Quiz: Best Office Amenities for Your Workplace in 2020
In every workplace, employees need to collaborate, focus, recharge and move flexibly. Do you have the office amenities needed to support each of those actions?
Take this quiz (nine quick questions!) to determine which type of amenities your office needs more of in 2020 to increase your employees' productivity and satisfaction.
Based on your results, your office would benefit from more amenities that support collaborative work. Moving into 2020, these types of spaces will help increase employee productivity in your workplace. Either you simply don’t have enough meeting spaces so employees experience conflicts when trying to book rooms or find space for meetings, or you don’t have the variety of spaces to support different types of meetings.
Common amenities that support collaborative activities include:
Collaboration in the workplace means more than just Slacking coworkers or quickly spitballing ideas in the hallway before a meeting. Employees really value areas designed to promote in-person collaboration with their colleagues. In fact, innovation hubs and maker spaces were the two most top-rated office amenities according to Gensler’s 2019 U.S. Workplace Survey. Additionally, as remote work becomes more popular, having spaces equipped with the right technology -- like video conferencing tools -- to make working with remote workers easy is essential to create effective collaborative areas.
Having a variety of spaces designed to support different types of meetings -- brainstorms, board meetings, client visits, interviews, design sprints -- is often part of working in an activity-based workplace. Basically, this means different areas in the offices are designed to support the types of activities an employee completes during the day. They need space to focus alone or - as you found out from the quiz -- space to collaborate with coworkers on either a scheduled or unplanned basis. Those types of spaces would make the biggest impact in your office going into 2020.
Based on your results, your office would benefit from more amenities that support focus work. Moving into 2020, these types of spaces will help increase employee productivity in your workplace. Either it’s hard to hunker down and get individual work done due to distractions or you don’t have private areas where employees feel like they can work autonomously without being interrupted. If employees are complaining about noise or you’re seeing individuals hogging entire conference rooms for peace and quiet, you don’t have the variety of spaces employees need to focus.
Common amenities that support focused activities include:
Focus in the workplace means more than slapping on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and hoping a coworker doesn’t lean over and tap your shoulder. Employees value spaces where they can dive into their individual work and think deeply without the distractions of the normal open office. In fact, 50% of employees find it difficult to concentrate in an open office plan and take 20 minutes to get back on track after a distraction, according to Framery.
A variety of spaces designed to support focus work -- planning, reading, writing, programming -- is often part of working in an activity-based workplace. Basically, this means different areas in the offices are designed to support the types of activities an employee completes during the day. They need space to collaborate with coworkers or -- as you found out from the quiz -- focus on individual tasks sans distractions. Those types of spaces would make the biggest impact in your office going into 2020.
Based on your results, your office would benefit from more amenities that support employees’ need to recharge during the day. Moving into 2020, these types of spaces will help increase employee productivity in your workplace. Whether taking a break and relaxing during the day isn’t part of your company culture or you don’t have spaces designated for non-work activities, you’re in need of more amenities designed to let people recharge.
Common amenities that support employees’ need to recharge:
Recharging in the workplace means more than taking an extra bathroom trip to give tired eyes a break from a computer screen or moving a chair over to a coworker’s desk to socialize for a bit. Employees value areas designed to help them rest, recenter, and recharge during a stressful workday. In fact, employees ranked the need to “relax and take a break” as one of the activities they wished to be most supported in, according to Leesman’s “World’s Best Workplaces 2018” report.
Having a variety of spaces designed to support every human’s need to rest and reset during the day is often part of working in an activity-based workplace (ABW). Basically, this means different areas in the offices are designed to support the types of activities an employee completes during the day. Often times, third spaces, or spaces that sit in the middle of the spectrum of those found in a traditional, rigid office setting or a cozy home environment, are ideal spaces to let employees either rest, meditate, or socialize in an “ABW” environment. As you found from taking the quiz, those types of spaces would make the biggest impact in your office going into 2020.
Based on your results, your office would benefit from more amenities that support employees’ need to move around the office throughout the day. Moving into 2020, these types of spaces will help increase employee productivity in your workplace. Maybe teams opt to collaborate online instead of in-person or employees squat in the same areas every day because moving around the office isn’t intuitive or supported. Whatever the reason may be, your company could benefit from more amenities to enable flexible movement in your workplace.
Moving flexibly in the workplace means more than walking coffee chats or standing meetings. Employees value amenities designed to help them navigate through the office, quickly recenter between meetings, and change up their setting throughout the workday. In fact, 82% of employees said they have their best ideas in flexible offices designed to help them move around and explore different environments throughout the day, according to Herman Miller.
Different spaces designed to support employees’ varied needs is often part of working in an activity-based workplace. Basically, this means different areas in the offices are designed to support the types of activities an employee completes during the day. When running from meeting to meeting, employees need touchdown spots to pause and gather their thoughts. In a flexible seating environment, having lockers or storage areas available to help employees feel a sense of ownership over their belongings is key. As you found from this quiz, those types of spaces would make the biggest impact in your office going into 2020.
Do employees hog conference rooms to take personal or business calls?
Do you often receive noise complaints in your office?
How often do employees complain that it’s hard to find a conference room or space to to meet?
How open is your floor plan?
Do people take the time to refresh during a normal workday?
How mobile are your employees? Are they majority resident, flex, or mobile?
Do employees often need to interact with other teams either in different parts of the office or on different floors?
How much of your workforce is remote?
How many types of workstations can employees work at in your office?