Real estate professionals misunderstand office workers' amenity hot buttons, according to the latest research from international law firm CMS.
CMS's data — which surveyed 350 real estate investors, developers and agents, controlling combined assets of over £400B and over 1,000 office workers across the U.K. — shows a surge in interest in co-working, work-life balance and agile working.
Ahead of Bisnow London's Big Office Bash Wednesday, 27 September, CMS partner Clare Thomas shared the biggest myths around what office occupiers want.
Myth No. 1: The Young Are Cool About Hot Desking
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Everybody likes a desk of their own, even the millennials.
When FTI Consulting researchers (on behalf of CMS) asked office workers which they valued more when choosing a place to work, agile working or more pay, the answer was clear: 89% said agile working, while just 15% opted for extra cash.
What kind of agile workplace? A permanent desk in an open-plan office came out an easy winner among all age groups. It was even more popular among the 18-34 age group (94%) than it was among the over 50s (79%).
Working from home and a permanent desk in a cellar office were slightly less popular with all age groups, and working remotely from a coffee shop or public space was a massive fail with the over 50s (23%). Hot-desking scored badly from everyone, with even the 18-34s putting it at the bottom of their list.
Myth No. 2: Everyone Loves Bike Storage
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The CMS figures show property people massively overestimate the appeal of a bike rack. Around 74% of property professionals thought it was important, ranking it third out of 19 desirable office features, just behind good wireless broadband and showers/changing rooms.
But office workers rated it at 56%, second from bottom of the list. Showers and changing rooms, rated so highly by the property folk (78%) also came in fairly low for office users (58%).
Myth No. 3: There's No Shortcut To Office Workers' Affections
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It turns out that there actually is. You could try free cake, for instance.
CMS data revealed the biggest gaps between what property people thought mattered — and what actually mattered — occurred around food. Free food and snacks are wildly popular — 76% of occupiers rated it — but strangely just 17% of property execs thought it was important.
A good canteen or kitchen also revealed a big perception gap (31% property people, 68% tenants). Recycling facilities and online purchase collection lockers are also appreciably more popular than property people imagine.
Myth No. 4: Foosball Tables Are So Yesterday
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If foosball tables, pool or ping-pong are out of fashion, U.K. office workers did not get the email. They still love them.
The gap between property professionals' expectations and ordinary folk was a yawning 49% on games tables, putting it in the same category as the long-standing British misunderstanding about office chairs (workers want them to be comfortable, property people do not seem so bothered, leading to a 50% gap in expectations).
Overall, the research shows that office workers really do care about work-life balance and the chance to blow off some steam.
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