Tenants Overwhelmingly Want Offices to Improve Employees' Enjoyment and Comfort
In an Equiem survey 95% of respondents say enjoyment of their physical workplace is important to them in choosing an employer.
NEW YORK CITY—Corporate office services and amenities provider Equiem has published results of its Office Occupier Survey. More than 1,500 office workers in the US, UK and Ireland responded to their questionnaire asking what tenants want at work spaces, with two-thirds of the answers coming from New York City. The respondents worked in offices with an average size of 385,000 square feet and provided their feedback from March through May 2019.
Highlights of the findings include the following:
83% of respondents say that their physical workplace is very or extremely important to their overall happiness and well-being in life.
95% of respondents say that enjoyment of their physical workplace is important to them in choosing an employer.
94% of respondents believe that US offices should place a greater emphasis on people’s enjoyment and comfort.
91% of respondents believe that the average US office should place a greater emphasis on providing better on-site amenities and community events.
96% of respondents say the average US office should place a greater emphasis on providing convenience to employees, for example, lunch and coffee served at their desks and dry cleaning services.
67% of respondents say the opportunity to meet other people outside of their own company and create community in a workplace is important to them.
80% of respondents say the opportunity to pursue hobbies/activities at or near their workplace is important to them.
Equiem hosted the survey on their tenant experience app, which covers more than 8 million-square-feet of prime commercial space in the US. The company’s technology is used in 24 buildings in New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Austin and Houston.
“As America’s occupiers find themselves engaged in a fierce battle to attract and retain top talent, the workplace has become a vital tool in the recruitment process,” says Equiem’s CEO Gabrielle McMillan. “A hugely important part of that process for landlords is establishing channels for feedback to better analyze and then meet the wants and needs of those within their buildings.”
She states information from the Global Occupier Survey provides a useful overview of general trends. She adds that data analytics software similar to Equiem’s has become a necessity in today’s market.