFacilities for pets
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction with office components
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Air qualityCost of commute
Noise levelTemperature
A quiet space for focused workComfort of work area
Length of commuteFree snacks/food
Staff restaurant/ cafeQuality of Wi-Fi technology
The internal designSmell
Car parkingGym
Plants/ greenery inside officeIndustry networking opportunities
Building environmental performanceLighting
CleanlinessProximity to green space/ parks
CrèchePersonal storage (e.g. lockers, cabinets)
Self-service food facilitiesAbility to recycle
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Public transport connections
Mobile signal in the officeParent/ nursing room
Flexible working within buildingChoice of local retail/ leisure facilities
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Access to showersFacilities for pets
Access to a number of toiletsBreakout areas
Building Management ServicesBicycle storage
Roof terraceView from the workplace
SecurityEase of access in & around the building
Area surrounding the officeParcel delivery lockers
Availability of meeting roomsThe external building design
Proximity to retail/ leisure facilitiesDedicated smoking area
Colour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Flexible office workers ranking of satisfaction gap of office components
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for conventional office
workers
-15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Parent/ nursing roomDedicated smoking area
Facilities for petsThe external building design
CrècheRoof terrace
Parcel delivery lockersGym
Access to showersBicycle storage
Free snacks/ foodFlexible working within building
Outside building space (e.g. a garden)Choice of local retail/ leisure facilities available
Industry networking opportunitiesStaff restaurant/ café
Social meeting space (e.g. a games room)Proximity to retail/ leisure facilities
Proximity to green space/ parksArea surrounding the office outside
View from the workplacePlants/ greenery inside office
Building environmental performanceSelf-service food facilities
Building Management ServicesColour (e.g. of the walls, the floor)
Ability to recycleBreakout areas
Availability of meeting roomsPersonal storage (e.g. locker, cabinet)
The internal designCar parking
Access to a number of toiletsPublic transport connections
Quality of Wi-Fi technologyMobile signal in the office
Ease of access into & around the buildingSecurity
SmellA quiet space for focused work
Cost of commuteComfort of work area
CleanlinessLighting
Air qualityTemperature
Noise levelLength of commute
Importance for flexible office workers vs conventional office workers
More important for flexible office
workers
More important for conventional office
workers
More important for flexible office
workers
Powered by
Cal LeeHead of Workthere +44 (0) 20 7409 [email protected]
Get in touch for further information
Jess AldersonGlobal Research+44 (0) 207 409 4561 [email protected]
Workthere.comWorkthere is a business by Savills focused solely on helping businesses find flexible office space, whether that’s a serviced office, co-working or shared space.
Liz Williams BewPR Director+44 (0) 20 7409 8140 [email protected]