A blog from Steelcase – Workspace: what people need and expect now

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Steelcase has conducted 12+ global studies with over 57,000 employees and business leaders to understand the impact it’s had on how and where people and organisations will work in the future.

The latest quantitative study, conducted in 11 countries with 4,986 participants, was designed to measure the current mindset of office workers and their expectations.

From this research we have gained an understanding about what people need and what they expect now following a shift in working patterns.

Simply categorised, we know people want five key things:

  1. ‘Belonging’ a sense of community, trust and shared purpose
  2. ‘Control’ more choice and control over where and when they work
  3. ‘Productivity’ support in-office and remote workers more equally to focus, collaborate and build relationships
  4. ‘Comfort’ places to rejuvenate and support wellbeing
  5. ‘Safety’ to feel physically and psychologically safe

When building a workspace focused on community, it needs to be equitable and inclusive for all participants. It needs to harness engagement by designing settings for a range of experiences that help people participate fully.

A workspace needs to be easy, designing intuitive physical experiences that are effortless to navigate and control. 

This research continues to reinforce people’s needs and helps pinpoint actions organisations can take to leverage their office.

Are you looking to refresh your workspace in 2023? If you’d like to chat through, please get in touch.

 

Steelcase Research and Insights: new workplace research, insights and inspiration about work, workers and the places where work happens: www.steelcase.com/research