HIGHLIGHTS
- The physical environment is considered to be a determining factor in the so-called “employee experience”
- The key to the workspace is not that it responds to a fashion, but adjusts coherently and precisely to values, identity, needs and the characteristics of a firm
As masters of imposture and simulation, actors do not need too many elements to situate themselves and perform their work. They are trained to interpret any role with verisimilitude - on an empty stage, in front of a cardboard backdrop or a chroma key on which a storm in the middle of an ocean or explosion in outer space will later be projected. But, for all other professions, the physical environment, in which tasks are carried out, is important in influencing decisively the manner in which the employee performs.
Spaces, arrangements, furnishings, decorations and distribution serve not only as being practical, but also increasingly determining commitment and identification with corporate values. The study, Global Workplace Survey 2025, by Gensler consultants, who interviewed over 16,800 office workers belonging to 10 activity sectors in 15 countries, confirmed that the physical space influences employee well-being, engagement and satisfaction. This confirms a trend that began many years ago, in which the office ceased to be a simple place which people “attended” to carry out their work as just another worker. Under the new vision, where spaces act as mere containers or receptacles of professionals, they are now a fundamental part of content destined, among other functions, to contribute value.
What will I learn from this article?
Workspaces have not developed divorced from the evolution of time and social use. Until the first half of the 20th C., standard architectural design of single-home dwellings was expressed on the basis of long hallways from which different rooms were accessed. With time, these corridors came to be considered as an unnecessary waste of space and open-plan solutions were found with a more concentrated distribution, in part because housing began to be smaller and needed to optimize square meters.
In parallel, classical offices began to be oriented differently. Individual workspaces and cubicles separating workers by departments or professional category, like independent silos, gave way to large open spaces which professionals occupied together and interacted more organically and naturally. Today, the physical environment is considered to be a determining factor in the so-called “employee experience”, i.e. the set of experiences professionals undergo during their relationship with their employer.
In his book, Employer Experience Advantage, Jacob Morgan quantifies this distribution of space as being worth at least 30% of the “employee experience”. Why such importance? According to the author, because all of us like working in an environment that infuses us with energy and inspiration. This type of space, says Morgan, not only helps us to feel more creative, committed and connected with our work, but acts as a symbol that represents the organization in which we work and reaffirms our decision to work there.
The physical environment is considered to be a determining factor in the so-called “employee experience.”
The debate about spaces became more important several years ago, when the large tech companies began to use them as part of their employer branding strategies and presented them to the world in marketing campaigns. From one day to the next, it seemed that no company, with a minimum of aspiration to impact its market, could do so without having gigantic transparent floors locating its workforce and games rooms alongside to facilitate a relaxing atmosphere for the staff. The proliferation of these open spaces became the epitome of the modern office, promoting collaboration and favoring employee integration – and it became almost obsessive.
Some studies, however, also warned of its potential negative effects. Gary Evans and Dana Johnson, organizational psychologists from Cornell University in the US, concluded that open offices were much noisier, causing interruptions to work, poor concentration, and higher stress levels among workers. Such designs, thus, can be excellent for some companies, but not for others. The key to the workspace is not that it responds to a fashion, but that it adjusts coherently and precisely to values, identity, needs and the characteristics of a certain firm. The headquarters of a cabinet of lawyers specialized in civil and commercial law does not need to have the same kind of office as a new tech startup, and the latter does not need that of an architectural studio or digital newspaper.
The key to the workspace is not that it responds to a fashion, but that it adjusts coherently and precisely to values, identity, needs and the characteristics of a certain firm.
With COVID-19, concepts of hygiene, and health and safety, became much more important in the conception and habits of offices. Aspects which before weren’t taken so much into consideration – such as occupation levels, movement of people, natural light, ventilation, fresh air spaces, sustainability and flexibility - gained protagonism.
Flexible physical environments with a variety of spaces improve both individual and collective work, with workers becoming 2.5 times as productive.
Elements related to work furniture were improved, with ergonomic tables and chairs adjustable for height and angle, mobile features such as projector screens for meetings and video conferences, and free work places equipped with plug&play, flexible alternatives in a workspace now not owned by anyone, but shared and adapted according to needs. And the latest trends confirm that the key is now flexibility.
An office is a place where diverse tasks and kinds of interaction can be realized: individual work, physical or virtual collaboration, socialization, learning, etc. And each of these alternatives requires adequate spaces for their execution. Among the main discoveries of the study, Global Workplace Survey 2025, its authors concluded that flexible physical environments with a variety of spaces improve both individual and collective work, with workers becoming 2.5 times as productive and up to three times more likely to remain with the company. In any case, if the habit fits the monk, the monastery will also prosper. Because for those of us who are not actors, we need our stage to appear real in order truly to immerse ourselves in the role.
Ramón Oliver is a journalist specialising in employment, economics and sustainability, topics he has covered for outlets such as El País, El Economista, OK Diario and Capital Humano. He currently contributes to Vozpópuli, La Vanguardia and Ethic Magazine, and is the editor of the specialist website MetaEmpleo.