Employees place more value on physical elements that support well-being and convenience—such as natural light, views of the outdoors, and food—than on “service” amenities like fitness centers and onsite childcare.
That’s one of the findings of a new survey that examines how workplace experience can boost employee engagement. CBRE’s Workplace practice analyzed responses from more than 1,600 employees in the U.S. and Canada to gauge aspects of the work environment that impact their employee experience.
Future Workplace, an HR advisory and research firm, conducted the survey in partnership with View Inc., a technology company that focuses on creating smart and connected buildings. They sent the survey to employees of all ages, ranging from Generation Zers (4%), millennials (40%) and Gen Xers (38%) to baby boomers (17%) and even the Silent Generation (less than 1% of responses).
There was only marginal generational variation in workplace dissatisfaction levels. Indeed, the majority of those polled (71%) report feeling involved in and enthusiastic about their work and organizations. More than half (57%) said they would recommend their company to someone seeking work.
But the survey wondered just how deep this enthusiasm is, especially when 51% of respondents exhibit low engagement (at best, they are neutral about their workplaces), and 35% exhibit only moderate engagement.
The survey shows that a sizable portion of workers still aren't all that satisfied with their workplace's flexibility or amenities.
The most valued perks or amenities in offices include view of outdoors and natural light (which 53% of respondents cited), an onsite café (44%), a kitchen (37%), and open office space (28%). “Integrated strategically, food is a key element of fostering community and culture within an organization,” the report states. There are also any number of variables that can impact employee engagement, including trust in management and its willingness to listen to new ideas, shared values, opportunities for career advancement, leadership support, and workplace flexibility.
Regardless of how tech savvy they are, employees still want simplicity in the digital tools they use at the office.
The results of the survey reveal that to drive increased engagement and organizational impact, workplace investment should target creating an emotional connection between employees and their employers. When leveraged, the physical environment provides an opportunity to reinforce these emotional elements of workplace experience.
“Trust is reinforced by environments that make employees’ impact and work processes visible. Values are signaled by space allocation hierarchy and investment in experiences that support culture, well-being and ease of work,” says Nina Charnotskaia, Senior Director of CBRE’s Workplace practice.
The survey confirms a trend that’s been happening for a while in workplaces across the country: The office is no longer simply a place for work; it is a destination where employees connect, feel a sense of community, understand organizational objectives and feel their impact on a greater whole.
This “Opportunity Matrix” prioritizes investments toward employee engagement.
CBRE created an “Opportunity Matrix” to guide companies’ prioritization of investment for impact into four actionable quadrants: Improve, Transform, Maintain, and Nurture.
For example, the “transform” quadrant highlights the most impactful elements of experience, including trust in leadership, opportunities for professional development, and experiences that drive organizational culture. These elements need investment to achieve their greatest potential in transforming engagement.
The “nurture” quadrant suggests that employees already feel recognized, supported and valued at work, and they are engaged as a result. These experiences must be nurtured and held to the standards employees are accustomed to or they could challenge engagement in the future.
Treating the workplace as a tool that reflects and supports organizational values changes the priority of certain workplace investments. Commercial real estate leaders must understand what each investment decision is “saying” to employees and optimize it for the intended message.
“If senior management can impact employee engagement positively, it can influence better recruitment and retention of talent,” says Damla Gerhart, Senior Managing Director of CBRE’s Workplace practice.
Related Stories
| Sep 2, 2014
Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Sep 1, 2014
Ranked: Top federal government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Clark Group, Fluor, and HOK top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest federal government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 29, 2014
China Syndrome: How long will U.S. firms keep milking the Middle Kingdom?
U.S. architecture and engineering firms like Goettsch Partners have been enjoying full employment in China. But will there come a point when Chinese officials—and Chinese designers—say, We can handle this? BD+C's Robert Cassidy digs into this issue.
| Aug 28, 2014
Stantec releases design for Edmonton's tallest tower
At 227 meters, Stantec Tower will be the tallest building in the city, dwarfing the two next-tallest: Epcor Tower and Manulife Tower.
| Aug 27, 2014
Designs for community-based workspace in Carlsbad unveiled
Cruzan announced make, a 175,000-square-foot office redevelopment project on the coast of Carlsbad, Calif. Cruzan will usher this next generation of community-based, integrated workspace into existence in fall 2014.
| Aug 25, 2014
Tall wood buildings: Surveying the early innovators
Timber has been largely abandoned as a structural solution in taller buildings during the last century, in favor of concrete and steel. Perkins+Will's Rebecca Holt writes about the firm's work in surveying the burgeoning tall wood buildings sector.
| Aug 25, 2014
'Vanity space' makes up large percentage of world's tallest buildings [infographic]
Large portions of some skyscrapers are useless space used to artificially enhance their height, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
| Aug 25, 2014
Photographer creates time-lapse video of 1 WTC using 30,000 photos
Choosing from 30,000 photos he took from the day construction began in 2006 to the day when construction was finished in 2012, Brooklyn-based photographer Benjamin Rosamund compressed 1,100 photos to create the two-minute video.
| Aug 19, 2014
Goettsch Partners unveils design for mega mixed-use development in Shenzhen [slideshow]
The overall design concept is of a complex of textured buildings that would differentiate from the surrounding blue-glass buildings of Shenzhen.
| Aug 18, 2014
From icon to breadbasket: Gehry building to be turned into Whole Foods
The Howard Hughes Corporation, in association with architecture firm Cho Benn Holback + Associates, plans to turn the building—at least the majority of it—into a Whole Foods.
