Dive Brief:
- Employees' top office space wishes include windows to the outside and private, quiet spaces to work, according to Layton Construction survey findings released Feb. 4. Natural lighting, free snacks and drinks, and ergonomic chairs and desks rounded out the top five.
- On the other hand, most survey respondents said areas for ping pong or pool didn’t matter to them.
- Half of the 325 Denver-based office workers surveyed also said they had rejected a job offer because the office space was unappealing.
Dive Insight:
Other research has resulted in similar findings. For example, 90% of professionals in a Capital One survey said they perform better in a well-designed office area. Three quarters of the respondents favored a work environment that fosters collaboration, and even more said workspaces designed for concentration also improve performance.
While employers have favored open office plans in recent years, a Clutch report concluded that there's no single best type of office design. The report found, instead, that open-space designs, traditional closed-in offices, or a combination of both are all acceptable workspace layouts. Workers agree, with some preferring a mix of open spaces for collaborating with co-workers and private areas for more focused work.
Along with new twists on office design, bolder colors are appearing in the workplace, leaving behind corporate gray, beige and blue. Designers like Nicole Andreu, senior VP and design director of commercial interiors at CannonDesign, previously told HR Dive that office designers should consider red, sunshine yellow and other bright hues. Color in the workplace can set a positive mood: "Red has energy and passion. Yellow is for happiness. Green is for growth and stability," she said.
