Survey: The office still plays an important role for companies
Companies continue to see the office as an important part of their operations, according to Technopolis' annual customer survey. Location remains the most important factor when it comes to the working environment. The biggest challenge companies face is attracting and retaining skilled employees.
On average, survey respondents rated the importance of office space for their corporate culture and business as 4.0 on a scale of 1 to 5. A total of 924 Technopolis customers took part in the survey in 2024.
“The role of office space continues to spark lively debate, but our survey shows that companies see it as meaningful for their corporate culture and business. For office space to truly support a company, it must meet the needs of both the organization and its employees, while also adapting to modern ways of working,” says Niko Pulli, CEO of Technopolis.
Customer satisfaction with Technopolis has also remained high, with an overall score of 4.2 out of 5 for the fifth year in a row. The result is based on more than 20 individual group-level KPIs.
Technopolis’ customer satisfaction survey runs throughout the year and is sent to decision-makers and practical contact persons at rental customers. Technopolis has a total of 14 campuses in four countries, with 1,200 customer companies. The survey is conducted by Innolink on behalf of Technopolis.
The location of the office is (still) a key factor for companies
According to the survey, the most important factor related to the working environment is the office location, chosen by more than one-third (35%) of respondents.
“In our surveys, location has been the key factor influencing the working environment for several years. The office location is rarely ideal for everyone, as many employees prefer to be closer to home. In that sense, location is essentially about accessibility. There must be well-functioning transport links to the office for everyone – whether they’re using a car, public transport, or a bicycle,” says Pulli.
More than one-fifth (22%) of respondents said the most important factor was that the office space meets the company’s needs.
“Today, companies need to pay more attention to the needs of employees to make the office both functional and appealing. When the office suits employees’ needs, it supports efficiency, well-being, and makes the office a more attractive place to be,” explains Jaana von Bell, Concept Manager at Technopolis.
Challenges include finding talent and dealing with constant change
When it comes to the challenges companies face, 22% of decision-makers said that attracting and retaining skilled employees is the biggest challenge for their company. A nearly equal share (19%) chose unpredictable changes in the global or local operating environment as their biggest challenge.
“Attracting and retaining employees remains one of the biggest challenges for many companies. One way to address this is through user-oriented space planning, as a comfortable working environment that meets employees’ needs plays a key role in attracting and keeping talent. It’s important for us to understand our customers, which is why we use this ongoing survey to learn about the challenges they face in their everyday work,” states Pulli.