The most important features of a workspace in 2022 revealed

What matters most to businesses when looking for a new workspace?

This is a BIG question. It always has been. After all, the commercial real estate sector is shaped by the demands of those renting the buildings (or spaces within them), so landlords must be acutely aware of how businesses’ expectations change.

As has become rather obvious, the pandemic has certainly forced landlords to revisit this question. The rise of remote working, followed now by a shift to hybrid models among most employers, means the core components that make up an “attractive workspace” today are quite different from the pre-Covid era.

Landlords and business leaders must be in tune with one another. On the one hand, landlords must ensure they have the facilities, functionality, branding, design and technology in place to appeal to the business leaders, who themselves must seek out exceptional workspaces to appeal to their employees.

Getting staff back into the office

Whether full-time, part-time or on a purely ad hoc basis, employers around the world are experiencing challenges as they try to lure staff back into “the office”. After two years of remote working, many people have grown accustomed to the flexibility it affords them, not to mention the time and money they can save by not commuting.

For example, a recent European study found that the majority (67%) of UK office workers are reluctant to return to the office post-Covid. Most (78%) employees would like a workspace within ten minutes of their home, while 93% want to see improvements to their organisation’s workplace.

So, if employees are to once again brave the commute, the experience has to be worthwhile. Landlords, business leaders and employees alike are looking for the exceptional. 

The features that matter most

What does “the exceptional” look like? For landlords, they might be feeling lost in trying to navigate the task of creating an outstanding workspace.

Fear not: we have some great insights to share with you. In a recent blog, we revealed that we had commissioned an independent study among 200 UK office landlords. As part of this research, we asked them which features were most important in attracting tenants – and we can now unveil the results. 

Three in five (60%) landlords said having meeting rooms on site was either ‘very important’ or ‘somewhat important’, making it the most commonly selected option. This was followed by breakout areas (59%) and outdoor spaces (58%), such as a terrace, garden or balcony.

Having networking events and barista coffee in the building (both 54%), and a workspace app (53%) were seen by office landlords as the next most important features for winning tenants.  

Further down the list, having a gym (51%), bike lockers (50%), and shower and changing facilities (43%) were less frequently selected but still seen as important among many landlords. 

Here’s the full list: 

1. Meeting rooms (60% of landlords said this ‘very important’ or somewhat important’ in attracting tenants to a workspace)
2. Breakout areas and collaborate spaces (59%)
3. Outdoor space, such as a garden, terrace or balcony (58%)
4. In-house food or café (56%)
5. Networking events (54%)
6. Barista coffee (54%)
7. A workspace app (53%)
8. Flexible fit-out & furniture (53%)
9. Hotdesking (52%)
10. Gym (51%)
11. Self-catering facilities (50%)
12. Bike lockers (50%)
13. Bar or drinks (48%)
14. Showering and changing facilities (43%)

So, what now?

This insight, direct from those renting out workspaces to businesses, is hugely valuable. Landlords can immediately see just how important many of these features are if they are to create appealing solutions for tenants.

Of course, transforming this insight into a concrete plan of action is another matter entirely. But again, we can help.

While some landlords might consider handing the keys to their buildings over to a workspace operator – a reasonable decision for some – there is another way. The infinitSpace way. 

We work closely with office landlords to guide them through the process, ensuring that we do all the “heavy lifting” along the way. Whether an entire building or just certain floors within it, we will convert traditional offices into modern, flexible and innovative spaces. We take care of the fit-out, layout, design and functionality – but, importantly, we work with the landlord to create a brand for that space, one which will resonate with their tenants. Just check out the new workspace we have delivered in London: beyond Aldgate Tower.

But infinitSpace is so much more than just a build and design company. We are a trusted flexible workspace provider working on behalf of landlords to help manage their spaces day in, day out. On top of the daily operational management, we also take care of the sales and marketing to match tenants with their dream workspaces. 

We are on a mission to make flexible workspace easy for landlords, without them having to relinquish control over their buildings. And in line with our research, we will ensure the workspaces contain all the key features and functions that are so important to attracting tenants in 2022 and beyond.

If you want to speak to us about our brand-new landlord research or to find out how we enable landlords to future-proof their office buildings, get in touch today.