Gensler WPS ExecSummary

7/28/2019 Gensler WPS ExecSummary

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Genslers 2013 U.S. Workplace Survey represents responses from 2,035randomly sampled knowledge workers nationwide. The study examines thdesign factors that create an effective workplace; how design can bettersupport knowledge worker engagement, satisfaction, and performance;and the influence of the workplace on organizational culture. The U.S.workorce is struggling to work eectively, ostering dissatisaction

and stiling creativity and innovation. Our research directly comparestoday's workplace with the workplace of 2008 and identifies designstrategies for how organizations can jump the trend and use betterworkplace design to drive innovation, improve performance, and increasesatisfaction in the context of 2013 working realities.


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orces from technology to globalization to a new generation of

workers are leading fundamental changes to where, how, and when

odays knowledge workers perform their jobs. The confluence of

hese forces is resulting in new performance drivers for todays

workplace and a series of new and exciting questions about what

he workplace isand more importantlywhat it should be.

Gensler's 2013 survey represents the most recent iteration

ongoing research on the connection between workplace

esign and perormance. Our last survey took place in 2008,

ust prior to the worst economic downturn since the Great

Depression with a U.S. unemployment rate of 5.7. We stood

t the cusp of a technological revolution of communication and

nformationsharing. Twitter had just launched and Facebook

ad less than 100 million users. The iPhone hadnt celebrated

ts first birthday and the Millennials now entering offices

cross the U.S. were celebrating their Sweet Sixteens.

t goes without saying, the world in 2013 is a different place.

echnological innovation has revolutionized how we create,

hare and communicate. Today's world is connected like never

efore, but new connections mean new distractions and for many

compromised ability to focus. Globalization and urbanization

ontinue to shift the business landscape. Seventyfive percent of

he world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050 and

ver fourfifths of Americans live in cities today. Urban areas are

ncreasingly understood as drivers of economic growth, culture and

nnovation, resulting in new demands and constraints on space.

een in 2013, workplace performance exists not only in conjunctionwith business success but with the character, form and success of

ur cities. We increasingly see the workplace not as the sole location

or work, but as the vital connection among myriad locations in

which work happens. From desks and meeting rooms to co-work

paces, airports and hotels, today's knowledge work happens

ot just at the scale o people and oices, but at the scale o

uildings, cities and ultimately the globe. It is in this context that

we continue to explore questions of focus, balance and choice in

oday's, and tomorrow's, highperformance work environments.

KEY FINDINGS

ONE

U.S. WORKERS ARESTRUGGLING TO

WORK EFFECTIVELY.A CONFLUENCE OF FACTORSFROMECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO LONGER

WORKDAYSARE COMPROMISING

THE ABILITY TO GET WORK DONE.

TWO

EFFECTIVEWORKPLACES

BALANCE FOCUS ANDCOLLABORATION.WORKPLACES DESIGNED TO ENABLE

COLLABORATION WITHOUT

SACRIFICING EMPLOYEES' ABILITY TO

FOCUS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL.

THREE

CHOICE DRIVESPERFORMANCE ANDINNOVATION.EMPLOYERS WHO PROVIDE A SPECTRUM

OF CHOICES FOR WHEN AND WHERE TO

WORK ARE SEEN AS MORE INNOVATIVE AND

HAVE HIGHER-PERFORMING EMPLOYEES.

NTRODUCTION

2005 2006 20082007 2009 2010 20122011 2013

GENSLER'S WORKPLACE RESEARCH TIMELINE

WorkplacePerformanceIndex developed

WPI growth andrefinement: newmodules added,8 languages,11 industries,trademarked

WorkplacePerformanceIndex hits

100,000respondents

New U.S.WorkplaceSurvey

U.S. + U.K.WorkplaceSurvey

U.S. WorkplaceSurvey

U.K. WorkplaceSurvey

2013 U.S.

WORKPLACESURVEY


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Gensler's 2008 Workplace Survey established four workmodes that serve as a lens to understand today's knowledgeworkplace. By understanding employees' work as timepent focusing, collaborating, learning,and socializing,ompanies can better support the myriad drivers of

uccess in today's knowledge economy. Companieshat value and support all our work modes are higher-perorming and have more satisied, eective employees.

Gensler created the Workplace Performance Index(WPI) to help clients understand specifically whatcomprises space effectiveness in their workplaces sothat design solutions can be highly targeted. The WPIis a webenabled pre and postoccupancy evaluation

tool that measures the effectiveness of work space.

In 2012, Genslers WPI database surpassed 100,000respondents representing some of the most admiredcompanies in the world. The scope of the databaseallows for ongoing analysis that has illuminated thedeclining effectiveness of workplaces to support focuswork. These analyses led to the key goals of Genslers2013 U.S. Workplace Survey: to better understand theimportance o ocus in the workplace and how bestto support that activity, and to understand how workand the workplace have changed in recent years.

THE FOUR WORK MODES THE WORKPLACEPERFORMANCE INDEX

SOCIALIZEWORK INTERACTIONS THAT CREATECOMMON BONDS AND VALUES,COLLECTIVE IDENTITY, COLLEGIALITY,AND PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS

LEARNWORKING TO ACQUIRENEW KNOWLEDGE OF ASUBJECT OR SKILL THROUGH

EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE

COLLABORATEWORKING WITH ANOTHER PERSONOR GROUP TO ACHIEVE A GOAL

FOCUSWORK INVOLVINGCONCENTRATION

AND ATTENTIONTO A PARTICULARTASK OR PROJECT

HE FOUR WORK MODES


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KEY FINDING ONE

U.S. WORKERS ARESTRUGGLING TO WORKEFFECTIVELY.EXTENDED WORK DAYS, NEW DISTRACTIONS AND DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON REAL ESTATE COSTSARE COMPROMISING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE U.S. WORKPLACE. STRATEGIES IN PURSUIT OFCOLLABORATION OPEN WORKPLACES, LOW- OR NO-PANEL DESKS PROVED INEFFECTIVE IF THEABILITY TO FOCUS WAS NOT ALSO CONSIDERED. WHEN FOCUS IS COMPROMISED IN PURSUIT OFCOLLABORATION, NEITHER WORKS WELL.

Overall workplace performance has dropped 6 as measuredy aggregate WPI scores for Gensler's 2008 and 2013 surveyespondents. The overall decrease in the effectiveness ofocus work as ranked by employees drove this decline.urvey results show focus as a key effectiveness driverhose who can focus are more satisfied, higher performing,nd see their companies as more innovative (Figure 1).

Interestingly, this pairs with a shift in how employees repospending their time: Despite many workplaces designedexpressly to support collaboration, time spent collaboratinhas decreased by 20, while time spent focusing hasincreased by 13 (Figure 2). This may be attributed tolonger work days overall. Declining focus effectiveness maalso result in longer hours required to complete tasks.

+57%

+88%

+42%

+31%

+14%

+31%

Figure 1Employees WhoCan Focus are MoreEfective, Higher-

Perorming Overall

Percentage improvementbetween respondents

who report high focus

effectiveness and those whoreport low effectiveness.

LEARNINGEFFECTIVENESS

SOCIALIZINGEFFECTIVENESS

JOBSATISFACTION

COLLABORATIONEFFECTIVENESS

JOBPERFORMANCE

MOREINNOVATIVE

100%

0%

60%

80%

20%

40%

FOCUS

48%

54%

COLLABORATE

30%

24%

LEARN

6% 5%

SOCIALIZE

6%8%

20082013

Figure 2KnowledgeWorkers areFocusing More,Collaborating Less

Represents percentage

of average work week.Time not accounted for

in these percentages

was listed as "other."


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KEY FINDING TWO

EFFECTIVE WORKPLACESBALANCE FOCUS ANDCOLLABORATION.WHILE INDIVIDUAL FOCUS AND COLLABORATIVE WORK ARE OFTEN THOUGHT TO BE OPPOSITES, OURRESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THAT THEY FUNCTION BEST AS COMPLEMENTS. ULTIMATELY, WORKPLACESDESIGNED TO ENABLE COLLABORATION WITHOUT SACRIFICING EMPLOYEES' ABILITY TO FOCUS ARE

MORE SUCCESSFUL.

Not Balanced

Balanced

HAS CREATIVETHINKERS

78%

52%

LEADERSHIPENCOURAGESINNOVATION

74%

46%

ENCOURAGESBREAKTHROUGH

IDEAS

73%

45%

CREATES CLIMATEOF INNOVATION

72%

40%

HAS CLEARSTRATEGY FORINNOVATION

74%

40%

n all, 24 of respondents report that their workplacesommunicate that their companies value both individualnd collaborative work, referred to below as "balanced

workplaces." These employees indicate that their spacesre 21 more effective for focus and 20 more effectiveor collaboration than those in workplaces that do notffectively support both focus and collaborative work.

These respondents also see their companies as 29more innovative and are 36 more satisfied with theirjobs. They are 34 more satisfied with their workplaceenvironments, and their workplaces are 23 moreeffective overall as measured by Genslers WPI (Figure3). These respondents are also more likely to rank theircompanies highly on a number of individual factorscritical to creativity and innovation (Figure 4).

+21% +20%

+29%

+36% +34%

+23%

Figure 3EfectivelyBalancing Focusand Collaboration

Improves Perormance

Figure 4Balanced WorkplacesAre More Creative,More Innovative

Percentage of employees who

rank their company highly.

Percentage improvementbetween balanced and

unbalanced workplaces.

COLLABORATIONEFFECTIVENESS

MOREINNOVATIVE

JOBSATISFACTION

FOCUSEFFECTIVENESS

OVERALLENVIRONMENT

WPISCORE

40%

0%

20%


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mployers who offer choice in when and where to workave workers who are 12 more satisfied with their jobsnd report higher effectiveness scores across all four work

modes (Figure 5). Their employees are more likely to seeheir workplaces as balanced, more likely to rank theirompanies as innovative, and more likely to be satisfied

with their jobs, and are higherperforming (Figure 6).

Employees without choice report organizational policyas the primary limit to their workplace autonomy and arealso less likely to have tools that support mobility and"anywhere" working. Employees with choice are more likelto make decisions based on a need to connect to peopleand resources. Increasing choice doesnt mean everyone isworking from homerespondents with choice still spendthe vast majority (70) of their time in office settings.

KEY FINDING THREE

CHOICE DRIVESPERFORMANCE ANDINNOVATION.ENABLING CHOICE WITH THE RIGHT ALIGNMENT OF TOOLS, POLICIES, AND SPACES IS AN OPPORTUNITYFOR COMPANIES TO CREATE A CLIMATE IN WHICH AUTONOMOUS, ENGAGED EMPLOYEES CAN MAKEMEANINGFUL DECISIONS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR INDIVIDUAL JOB PERFORMANCE. EMPLOYERS WHOPROVIDE A SPECTRUM OF CHOICES FOR WHEN AND WHERE TO WORK ARE SEEN AS MORE INNOVATIV

AND HAVE HIGHER-PERFORMING EMPLOYEES.

Employees Without ChoiceEmployees With Choice

Figure 5EmployeesWith Choice areMore Efective

Figure 6Choice Improvesthe EmployeeExperience

Percentage more likely

to rank workplace highly

for those with choice vs.those without choice

As ranked on a

10-point scale where10="most effective."

FOCUS

EffectivenessCOLLABORATION

EffectivenessLEARNING

EffectivenessSOCIALIZING

Effectiveness

6.0

6.5

7.0

7.5

8.0

INNOVATION JOB

PERFORMANCE

WORKPLACE

SATISFACTION

JOB

SATISFACTION

+7%

+4%

+3%+5%

+15%

+25%

+7%

+20%

30%

0%

20%

10%


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Our research points to a number of spatial and strategic

actions companies can take to design workplaces thatmprove the employee experience, enhance performance,and drive innovation and success.

THE OPPORTUNITY

TEP 1

PROVIDE EFFECTIVEFOCUS SPACE

The effectiveness of focus spacetrongly correlates to myriad

workplace performance factors,riving variables from collaborationffectiveness to satisfaction and

overall workplace performance.ffective workplaces must firstnd foremost provide locations formployees to get heads-down focus

work done. These design solutionsmay vary based on company culture,work processes, and individual worktyles. What must remain constant is

commitment to the importance ofnd providing spaces for focus work.

STEP 2

COLLABORATEWITHOUTSACRIFICING FOCUS

Balanced workplaces driveperformance, both organizational

and individual. Across industries, wefound that workplaces prioritizingboth focus and collaborationnot one at the expense of theotherscore higher on measures ofsatisfaction, innovation, effectiveness,and performance than officesthat prioritized one work modeover another. A workplace withthe optimal mix of settings thatsupport focus work and collaborative

work alongside learning andsocializing will better empoweremployees to thrive in the office.

STEP 3

DRIVE INNOVATIONTHROUGH CHOICE

Employees with choice in whenand where to work rank their own

performances higher, are moresatisfied with their workplaces, ancan focus more effectively. Providiemployees with the tools that allofor choicemobile technology,wireless throughout the office,and access to files/networks fromoutside the officeis the first stepCompanies must then ensure thatemployees are not only able, butempowered to choose the optima

settings for when and where towork and provide a range of spacethat allow employees to leveragechoice for optimal productivity.


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GENDER

Female51.5%

Male48.5%

METHODOLOGY

This survey represents data collected via an online surveyconducted among a random sample of 2,035 respondentsrepresenting a broad cross section of demographics,including education, age, gender, and location. Respondeninclude knowledge workers who work in an office some

or all of the time within ten industry segments. Genslerretained The Futures Company to conduct the survey;Precision Consulting conducted statistical analysis.

Survey questions include those from Genslers WorkplacePerformance Index (WPI), which specifically measures theffectiveness, criticality, and time spent in the workplaceacross four modes of work: focus, collaboration, learning,and socializing. The WPI also benchmarks the performanceof the physical work environment through an evaluationof 28 design factors. In addition to these core questions,which allow for comparisons across Genslers WPI dataset

beginning in 2007, the 2013 survey asks respondents torank their work spaces and companies across a varietyof experiential and performance factors includinginnovation, motivation, choice, and technology, as wellas individual patterns of behavior and preferences.

OFFICE TIME* EDUCATION AGE

CollegeDegree

43%50-74%

14%

75-99%36%

0-49%15%

100%35%

SomeCollege

16%

GraduateDegree

37%

High Schoolor less

4%

455427%

354424%

183426%

55+23%

* Percentage of time spent in officeduring an average work week

www.gensler.com

RESEARCH FOUNDATIONDESIGN + BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

Gensler's 2013 survey represents the most recent iterationof ongoing research on the workplace, which began in 2005with Genslers first workplace survey. A survey in 2006

stablished the connections between workplace design,mployee productivity, and business competitiveness. In

008, our research established a framework for understandingnowledge work through the lens of the four "work modes:"ocus, collaboration, learning, and socializing (see next

page). The effectiveness and support of all four work modesonnect to employee satisfaction and company performance.

Gensler's 2013 U.S. Workplace Survey continues thishread to take the pulse of the American workplace as itelates to employee effectiveness, business performance,nd opportunities to create and advance a culture ofnnovation. Parallel questions allow for direct comparison

with data collected through Gensler's 2008 survey. This

puts our findings in the context of fundamental work andfe shifts over that time period and points to solutions forow to realign today's workplace with today's world.

Survey data represents 2,035 respondents with statistically significant samples from ten indsectors including banking/financial/insurance, consumer products/retail/manufacturing, legal, mentertainment/creative services, consulting/accounting/business services, bio-tech/pharmaceu

government, not-for-profit/associations, energy, and technology/internet/telecommunica
http://gensler.com/http://gensler.com/

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Gensler WPS ExecSummary