Dive Brief:

• Open office designs came out on top in a new survey by ResumeLab. In a poll of 1,500 employees, only 42% of those working in open floor plans with some private offices said they wanted to change office configurations, making open office spaces the "most accepted" choice.
• A hybrid mix of both open and private workspaces brought high employee morale, according to 75% of respondents, who also reported having high job satisfaction. Private offices were the most satisfying personal workstations (83%), followed by cubicles (76%).
• ResumeLab concluded that job satisfaction is linked to office layout. Respondents who said they were satisfied with their company's office design clocked in 28 extra minutes of productivity each day.

Dive Insight:

Organizations experiencing chronic morale issues, high turnover and low job satisfaction may want to see if their office layout is part of the problem. Surveys like ResumeLabs can offer employers advice on which office layouts appeal to employees to help keep them satisfied and productive on the job.

As the talent market leans heavily in favor of the job seeker, employers are paying more attention to how their office can help (or hinder) employee engagement. Offices have truly differentiated in function and appearance, with more employers taking on alternative designs, including open offices — or even, in some cases, having no office at all. While open office designs have met some trepidation, their acceptance — or at least their prevalence —​ has grown regardless.

Design goes beyond cubicles versus offices, however. Interior designers like Nicole Andreu, senior vice president and design director of commercial interiors at CannonDesign in New York City, recommended that organizations introduce color into office spaces to please and motivate workers. "Red has energy and passion. Yellow is for happiness. Green is for growth and stability," Andreu told HR Dive in an April interview. She said she adds green to neutral office colors like gray and shades of white to create a calm work environment, but she also favors using primary colors, like red, blue and yellow, to generate energy.

DPR Construction, a firm based in Reston, Virginia, used design to demonstrate its commitment to its employees' wellness. The firm earned certification from the international WELL Building Institute, which helps organizations support employees' health and well-being through their air, water and light quality in the workplace as well as the nourishment, fitness and comfort they provide.