Saturday, August 18, 2018

Whether it’s their office space or their work schedule, turns out flexibility is the key to happiness for today’s full-time working professionals.

According to the results of Capital One’s 2018 Work Environment Survey, 85 percent of office professionals surveyed believe flexible workplace design is important, with 83 percent claiming to have their best ideas when working in flexible space options. Flexible schedules also prove to be crucial when it comes to attracting and keeping great talent. In fact, 73 percent of workers say a flexible schedule is one of their top two reasons for staying with a company, and the No. 1 thing they expect from their next employer (according to 58 percent).

Other interesting findings from the survey of 3,500 respondents from across the country include:

- Technology is a priority for today’s professionals, with 85 percent reporting that it's important that their next employer be an early adopter of technology, and quick to invest in and implement new tech.

- According to 79 percent of office professionals, companies can't encourage innovation unless their workplace environment is also innovative; 87 percent of executives agree that office design is key to encouraging innovation.

- The most desired design elements for workspaces include: natural light (57 percent), easily reconfigurable furniture and spaces (37 percent), artwork and creative imagery (30 percent), collaborative spaces (30 percent), and a tie (25 percent) for bold colors and spaces for rest and relaxation.

- Offering different kinds of workspaces for employees is crucial, as 80 percent of respondents say they are more productive when they move to a different room or environment while working.

- When considering a new job, two out of three (66 percent) full-time professionals believe that workplace design and environment is equally important or more important than office location. Executive-level employees feel even more strongly about this, with more than three out of four (76 percent) saying workplace design is as, or more, important than location.

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