U.S.

WORKPLACE
SURVEY
2019
Very few people
say their ideal workplace
is“totally open”
Quiet zones in offices
have significantly higher
impact than break rooms
One in seven corporate
employees use coworking
during an average week
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
2 Social and economic change underpin today’s workplace conversations
4 The U.S. workplace is becoming more effective, and more collaborative
6 An effective workplace is critical, but it’s not enough
KEY FINDINGS
8 People are asking for more private space at work
12 Not all amenities are worth the investment
16 14% of employees at large companies use coworking spaces
CONCLUSION
22 Action steps to optimize people’s performance
24 A framework for workplace experience
APPENDIX
26 Global comparisons
28 Role comparisons
30 Research history & methods
32 Applied research tools: the WPIx
It’s time for a new workplace narrative;
we need to move past a language of extremes.
We surveyed over 6,000 people working full-time
across the United States to understand the key
issues facing today’s workers and workplaces.
The pervasive narratives around today’s workplace
environments are often based on the idea of extremes.
Debates around the “open office” are a high-profile
example—open offices are purportedly noisy,
distracting, and destroying our ability to both focus
and collaborate. But they may also make us more
physically active and less stressed. These discussions,
however, lack solid grounding because there is no
consistent definition of the “open office,” and rarely
is any environment totally open or totally closed.
Other hot-button issues demand greater scrutiny,
too. The workplace is increasingly amenity-rich, but
are those amenities truly delivering value—and if so,
which ones? Coworking venues now abound, but what
is the real impact, and how are they really being used
by people working at large companies? In each case,
deeper study often points to balance and nuance as
the best starting points to create a better workplace.
What people really want from their workplace is
a great experience. In this report, we investigate the
modern workplace and identify factors and design
strategies that optimize effectiveness, experience,
and performance. Today’s workplace is an ecosystem,
and the best workplace experiences are built on
variety, choice, and autonomy. Providing a great
workplace experience also yields direct business
performance benefits. Great workplaces create more
engaged employees; and more engaged employees
are the key to business productivity and profit.
1
 INTRODUCTION

Social and economic change underpin

today’s workplace conversations.
Today’s workplace landscape is mired in
change spurred by evolving business and
social contexts. The U.S. unemployment
rate is at its lowest point in nearly a half-
century, putting organizations in heated
competition for top talent. However, the
predicted end of this extended boom
cycle continues to make companies
wary of large investments or long-term
commitments. The world also continues
to become more urban, driving up real
estate prices and density in the prime
city markets where companies are
increasingly locating.
Since the release of our U.S. Workplace
Survey 2016, Millennials have become the
largest contingent of the U.S. workforce,
and Generation Z’s integration has already
begun. Younger workers tend to pursue
organizations that hold the same values
as they do, provide a healthy work/life
balance, and include the right amenities
in the workplace. These shifts are driving
organizations to increasingly compete on
experience and purpose.
As the workplace accommodates five
generations, its diversity is also growing
in other ways. Women and people of color
are entering the workforce at historic
rates. Today, women outpace men in
achieving bachelor’s degrees, and in many
industries, outnumber men in middle and
upper management positions. Diverse
working communities engender diverse
perspectives and desires. Workplaces
that reflect the wide range of needs and
expectations of today’s talent pool will
come out ahead.

Confidential Technology Client

HISTORICALLY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT FIVE GENERATIONS AT WORK GENDER DIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
Percent unemployment by year U.S. labor force, in millions Percent of the workforce, women vs. men Percent of Americans 25-29 years old with a bachelor's degree or higher

10 80 80 40

Boomers
Women
8 60 60 35
56 Men
Gen X 53
Women Men
6 40 41 40 25

Silent/Greatest
4% 20 20
4 20
Millennials
9
Post-Millennials 3 0 0
0 0
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (2019) Source: Pew Research Center (2018) Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Women in the Labor Force (2016) Source: Steven Johnson / The Atlantic (2017)

2 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 3

 INTRODUCTION

The U.S. workplace is becoming more

effective, and more collaborative.
The U.S. workplace has improved in
recent years, with 2019 registering our
highest effectiveness scores of any
Workplace Survey over the past 15 years.
While this may be partially attributable
to an extended economic expansion, it
is also connected to improvements in
the physical and experiential nature of
the workplace itself. A greater portion of
people today report working in a balanced
workplace (44 percent)—a metric defined These improvements align with an greater business performance
in our 2013 study to codify workplaces that observed shift toward high-performance and innovation. Perhaps even more
successfully prioritize both individual and behaviors. As knowledge and creative important, U.S. workers are also starting
collaborative work, and which has proven work have become more complex and to see these behaviors as more critical
to be highly correlated to effectiveness interconnected, people today report to their job performance, and are reporting
and performance. People today also spending less time working alone and that their workplace environments are
report greater levels of choice and more time collaborating, socializing, more effective overall in supporting
autonomy at work—45 percent of and learning. Our past research directly the full suite of activities that define
U.S. workers now report having choice connects these non-focus behaviors with modern work.
in where they work within their office.

2013* 2016 2019 2019

WORKPLACE EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) 44%
2016
38%
2019 70

WORKING ALONE 54% 50% 45%

2016 69

2013 63
2013 BALANCE
40 90
24%
COLLABORATING 17% 28% 30%
IN PERSON
2019 marks the highest
workplace effectiveness
score measured, driven by
COLLABORATING 7% 15% 14% high levels of balance and 2019
VIRTUALLY choice at work. 41%

2013
WORKPLACE EFFECTIVENESS 32%
LEARNING Workplace effectiveness by year, as measured by
2016
Gensler’s Workplace Performance Index (WPI) score.
27%
The WPI is a proprietary aggregate measure of CHOICE
5% 3% 6% workplace effectiveness.

SOCIALIZING

8% 4% 5%
BALANCE & CHOICE
TIME SPENT BY WORK MODE Percent of respondents who work in a balanced
Percent of average week spent in each *Percentages do not add up to 100% because workplace (top), and who report choice in where to
work mode, by year. respondents were given an “other” option in 2013. work (bottom), by year.

4 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 5

 INTRODUCTION
An effective workplace is critical,
but it’s not enough.
The workplace is getting better, but
significant room for improvement
still exists. In this report, we frame
progress and future goals within a dual
narrative—a focus on both effectiveness
and experience in the workplace. On its
own, the effectiveness of an individual’s
workplace environment explains a
significant portion of job commitment
and satisfaction, purpose and meaning
in their work, and the likelihood they will
recommend their company to a peer—all
direct measures of employee engagement
and perception of their company.
Our U.S. Workplace Survey 2019
expands our purview to codify and
measure the entire employee experience.
By analyzing effectiveness and experience
together—as quantified by our proprietary
Workplace Performance IndexSM (WPI)
and Experience IndexSM (EXI) scores—
we are able to explain a larger portion of
employee engagement and performance.
Quantifying effectiveness
alone can explain*: WORKPLACE
29% of commitment
35% of recommendation
EFFECTIVENESS
(WPI)
38% of job satisfaction
*Explanatory power of workplace effectiveness
(WPI) and experience (EXI) as related to employee
engagement metrics and business performance
6 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019
HIGH EFFECTIVENESS +
GREAT EXPERIENCE
POOR EFFECTIVENESS +
45%
GREAT EXPERIENCE
OF U.S. RESPONDENTS
8% These people have the highest
OF U.S. RESPONDENTS
engagement scores in our sample. People
While effectiveness and experience These people are highly engaged, but working in the technology, finance, and
are distinct variables, they do work in struggle with ineffective workplaces. management/advisory industries are most
concert—with the majority of people People working in the consumer goods, likely to fall in this quadrant.
working either in a workplace that not-for-profit, and media industries are
scores poorly on both or in one that most likely to fall in this quadrant.
scores well on both. The latter group—
whose workplaces are optimizing HIGH EFFECTIVENESS +
effectiveness and experience in POOR EXPERIENCE
8%
tandem—is consistently associated with POOR EFFECTIVENESS +
our highest employee engagement and POOR EXPERIENCE
performance scores.
39% OF U.S. RESPONDENTS
These people have highly effective
Approximately one in five workers are OF U.S. RESPONDENTS
workplaces, but still struggle to have
not so easily categorized, however—these
These people consistently a great experience. People working in
workers report either having an effective the legal industry are most likely to fall
workplace but not a great workplace rank lowest on engagement
and performance. People working in in this quadrant.
experience, or report an ineffective
the government or defense industries
workplace and a great experience. For are most likely to fall in this quadrant.
these people, as well as those with below
average scores on both metrics, there is a
distinct missed opportunity for leveraging HOW THE WORKPLACE MEASURES UP
the workplace environment to optimize Respondent breakdown into those above
individual performance. and below average on experience (EXI)
and effectiveness (WPI), and how the two
scores interact.
Quantifying experience and Companies with top quartile
effectiveness can explain*: engagement have**:
44% of commitment 21% higher profit
55% of recommendation 41% lower absenteeism
56% of job satisfaction 10% higher customer loyalty
To optimize performance, we must
WORKPLACE
address effectiveness and experience
EXPERIENCE
EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
BUSINESS
PERFORMANCE in tandem. Currently, less than
(EXI)
half of the American workforce is
in a workplace that achieves both.
**Source: Gallup Q12 Meta-Analysis
7

KEY FINDING ONE
People are asking
for more private space
at work.
Only a fraction of people would prefer
working in a totally open or a totally
private environment; over two-thirds
(77 percent) consider environments
that fall between these extremes
to be ideal. To capture this nuance,
we measured “degrees of openness”
with six variables, from “totally open”
workplaces with no walls, to “totally
private” workplaces in which all employees
have individual offices. We asked each
respondent to tell us which type of
environment they currently have, and
which they consider to be ideal. Responses
to both questions fall largely in the middle,
though on average, people seek greater
levels of privacy than they currently have.
Women’s preferences lean slightly more
toward privacy; Millennial and Gen Z
respondents lean more toward openness.
Which environments work best?
Environments that are mostly open
environments but provide ample on-
demand private space have both the
highest effectiveness and the highest
experience scores. This largely aligns
with people’s stated preferences: they
prefer open environments with ample
8 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019
CURRENT & IDEAL WORK ENVIRONMENT
Percent of respondents who currently sit in each
type of workplace environment, compared to what
they say would be ideal
MOST OPEN
TOTALLY OPEN
No walls—everyone in the
organization sits together
7%
MOSTLY OPEN
With on-demand private space;
28% offices only when required by role
11%
on-demand private space to support
individual, focused work, but very few
26%
say they would prefer a totally private
environment. And when rating what
SOMEWHAT OPEN
constitutes the “best” workplaces overall—
DEGREES OF OPENNESS
not just physically but in terms of Few in private offices; desks with
low/medium panels for privacy
the goals and work processes they 20%
support—“team building and
collaboration” is the highest-ranked
aspect of a great workplace according CURRENT IDEAL
to our respondents, a finding
consistent across generation and 28%
gender segmentations.
Although these desires may appear SHARED OFFICES
6%
at odds with one another, the best Mostly shared offices/team
workplaces treat these goals as rooms that sit 3 to 6 people
equal—delivering a variety of spaces
that accommodate privacy and focus
8%
alongside more open spaces that
prioritize connection, collaboration, and
innovation. And these greater degrees 20%
of openness align with behaviors
connected to effectiveness, experience, 7% 23%
and engagement. People working in more
open spaces are more likely to report MOSTLY PRIVATE
experimenting with new ways of working, Individual offices for most; the
taking time to reflect, having fun, and rest have medium/high panels
getting inspired.
16%
TOTALLY PRIVATE
An enclosed, individual work
environment for everyone
MOST PRIVATE
9
 KEY FINDING ONE
ATTRIBUTES OF THE BEST WORKPLACES
Percent of respondents who selected each attribute

People also see team building

as describing the “best” workplaces.

as the most important aspect

of great workplaces. Promote team building
and collaboration
Provide the latest Help share knowledge and Support health
Communicate Maximize individual Inspire creativity
technology and tools best practices and well-being
shared mission, productivity and innovation
values, and culture
Build social Foster camaraderie
Support

43%
connections and and fun
experimentation with community
new ways of working

29% 31% 32% 33% 33% 34%

14% 18% 20%

Mostly open environments deliver

best on performance and experience

EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) EXPERIENCE (EXI)

TOTALLY OPEN 71 69
Mostly open environments
have the highest effectiveness MOSTLY OPEN 73 70
and experience scores, driven SOMEWHAT OPEN 67 63
by high levels of choice,
variety, and balance. SHARED OFFICES 67 63

MOSTLY PRIVATE 70 64

TOTALLY PRIVATE 71 66
40 90 40 90

PERFORMANCE BY CURRENT
WORKPLACE TYPE
Experience (EXI) and Effectiveness (WPI) scores
for each workplace type, on a 100-point scale.

10 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 ESD, Chicago, IL 11

 KEY FINDING TWO
Not all amenities are
worth the investment.
The workplace is becoming more
choice-based and amenity-rich. But
every workplace can’t, and shouldn’t,
have every amenity. To target the right
investments, we must understand the
impact of individual amenities and
alternative workspaces on people’s
performance. To measure this effect,
we asked people which amenity and
alternative workspaces are available in
their office and compared access-related
effectiveness and experience scores.
The amenities that deliver the greatest
impact connect directly to people’s
most salient needs and preferences:
spaces directly connected to
innovation, making, and collaboration;
and quiet places to perform focused
or individual work. Amenities with a
non-work focus, such as lounges and break
rooms, deliver the smallest performance
gains in our sample. Amenities that
are versatile in their function—such as
12 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019
Target workplace investment on the
amenities that deliver the highest
impact. Those that directly support
work process have most value.
EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) EXPERIENCE (EXI) GREATEST VALUE
THOSE WHO HAVE THIS AMENITY
+11 +16 INNOVATION HUB*
outdoor workspaces and work cafés— THOSE WHO DO NOT
fall toward the middle. The key takeaway:
work-focused amenities that align with the
direct needs and priorities of people’s jobs +11 +14 MAKER SPACE*
have the most value; amenities aren’t for
escaping work, they’re for optimizing it.
A work-focused amenity strategy is also +10 +14 QUIET/TECH-FREE ZONE
a way to encourage people to work in a
more mobile fashion—and those behaviors
are associated with higher performance. +9 +13 OUTDOOR WORKSPACES
For high performers, everywhere is a
work setting—both in and out of the
office. Employees who work away from +9 +13 FOCUS ROOMS
their desks at least sometimes are more
effective and report a better experience.
An interesting relationship also exists
between spending time outside the
+8 +12 WORK CAFÉ
office entirely and great experience—
it’s curvilinear. That means there is a
balance to strike—too little time, as +7 +10 PHONE ROOM
well as too much time, working away
from the office is associated with lower
effectiveness and experience scores. +7 +9 LIBRARY
+4 +6 CAFETERIA
+1 +2 BREAK ROOM/LOUNGES
LEAST VALUE
THE AMENITIES THAT DELIVER MOST ON *Innovation hub and maker spaces are most
prominent in technology, media, management
EFFECTIVENESS AND EXPERIENCE advisory, and finance firms.
EXI and WPI score comparisons for each amenity,
differences in scores between people who have the
amenity in their workplace and those who do not.
13
 KEY FINDING TWO

EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) EXPERIENCE (EXI)

The right amenities are a crucial ingredient
in a choice-based workplace experience. WORK AWAY FROM DESK

THOSE WHO DO NOT 64

75
+11
58
73
+15
Workspaces that provide variety and 40 90 40 90

encourage in-office mobility have higher People who work away

IN OFFICE MOBILITY

effectiveness and experience scores.

Experience (EXI) and Effectiveness (WPI) scores
from their desks within for employees who spend time working away
the office frequently have from their desks.

higher effectiveness and

experience scores.

Only 49% of people without

Only 33% of respondents without choice in where to work report
a variety of work settings report a a great workplace experience.
great workplace experience.

71% of people with choice

VARIETY CHOICE
in where to work report a
great workplace experience.

The vast majority, 79%, of people

in workplaces with a variety of
settings report a great experience.

THE POWER OF VARIETY THE POWER OF CHOICE

Percent of respondents who report a great Percent of respondents who report a great
experience—those with a variety of work settings experience—those with choice in where to work
within the office versus those without. within the office versus those without.

14 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 AKF, Philadelphia, PA 15

 KEY FINDING THREE
OTHER
LOCATIONS PRIMARY OTHER
LOCATION
5% LOCATIONS

14% of employees
COWORKING
LOCATION 78% 11%
ANOTHER 2%
COMPANY
LOCATION

at large companies
COWORKING
7% LOCATION

HOME
18%

use coworking spaces.

8% COWORKING
PRIMARY
LOCATION
U.S. AVERAGE USERS
42%

ANOTHER
Coworking isn’t a new phenomenon. At average week compared to 18 percent, COMPANY
its inception, these spaces were designed respectively. This appears to be close LOCATION
for individuals or small groups that needed to an optimal allocation of time for 14% HOME
a place to work. In recent years, that many: users who spend about a day
dynamic has started to shift. There is a a week in coworking spaces have the 15%
fast-rising contingent of “enterprise” users highest performance scores, with a
of coworking spaces, or people who utilize significant dip when that time exceeds
coworking space out of an agreement with 20 percent of their average week. And
their employer and a coworking company. we see a similar relationship with time LEGAL FINANCE
Fourteen percent of our respondents spent in main office locations— 100,000+ NOT-FOR-PROFIT 3% 12%
(over 800 people)—all of whom work too much, or too little, time spent 10% 3%
ENERGY
for companies of 100 people or more— in one’s primary workspace is a drag 6%
report using coworking space as part on performance. 10,000-99,999 CONSUMER GOODS FEMALE
of their average workweek. These 10% 9% MANAGEMENT/ 46%
ADVISORY
users tend to be young and male. Most Why do people use coworking spaces? 101-999 SCIENCES
COMPANY 14%
are in manager positions or above, and Collaboration and networking top the list, SIZE 43% 5% INDUSTRY GENDER

an outsized portion work in the while focus acts as a detractor—the more

MEDIA MALE
technology industry. time a person spends working alone, the 10% 54%
less time they spend in coworking spaces
1,000-9,999 GOVERNMENT/
For the majority of these users, on average. In many ways, coworking DEFENSE
37% TECHNOLOGY
coworking appears to be part of their spaces function as another high-value 3% 35%
company’s broader plan to facilitate amenity—an alternative place to
autonomy and mobility instead of work and support activities not well
acting as their primary workspace— supported by the desk. Our data also WHERE PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME,
BABY BOOMER ADMIN
and our data suggests this is the right suggests that coworking utilization may AVERAGE VERSUS COWORKING
5% 6%
strategy. Most of these respondents have a negative relationship with the PROF/TECH USERS (TOP)
EXECUTIVE
use a coworking space for less than one quality of people’s primary workspaces: 16% 23% Breakdown of time spent during an average week
day per week, and spend more time in people with better-designed collaborative for the 14 percent of corporate employees who
their company’s own workplace than in areas spend less time working in GEN X use coworking regularly.
a coworking space—42 percent of their coworking spaces. 33% GENERATION ROLE

GEN Z / MILLENNIAL WHO’S USING COWORKING SPACES?

62% (BOTTOM)
Demographic breakdown of corporate coworking
MANAGEMENT
users by industry, gender, role, and generation.
55%

16 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 17

 KEY FINDING THREE

Access to coworking is associated with EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) EXPERIENCE (EXI)

better effectiveness and experience. THOSE WHO USE COWORKING 80

+12
80
+16
68 64
People are using these spaces primarily
THOSE WHO DO NOT
40 90 40 90

for collaboration and connection. COWORKING AND PERFORMANCE

Experience (EXI) and Effectiveness (WPI)
Coworking performs similarly
comparison for employees with access to to a high-value amenity;
coworking vs. those without. those who have access have
significantly higher effectiveness
and experience scores.

Time spent in coworking

spaces is positively
correlated with time spent
collaborating; the opposite
is true for focused work.

100

PERCENT OF AVERAGE WEEK IN EACH ACTIVITY

80

60

40 WORKING WITH
OTHERS IN PERSON

20

WORKING ALONE

0
0 20 40 60 80 100

PERCENT OF AVERAGE WEEK SPENT IN COWORKING SPACES

COWORKING AND BEHAVIOR

Percent of time spent in coworking spaces as it
relates to time spent working alone and working
with others.

18 U.S. Workplace Survey 2018 Hyundai Studio Black, Seoul 19

 40%
KEY FINDING THREE

30%

Coworking adds value as an alternative The majority of coworking

users from large companies
work setting, but only to a point. Spend 20% use the spaces for one day
a week or less.
over a day a week in coworking spaces,

PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS
and they lose their luster. 10%

0%
0.5 DAYS 1 DAY 1.5 DAYS 2 DAYS 2.5 DAYS 3 DAYS 3.5 DAYS 4 DAYS 4.5 DAYS 5 DAYS

PORTION OF AVERAGE WEEK

TIME SPENT IN COWORKING SPACES
Number of days spent in coworking spaces during
ATLAS Workbase, Seattle, WA an average week, by percent of respondents.

TIME IN MAIN OFFICE LOCATION (U.S. AVERAGE)

EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) EXPERIENCE (EXI)

1 DAY 72 69

PORTION OF AVERAGE WEEK

2 DAYS 76 74

3 DAYS 74 73

4 DAYS 73 70

5 DAYS 68 63

40 90

TIME IN COWORKING LOCATION (COWORKING USERS)

0.25 DAYS 77 78
Time spent in coworking
0.5 DAYS 80 80
spaces is associated with
higher scores until it 1 DAY 83 82
exceeds a day per week.
> 1 DAY 79 78

TIME SPENT AND PERFORMANCE

Experience (EXI) and Effectiveness (WPI) comparisons by the percent of time
employees spend in their main office location (top) and coworking space
(bottom) in an average week. Top represents all U.S. respondents; bottom
represents just those who use coworking spaces.

20 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 ATLAS Workbase, Seattle, WA 21

 CONCLUSION

Action steps to optimize

people’s performance:

Open environments should be private, too. Greater degrees

of openness are associated with high performance; but noise,
privacy, and the ability to focus remain key determinants of
workplace effectiveness. A choice-based strategy that provides
a variety of spaces and different types of enclosure can
reconcile these needs.
Amenities aren’t about escaping work—they’re about
optimizing it. People are working from everywhere—and
greater mobility is associated with greater performance and
engagement. The best amenity strategies prioritize anywhere-
working, creating hybrid settings that deliver both an amenity
and a workspace: work cafés, quiet/focus zones, and innovation
hubs, among others.
Coworking is a supplement, not a replacement, for a great
workplace experience. Coworking does not yet contend as a
primary work setting—but as a high-value amenity it delivers.
Our data shows distinct benefits from giving people access to
coworking spaces; but the effect diminishes for those spending
significant amounts of time coworking, and most still spend
more time in the primary offices.

22 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 Hyatt Headquarters, Chicago, IL 23

 CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION

Creating a great workplace experience A highly effective workplace is key to the

best experience strategies; but focusing
Our Workplace Experience Framework
provides a lens through which to

requires aligning space, culture,

only on effectiveness can overlook broader
cultural or behavioral opportunities to
optimize engagement and performance.
interaction, and behavior. Expanding our focus to all aspects that
yield a great employee experience means
shifting the language we use to talk
about the workplace—and concurrently
expanding the metrics and goals for
workplace design and strategy.
understand the full suite of factors that
makes a great workplace experience.
By understanding, and using design as
a catalyst to improve culture, interaction,
and behavior, helps us move beyond
dichotomous discussions to work in
the nuanced, complex reality of today’s
workplace—and truly deliver what people
today want and need from the workplace.

CULTURE
MISSION & INSPIRATION

EMPOWERMENT & AWARENESS Sfera, San José, Costa Rica

CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

SPACE INTERACTION
FUNCTIONALITY & EFFECTIVENESS SOCIAL CONNECTION
EMPLOYEE BUSINESS
VARIETY & CHOICE TECHNOLOGY & TOOLS ENGAGEMENT PERFORMANCE
AESTHETICS AUTONOMY

BEHAVIOR
REFLECTION & EXPERIMENTATION

WORKING AWAY FROM THE DESK

WORK MODES

9in10 1.5x
Over nine in ten people who have a People who have a great experience
great experience at work report getting at work also rate their workplaces to
inspired during an average week. be significantly more welcoming.

WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE FRAMEWORK

1.75x
People who have a great experience
at work are significantly more likely
to report experimenting with new
ways of working.
4x
People with a great experience are
four times more likely to be in balanced
environments—those that prioritize
both focus and collaboration.

24 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 25

 APPENDIX | GLOBAL COMPARISONS

The U.S. workplace is on par, but not

outperforming, its global peers. GERMANY
2018
ASIA
2016
U.S.
2019
MIDDLE
EAST 2018
LATAM
2017
UK
2016

The U.S. workplace has some of in the individual workspace in which most
the highest effectiveness scores people sit in each country.
as measured by the WPI in any region 58% 57% 45% 42% 33% 30%
we’ve studied recently. On other metrics, The U.S. is comparatively the most
the workplace falls more toward the enclosed and the most open of any region
middle—people in the U.S. report less we’ve studied: 35 percent of respondents U.S. WORKERS ARE ONLY AVERAGE
choice than those in the Middle East, sit in individual, private offices; 42 percent ON CHOICE
Germany, and Asia. sit in some sort of “open” environment.
By global region, percentage of workers who report they
Shared and group office environments are have choice in where to work. Data is from most recent
The physical nature of the workplace comparatively rare in the U.S.; Germany, Workplace Survey in each country, conducted
also varies substantially around the globe. the Middle East, and Latin America are between 2016 and 2019.
While our “degrees of openness” variable much more likely to use these settings at People in the U.S. are less
is too new to compare across other a large scale. likely to work in shared
global regions, we see wide variations environments than workers
in other countries.

EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) 24% 27%

Effectiveness, as measured by the WPI score, by global region.
Data is from most recent Workplace Survey in each country, INDIVIDUAL OFFICE
35% 37%
conducted between 2016 and 2019.
U.S LATIN 41%
OPEN PLAN MIDDLE EAST
AMERICA
42%
11%
U.S. 70
18%
SHARED OFFICE OF 2
LATIN AMERICA 11% 24% 18%
69 GROUP OFFICE OF 3–6
12%
MIDDLE EAST 70
21%
26%
UK 67 26%
35% 40%

GERMANY 65 UK GERMANY ASIA

12%

ASIA 70
50%
40 90 24% 9%
17% 24%
16%

SHARED ENVIRONMENTS ARE

UNCOMMON IN THE U.S.
Type of individual work setting employees have, by
global region. Data is from most recent Workplace
Survey in each country, conducted between 2016
and 2019.

26 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 27

 APPENDIX | ROLE COMPARISONS

A great workplace experience

shouldn’t just be for leadership. DIRECTOR,
DIRECTOR,
MANAGER
MANAGER
ADMIN AND 52%
PROFESSIONAL/ 56% SUPPORT
TECHNICAL
People in leadership positions have with few significant differences in 36% 36%
a significantly better experience at workplace effectiveness or experience PROFESSIONAL/
work—and the difference between between these groups. People’s ideal ADMIN AND
TECHNICAL C-SUITE, PARTNER/
VP/SVP
their experience and those in other workplace environments also show SUPPORT 35%
roles has been growing over time. Over significant variation by role. The 27% 72%
the past six years, scores have improved most senior roles tend to prefer more
CHOICE BALANCE
overall, but gains for managers and open environments, while those in C-SUITE, PARTNER/
directors have far outpaced professional, administrative, professional, and technical VP/SVP
technical, and administrative role scores. roles seek more privacy.
77%
We now see a consistent pattern in our One crucial place where the professional,
data: Partner/VP/SVP respondents have technical, and administrative workplace
the highest experience and effectiveness experience does continue to differ is
scores, followed by Director- and in the levels of choice people report:
Manager-level respondents. Professional, professional and technical workers have PERCENT WITH CHOICE PERCENT WITH BALANCE
technical, and administrative workers have more choice in where to work than their Workers who report they have choice Percent of respondents who work in
the lowest scores in our sample, administrative peers. in when and where to work. a balanced workplace.

EFFECTIVENESS (WPI) 2019 EXPERIENCE (EXI)

2019
C-SUITE, 81 80
PARTNER/VP/SVP
TOTALLY MOSTLY SHARED SOMEWHAT MOSTLY OPEN TOTALLY
DIRECTOR, PRIVATE PRIVATE OFFICES OPEN OPEN
73 70 W/ON-DEMAND PRIVACY
MANAGER
PROFESSIONAL/ C-SUITE,
66 61 PARTNER/VP/SVP 9% 16% 4% 24% 38% 9%
TECHNICAL
ADMIN AND
67 61
SUPPORT
40 90 DIRECTOR,
MANAGER 13% 20% 6% 22% 32% 7%
2016
79
EFFECTIVENESS AND EXPERIENCE
BY ROLE PROFESSIONAL/
TECHNICAL 19% 27% 7% 18% 23% 6%
70 Effectiveness, as measured by the WPI score, and
experience by the EXI score, by organizational role.
Comparisons by year for WPI scores from 2013
66
and 2016. ADMIN AND
SUPPORT 22% 25% 6% 19% 22% 6%
67

2013 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

70

IDEAL WORK ENVIRONMENT BY ROLE

63
People’s ideal work environment based on “degrees
63 of openness,” segmented by organizational role.

62

28 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 29

 APPENDIX | RESEARCH HISTORY & METHODS

History
Gensler’s U.S. Workplace Survey 2019
is the latest iteration of ongoing research
on the workplace, which began in 2005. A
subsequent survey in 2006 established the
connections between workplace design,
employee productivity, and business
competitiveness. In 2008, our research
established a framework for understanding
knowledge work through the lens of the
four “work modes”—focus, collaborate,
learn, and socialize. We discovered that the
effectiveness and support of all four work
modes connect to employee engagement
and company performance.
Gensler’s 2013 and 2016 U.S. Workplace
Surveys continued these efforts, taking
the pulse of the American workplace as it
Methods
relates to employee effectiveness, This survey represents data collected Gensler’s WPI and EXI alongside additional
business performance, and innovation. via an online survey conducted among questions that asked respondents to rate
6,000+ anonymous, panel-based their workspaces and companies across
This report represents the integration respondents representing a broad cross a variety of factors, including innovation,
of our historic workplace surveys with section of demographics, including motivation, choice, and technology, as well
recent insights into the nature of education, age, gender, and geographical as individual patterns of behavior
experience, drawing from the 2017 location. Respondents do not work for and preferences.
Gensler Experience Index. These Gensler and were recruited via a third-
questions, in addition to existing party panel provider. The Gensler Research Institute team
workplace survey questions, allow for employed inferential statistics techniques,
direct comparison with data collected Respondents were required to be full- such as multiple linear regression, bivariate
through past research efforts as well time knowledge workers who work in an correlation, and analysis of variance
as parallel surveys conducted around office some or all of the time, and work for (ANOVA), as well as descriptive statistics,
the globe in the UK, Middle East, Asia, companies with more than 100 employees to derive these findings. For all inferential
Germany, and Latin America. This within 10 designated industry segments. statistical tests, the Institute team utilized
puts our findings in the context of Survey questions included those from a p-value cut-off of 0.005.
fundamental work and life shifts over
that time period.

2005 2006 2008 LEGAL

6%
FINANCE
12%
NOT-FOR-PROFIT
UK WORKPLACE SURVEY U.S. WORKPLACE SURVEY U.S. & UK WORKPLACE SURVEYS 9%
Employees see a clear link between The link is confirmed between the physical Research integrates new questions focused
the physical work environment and work environment and productivity in the on experience to measure effectiveness and MANAGEMENT/ MALE
personal productivity. minds of workers. experience in tandem. ENERGY ADVISORY 32%
7% 11%

INDUSTRY GENDER
CONSUMER GOODS

2012 2013 2016 11% TECHNOLOGY

15%
WPI META ANALYSIS U.S. WORKPLACE SURVEY U.S. WORKPLACE SURVEY
Analysis of client survey data reveals the Focus, balance, and choice in the workplace Findings connect workplace design directly SCIENCES
10% GOVERNMENT/DEFENSE FEMALE
outsized impact of focus effectiveness on emerge as key drivers of satisfaction, to organizational innovation and an MEDIA 10% 68%
overall workplace performance. performance, and innovation. “innovation ecosystem.” 9%

GEN Z DIRECTOR/PARTNER/
ADMINISTRATIVE/ C-SUITE
BOOMER 1%
2016–2019 2017 2019 15%
SUPPORT
20%
8%

GLOBAL WORKPLACE SURVEYS GENSLER EXPERIENCE INDEX U.S. WORKPLACE SURVEY

Surveys conducted in the UK, Asia, Research into the qualities of experience Research integrates new questions focused
Latin America, Germany, and the Middle identifies emotional and behavioral drivers on experience to measure effectiveness and
East build a global database of workplace of experience at work. experience in tandem.
respondents.
GENERATION MILLENNIAL ROLE MANAGER
49% 37%

GEN X
35%
PROFESSIONAL/
TECHNICAL
35%
30 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019 31
 APPENDIX | THE WPIx

Applied Research Tools: the WPIx SM

Bibliography

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(WPIx) is a proprietary, web-enabled
survey tool designed to measure the
performance of an individual workplace
or client portfolio. The tool is used for
both pre- and post-occupancy analysis to
to measure the success of the design
solution. By using a core set of parallel
questions, individual projects can then
be directly benchmarked against the
results of national surveys to put project
work into a context of broader knowledge
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WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE FRAMEWORK

Photo Credits
CULTURE
MISSION & INSPIRATION Cover Connie Zhou
EMPOWERMENT & AWARENESS 2–3 Gensler/Ryan Gobuty
10 Tom Harris
CREATIVITY & INNOVATION 15 Ari Burling
18 Nacasa & Partners
20 Gensler/Heywood Chan
23 Rafael Gamo
25 Andres Garcia Lachner

SPACE INTERACTION
FUNCTIONALITY & EFFECTIVENESS SOCIAL CONNECTION

VARIETY & CHOICE TECHNOLOGY & TOOLS

AESTHETICS AUTONOMY

Team Oversight Analytics Team Editorial Team Design Team Additional Contributors
Diane Hoskins Michelle DeCurtis Tim Pittman Laura Latham Nick Bryan
Janet Pogue Nicholas Watkins Kyle Sellers Minjung Lee Meredith Bucaro
Christine Barber Amrapali Agarwal Stella Donovan
BEHAVIOR
REFLECTION & EXPERIMENTATION

WORKING AWAY FROM THE DESK

WORK MODES
© 2019 Gensler.
The information contained within this document is and shall remain the property of Gensler.
This document may not be reproduced without prior consent from Gensler.
www.gensler.com/research

32 U.S. Workplace Survey 2019

 gensler.com/research

Open environments
should be private, too
Amenities aren’t about
escaping work—
hey’re about optimizing it.
Coworking is a supplement
not a replacement, for a
great workplace experience
A publication of the Gensler Research Institute
The Gensler Research Institute is a collaborative combination of global and local research grants,
network of researchers focused on a common goal: and external partnerships, we seek insights focused
to generate new knowledge and develop a deeper on solving the world’s most pressing challenges.
understanding of the connection between design, We are committed to unlocking new solutions and
business, and the human experience. Through a strategies that will define the future of design.