• Events
  • Marketplace
  • Resources
  • Press Releases
  • Business Directory
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
The FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003
Allwork.Space
Subscribe
  • All Topics
    • Business
    • Biophilic Design
    • Career Growth
    • Coliving
    • Collaboration
    • Coworking
    • CRE
    • DE&I
    • Digital Nomads
    • Future of Work
    • Home Office
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • Hybrid Work
    • Investment
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Mental Health
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Office Furniture
    • Productivity
    • PropTech
    • Remote Work
    • Self-care
    • SMBs
    • Social Impact
    • Space-as-a-Service
    • Technology
    • Virtual Office
    • Work-life Balance
    • Workforce
    • Workplace Design
    • Workplace Wellness
  • News
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Work-life
  • Career Growth
  • Tech
  • Design
  • Workforce
  • Coworking
  • Marketing
  • CRE
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Advertise With Us
    • Marketplace
    • Events
  • All Topics
    • Business
    • Biophilic Design
    • Career Growth
    • Coliving
    • Collaboration
    • Coworking
    • CRE
    • DE&I
    • Digital Nomads
    • Future of Work
    • Home Office
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • Hybrid Work
    • Investment
    • Leadership
    • Marketing
    • Mental Health
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Office Furniture
    • Productivity
    • PropTech
    • Remote Work
    • Self-care
    • SMBs
    • Social Impact
    • Space-as-a-Service
    • Technology
    • Virtual Office
    • Work-life Balance
    • Workforce
    • Workplace Design
    • Workplace Wellness
  • News
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Work-life
  • Career Growth
  • Tech
  • Design
  • Workforce
  • Coworking
  • Marketing
  • CRE
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Advertise With Us
    • Marketplace
    • Events
No Result
View All Result
Allwork.Space
Home Business

More Proof Office Space Design Impacts Productivity, Focus and Collaboration

Mike SullivanbyMike Sullivan
June 28, 2013
in Business
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Gensler study

Gensler study

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare to Network
Switch Now to OfficeRnD Flex and Keep 2023 Pricing

Only 24 percent of U.S. workers are in optimal workplace environments. Yes, 24 percent. That means that a whopping 76 percent of U.S. workers are in less than ideal office space. So says a study from Gensler, a global design and architecture firm.

And that means a whopping 76 percent are struggling to work effectively. The result: lost productivity, innovation and worker engagement.

Oyster - Book a Demo

By contrast, an analysis of the 24 percent of workers who said they are in optimal office space environments shows that the ability to effectively balance focus and collaboration via strategic workplace design is the key to innovation and success.

“Balanced workplaces where employees have the autonomy to choose their work space based on the task or project at hand are more effective and higher-performing,” says Diane Hoskins, co-CEO at Gensler. “Our research indicates that employees will leverage autonomy for optimal productivity when given the choice in where and how to work as well as the technology and infrastructure to support their choice.”

An Inability to Focus
The Gensler study looked at design factors that impact productivity across the four work modes: focus, collaboration, learning and socializing. According to the firm, forces from technology to globalization to a new generation of workers appear to be leading fundamental changes to where, when and how today’s knowledge workers perform their jobs. The result: new performance drivers for today’s workplace.

Consider the statistics: Workplace effectiveness has declined since 2008, as measured by comparative data between Gensler’s 2013 and 2008 U.S. Workplace Surveys. At the root of the problem is an inability to focus. Indeed, survey results reveal a lack of effective focus space drags down the effectiveness of all other work modes: collaboration, learning and socializing, as well as the effectiveness of the workplace as a whole.

It’s no surprise that respondents who can focus are more satisfied (31 percent), higher performing (14 percent), and see their companies as more innovative (31 percent). Noteworthy is the fact that this pairs with a shift in how employees report spending their time. Despite many workplaces designed expressly to support collaboration, time spent collaborating has decreased (20 percent), while time spent focusing has increased (13 percent).

A Balanced Workplace
Individual focus and collaborative work may seem to be at polar opposites but the survey shows that they actually complement each other. In fact, 24 percent report that their workplaces communicate that their companies value individual and collaborative work, or a “balanced workplace.”

In fact, these employees are thriving. Their spaces are more effective for focus (21 percent) and more effective for collaboration (20 percent). They also see their companies as more innovative (29 percent), are more satisfied with their jobs (36 percent), with their workplace environments (34 percent), and rate their workplaces as more effective overall (23 percent).

“Our survey findings demonstrate that focus and collaboration are complementary work modes. One cannot be sacrificed in the workplace without directly impacting the other,” says Hoskins. “We know that both focus and collaboration are crucial to the success of any organization in today’s economy.”

In other findings, employers who provide a spectrum of choices for when and where to work are seen as more innovative by their employees, have employees who are more satisfied with their jobs (12 percent) and report higher effectiveness scores across all four work modes.

Employees without choice report low effectiveness and diminished experience. Those without choice also cite organizational policy as the most common reason and are also less likely to have tools that support mobility and “anywhere” working, either inside or outside the office.

Image: 22squared – Atlanta, courtesy of Gensler

  Your go-to resource on the Future of Work®  Get the emerging trends, top stories, and latest news on the world of work straight into your inbox each weekday morning.   
Tags: Productivity
Mike Sullivan

Mike Sullivan

Mike Sullivan is the Chief Marketing Officer at Alliance Virtual Offices, a global virtual office network providing flexible workspace solutions for modern businesses. Mike utilizes his deep understanding of the virtual office and flex space industry to provide expert insights that help centers streamline virtual office operations, reduce cost, and maximize revenue.

No Result
View All Result
Yardi Kube IT Management
FlexJobs logo
1Password - Start Today
Later - Turn followers into customers

Latest News

Japan's Young Workforce Confronts Mental Health Crisis

Japan’s Young Workforce Confronts Mental Health Crisis

December 4, 2023
South Africa's 4-Day Work Week Pilot: A Trailblazing Success for Work-Life Balance

South Africa’s 4-Day Work Week Pilot: A Trailblazing Success for Work-Life Balance

December 4, 2023
Companies Ignoring Climate Promises, May Face Hiring Reckoning

Companies Ignoring Climate Promises, May Face Hiring Reckoning

December 4, 2023
The AI Dilemma: Productivity Gains, Perception Pains, and the Path Forward

 The AI Dilemma: Productivity Gains, Perception Pains, and the Path Forward

December 1, 2023
New Survey Confirms 2023 Was Chaos, Reveals Top Workforce Trends Of The Year

New Survey Confirms 2023 Was Chaos, Reveals Top Workforce Trends Of The Year

December 1, 2023
2023 Flexible Office Heatmap Reveals Top 10 Markets

2023 Flexible Office Heatmap Reveals Top 10 Markets

December 1, 2023

News and Features

Business

Tech

Marketing

Design

Work-life

CRE

Coworking

Workforce

Daily Digest

Podcast

Resources

Marketplace

Events

Press Releases

FlexSpace, Coworking
and Office Space

Los Angeles

New York

Chicago

Washington, D.C.

Houston

Dallas

Miami

San Francisco

Atlanta

Philadelphia

Seattle

Austin

Company

About Us

Submit to Allwork.Space

Contact

Advertise

FlexSpace

Terms Of Use

FlexSpace FAQs

Privacy Policy

Connect with Allwork.Space

Twitter

Linkedin

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

©2023 Allwork.Space  l  Exploring the FUTURE OF WORK® since 2003.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Topics
    • Business
    • Leadership
    • Work-life
    • Workforce
    • Career Growth
    • Design
    • Tech
    • Coworking
    • Marketing
    • CRE
  • Experts
    • Podcast
    • Opinions
  • Resources
    • Research + Reports
    • Marketplace
    • Find Office Space
    • Find Remote Jobs
    • Press
  • Events
  • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Submit to Allwork.Space
    • Contact
Subscribe

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00