Business leaders spend considerable time thinking about how to attract talented people, build strong teams, and create an environment where employees can do their best work.
The physical workplace plays a role in all three.
As companies evaluate how much office space they need, where it should be located, and what they're willing to spend, another question is worth asking: What makes an office not just a retention strategy, but an experience worth remembering?
The answer goes beyond square footage, rental rates, and the number of conference rooms.
It includes the everyday experience of being there.
Someone on my team recently shared a memory of visiting her father's corporate office as a teenager. She remembered the coffee shop, the cafeteria, the people, and the energy throughout the building. More than two decades later, she could still describe the impression it made.
She wasn't evaluating the building's economics or its efficiency. She was experiencing the workplace, and that experience stayed with her.
It's a simple example, but an important one. The places where we work leave an impression, and that impression becomes part of how we view the organizations behind them.
The Gensler Research Institute's 2025 Global Workplace Survey, which included 16,809 full-time office workers across 15 countries, offers an interesting perspective on what employees want from their workplace.
Only 14% preferred a traditional corporate workplace experience. Forty percent prioritized natural light and operable windows, while 36% preferred workplaces enhanced with greenery.
Another finding deserves attention.
According to Gensler's research, 90% of employees who liked their workspace said they were proud to work for their company, compared with 47% among those who felt disconnected from their environment.
That difference is significant.
It doesn't mean a better office automatically creates a stronger culture or more committed employees. But it does suggest that the workplace experience and how people feel about their employer are closely connected.
The 2026 Global Workplace Survey builds on those findings. In a related analysis of what workers hope for in their future workplace, Gensler found that 46% wanted physical and mental wellness amenities, while 43% wanted outdoor areas and access to nature.
Employees are telling us something about the environments they value.
Natural light. Comfortable places to gather. Outdoor spaces. Opportunities to connect with colleagues. Areas where they can focus without constant interruption.
These aren't necessarily extravagant features. In many cases, they're practical elements that improve the experience of being at work.
We've even encountered situations where employees weren't permitted to open their window shades during the workday.
Think about that for a moment. Research tells us that natural light is something employees value, yet something as simple as opening the shades can be restricted.
Sometimes, improving the workplace experience begins with understanding the small things that affect people every day.
Amenities can be an important part of an office building's appeal, but more isn't necessarily better.
A rooftop terrace may photograph beautifully, but will employees use it? A fitness center might be attractive, but does it offer something the workforce actually wants? Is there a comfortable place for employees to have lunch, take a break, or connect with colleagues?
Those questions matter because different organizations use their offices differently.
A company with teams that collaborate throughout the day may benefit from inviting common areas and flexible meeting spaces. Another may place greater value on quiet work areas, convenient parking or proximity to where employees live.
Even within the same company, employees may have very different needs.
The objective isn't to secure the building with the longest list of amenities. It's to understand what your people need, how they use the office and which features will make a real difference in their day-to-day experience.
The value of an amenity isn't in how impressive it looks. It's in what it actually does for the people using it.
A company's workplace communicates something about the organization before anyone says a word.
Employees notice how a space feels. Clients notice the environment when they visit. Prospective employees form impressions when they walk through the door.
And those impressions aren't necessarily shaped by expensive finishes or elaborate amenities.
Sometimes, it's the atmosphere. The way people interact. Whether the environment feels welcoming. Whether employees have places to gather, work comfortably and take a break during the day.
An office can be beautifully designed and still fall short of what its employees need.
It can also be relatively simple and work exceptionally well.
The difference comes down to understanding how people actually use the space.
Gensler's 2026 workplace research found that two-thirds of surveyed employees reported making adjustments to their workspaces to compensate for shortcomings in their environments. These included changes to improve ergonomics, temperature, and privacy.
That's a useful reminder that the workplace experience isn't just about amenities. It's also about whether the space functions the way employees need it to.
A beautiful lobby doesn't solve a shortage of meeting rooms. An impressive outdoor area doesn't compensate for a workspace where employees struggle to concentrate.
The fundamentals still matter.
When a business evaluates a new office or considers renewing its existing lease, there are important financial questions to answer.
What will the space cost? Does the location make sense? Is there enough room for the company to operate efficiently? What flexibility will the business have as its needs change?
Those questions are essential.
But I would encourage business leaders to ask a few more.
What do employees appreciate about the current workplace? What frustrates them? Which spaces are used most often? Are there amenities that would genuinely improve their workday? And what does the company need its office to do better over the next several years?
What my team or brokers and advisors at Keyser Commercial Real Estate can tell you first hand is that the answers may influence everything from building selection and space planning to lease negotiations.
They may also reveal opportunities that don't require relocating at all.
Sometimes the right decision is finding a different building. Sometimes it's improving the space you already have. And sometimes it's recognizing that an amenity that looks attractive on paper won't provide enough value to justify its cost.
The important thing is to make those decisions with a clear understanding of both the financial commitment and the people who will live with the results.
I think back to the story our team member shared about visiting her father's office.
What stayed with her wasn't the size of the building or the quality of its finishes. It was the experience of being there.
The people. The atmosphere. The feeling that this was somewhere she might want to work someday.
That's something worth considering when we think about the future of the office.
The goal isn't to create a workplace that impresses people for a few minutes during a tour. It's to create one that works for the people who spend their days there.
That means making thoughtful decisions about location, layout, amenities, comfort and cost. It means listening to employees and understanding what they need to do their best work.
And it means recognizing that the workplace is both a financial investment and a daily experience.
An office worth coming to isn't necessarily the one with the most amenities. It's the one that gives people good reasons to be there.