Survey results show that function and comfort override trendiness in the workplace

Employees value amenities that support function and comfort in the workplace, favoring outdoor views, natural light and on-site food service as significant to their workplace satisfaction, according to a new report from CBRE.

CBRE analyzed a survey of 1,600 North American office users conducted by human resources advisory firm Future Workplace and smart-building tech company View Inc. to gauge how extensively a workplace’s physical amenities can influence employee satisfaction and engagement.

While the largest influencers on employee engagement are trust in management, company values, and opportunities for development, physical amenities in the workplace also play a big role.

Specifically, the survey found that physical comforts are of high importance, with 53 percent identifying views of the outdoors among their most valued perks, 53 percent choosing natural light and 44 percent favoring on-site cafetoria access or food service.

Additionally, 37 percent of respondents included on-site kitchens among their most valued office perks, and 28 percent chose open office space.

“A workplace’s physical layout and amenities can signal and reinforce a company’s values for its employees,” said Damla Gerhart, Senior Managing Director of CBRE’s Workplace practice. “Moving private offices away from the windows so that most of the floor has an outdoor view shows consideration for all employees. Glass-front offices and open workspaces promote transparency and community. We see a correlation between employee engagement and physical designs and layouts like this.”

In its analysis of the survey, CBRE found that the degree of value that respondents placed on physical-space attributes for their workplace has a 95 percent probability of impacting their overall engagement. For example, respondents with access to natural light in their workplaces are 67 percent more likely to report being satisfied with their company.

Additionally, employees provided with a variety of work settings – work stations, breakout rooms, communal couches, free-address seating – are 91 percent more likely to be satisfied with their workplace and organization.