A high-performing workplace is no longer solely defined by building efficiency or space effectiveness; it is also measured by the workplace experience – or, how employees feel in the space, according to Gensler, a global design and architecture firm headquartered in California, US.

The Gensler Research Institute recently announced the findings from its Global Workplace Survey 2024, offering fresh insights into the future of the work space. The comprehensive global study shifts the focus from employee presence in the office to workplace performance. 

The survey, Gensler’s most extensive study yet, gathered insights from more than 16,000 global office workers, uncovering the strategies that define today’s top-performing work environments.

According to the report, 94 per cent of employees in exceptional workplaces have a choice in where they work within the office, granting them the autonomy to work across multiple settings and promoting a higher sense of value and engagement.

For the first time, the new survey goes beyond office walls to reveal how exceptional workplaces perform as part of a broader ecosystem of spaces and experiences. These top-performing workplaces – often located in amenity-rich neighbourhoods – are part of a wider environment that includes diverse spaces such as libraries, cafes, outdoor areas, and coworking spaces.

With less than a third of global workplaces having been redesigned in the last three years, there’s a pressing need for organisations to intentionally rethink office spaces to boost company culture and drive business growth, says Gensler.

“It’s time to redefine workplaces for the next evolution of work. Organisations and leaders need to shift their thinking beyond just returning to the office and instead focus on the opportunity to design high-performing spaces for people to work at their best,” says Janet Pogue McLaurin, Global Director of Workplace Research at Gensler. “A great workplace must not only be a tool to get work done effectively but be intentionally designed for human emotion – creating exceptional experiences that support new ways of working both inside and out of the office.”

The most engaged workers value the workplace for the learning, networking and socialising opportunities it offers – the most engaged spend just 36 per cent of their time working alone, compared to 44 per cent of time for the least engaged, according to the study.

At the individual level, the most engaged employees prioritise socialising and learning, while strong teams seek in-office connections, and innovative companies thrive on collaboration, both in-person and out of the office.

Building quality had a direct relationship to workplace quality. High-performance workplaces have access to 2.6 times as many amenity spaces on-site and 1.6 times as many amenities and services in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Higher-quality buildings are more likely to be in amenity-rich neighbourhoods that enhance workplace performance and experience, underscoring the importance of strategic location and design.

There is a direct, positive link between top performers at all scales and working in a high-performing workplace, Gensler states.

As many as 96 per cent of employees in high-performing workplaces say they have control over how they manage their time at work, compared to just over half of those in low-performing workplaces.

99 per cent of employees at the most innovative companies say that they would recommend their organisation as a great place to work, compared to just 37 per cent in the least innovative.

97 per cent of the most engaged employees say they are likely to stay with their company next year, compared to just 53 per cent of the least engaged.

The Gensler Research Institute conducted the anonymous, panel-based survey of over 16,000 full-time global office workers across 15 countries including US, Mexico, Canada, UK, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Respondents were distributed across 10 client industries and represented a broad cross-section of company sizes, roles, ages, and geographies. The survey was fielded between Oct 31, 2023, and Jan 29, 2024. Respondents excluded full-time remote workers.

Gensler says its work challenges conventional ideas about architecture and the built environment. “We aren’t just designing buildings – we are reimagining cities and places that make a difference in people’s lives,” says a spokesman for the company.