The Magnetic Workplace: 2022 Workplace Futures Survey

The results from our annual survey on what people want from their workplaces have landed. The big reveal? More time in the office means happier employees and fewer resignations. But only if people have the freedom to choose.

In cities across the world, foot traffic is returning to central business districts on the weekends but weekday activity remains far below pre-pandemic levels. People are returning to the city but not to work. So how do we attract people back to the workplace and — after over two years of remote and hybrid working — is there reason enough for them to even be there?

In the third edition of our annual Workplace Futures Survey, which interviewed 2,500 office workers across Australia, China, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom, our Senior Researcher Daniel Davis uncovered valuable insights into the current state of the workplace and what it takes to bring workers back to the office.

“While the target shouldn’t necessarily be getting employees back to the office 100% of the time. This report indicates the sweet spot is really a hybrid mode of work where people are back 60 to 80% of the time.”

Daniel Davis, Senior Researcher and author of the report,The Magnetic Workplace.

Amongst the report’s key findings are:

• Employees who spend 60-80% of their time in the office are more engaged than those who don’t.We’ve seen a decline in workplace engagement since the start of the pandemic. But people who spend the majority of their working time in an office have a higher engagement, sense of belonging, and trust.
• People want flexibility to choose where they work. Survey response shows companies that require people to be back in the office full-time are more likely to see high levels of resignation than companies that give their employees some autonomy and flexibility.
• Hybrid work is the new normal. In all the countries surveyed, more people than ever are choosing to split their work week between home and the office. It’s not a new trend but the numbers exceed anything we’ve seen previously, signalling a shift in how people are working.
• Home has become more like the office so the office needs to become more like home. People have spent a long time working at home and are expecting more from their workplace. They want more fresh air, gardens and green space, quality coffee, and enough space to focus without distraction — all the things they get when working at home.

The Magnetic Workplace – 2022 Workplace Futures Survey report also reveals the specific features people want most from their place of work in 2022.

While the opportunity to meet colleagues, collaborate on projects and socialise are among the key reasons people go into the office, the features people value most when they get there, demonstrate the merging of home and work.

In order of preference, the top five most popular features are:

1. Free lunch and food
2. Fresh air
3. Gardens and green spaces
4. Good coffee
5. Enough space to focus without distraction

Daniel says providing a flexible work culture and a range of features that appeal to different demographics is just one way to create a magnetic workplace. ​“Providing green space alone isn’t going to cut it,” says Daniel. ​“Businesses really need to be stacking and aggregating a range of amenities.

​“By publishing this report, we hope to provide solutions for adding flexibility to a workplace and create a magnetic culture and working environment,” says Daniel.

For a copy of the full report, The Magnetic Workplace – 2022 Workplace Futures Survey, register below to access now. Listen to a conversation between Senior Researcher Daniel Davis and Principal Domino Risch as they share some behind the scenes insights and explore the top three takeouts from our latest annual workplace survey.