The State of the American Workplace

The importance of the American workplace has gained increasing traction and relevance with companies. Understanding and supporting environments that help support and foster creative thinking for employees has shown to be a great return on investment for companies. This paper argues that the traditional workplace stifles creativity, while flexible and more modern workplace designs promote innovation, as recent research and surveys show.

Traditional Workplace Critique

The traditional workplace faces three main issues: a lack of flexibility, inadequate collaboration spaces, and heightened stress and disengagement. A rigid workplace that cannot adapt and support a company’s needs stifles creativity. For example, the traditional cubicles isolate workers, and when teamwork is necessary, cubicles do not support this. Jennifer Swanberg discusses how many organizations continue to operate under outdated assumptions about the labor force. These assumptions fail to meet the demands of the contemporary workforce, resulting in increased dissatisfaction and ultimately, employees leaving to seek environments that align better with their preferences (Swanberg, 2010, p. 3).

The isolation created by cubicles hinders collaboration among employees. Adaptive environments that promote collaboration while also allowing for heads-down work have proven to be more effective. Workplaces that fail to encourage creativity, flexibility, and collaboration negatively impact employees' mental well-being. By 1998, over 40 million employees in North America worked in cubicles; although the original intent was to liberate workers, the focus shifted towards maximizing the company’s floor plans for cost-effectiveness (Gillen, 2019). Many offices still employ cubicles, illustrating a disregard for their current labor force.

Key Insights from Gensler U.S. Workplace Surveys

Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with over 57 locations worldwide. Their mission is to harness and share the power of design to help create a better world (Gensler, n.d.). This section references the U.S. Workplace Surveys from 2022, 2023, and 2024. The data from 2022 highlighted trends emerging post-pandemic. It was fascinating to see how rapidly in-person work increased by 2022, alongside a significant rise in learning and socializing. This growth supports the effectiveness of collaborative workplaces and in-person social spaces. This information is valuable for anyone intending to launch a new business venture; even if the start is small and conservative, creating intentional social and in-person events can be effective as the team scales (Gensler, 2022).

The data from the 2023 survey revealed trends indicating that companies are increasingly adopting a flexible hybrid work style. While nearly half of the individuals surveyed spent their time in the office, the time spent working from other locations and home accounted for the other half. What was striking was the gap of approximately 15%, reflecting the additional time employees reported needing in the office that was not happening. It is intriguing to consider why this is the case, whether it is because the office lacks a supportive and collaborative environment or due to external factors such as parenting young children and maintaining a work-life balance. Gensler discusses how various life factors influence how employees structure their days in the office (Gensler, 2023).

The survey data from 2024 illustrated the strong connection between workplace design and performance. Many countries worldwide are shifting their focus to creating an effective and impressive workplace experience for their employees, whether in the office or working remotely. This survey introduced new performance metrics to track, helping companies understand the effectiveness of their spaces. These metrics include WPI and EXI. WPI measures workplace performance effectiveness, while EXI assesses the workplace experience. When the experience was high, the WPI was even higher, averaging anywhere from six to one point greater. One can imagine how much that would increase if the workplace atmosphere were improved further (Gensler, 2024).

Reflection

My past experience with work environments has ranged from sitting on an ATV on the beach to working in a corporate setting within a small cubicle. The best workplaces have been those with large windows, open areas, good airflow, and tall ceilings. In my experience, a workplace that meets these criteria but lacks good coworkers can be rendered irrelevant. Having a collaborative and supportive team is essential for fostering a positive work environment. A beautiful workplace cannot compensate for a poor team. It was disappointing to see that this aspect was overlooked in the surveys and readings.

An excellent example of a work environment is Duolingo. Although the company has several locations worldwide, its headquarters is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company employs a transparent working style, meaning that all employees sit together in an open space. Throughout the area, there are numerous tables, suitable technology, high ceilings, and large windows that allow for natural light (Duolingo, 2022).

Duolingo also offers themed conference rooms for a quieter meeting or working area. Additional employee amenities include a fully equipped gym, storage for commuters who bike or scooter, a massage room, daily chef-prepared lunches, unlimited snacks and beverages, a mother's room, a game room, and comfortable, relaxing areas. It goes beyond survey findings by striving to anticipate everything an employee might need to enhance their workday, including the ability for employees to bring their pets (Duolingo, 2022).

Conclusion

In short, the workplace environment can easily be overlooked; however, when intentionally planned, it can greatly increase productivity and collaboration for companies. Having a firm understanding of why the traditional workplace does not foster creativity or collaboration is vital. Learning about the trends and what research indicates about workplaces in America is also important. Everyone has past experiences with workplaces that were less than ideal. As a future business owner, it is critical to learn from others’ mistakes, ensuring that your investment in the best possible work environment will always be worth it.

References

Duolingo. (2022, August 26). Life at Duolingo: an office tour!. YouTube.

Gensler. (n.d.). Creating a Better World through the power of design. Gensler.

Gensler. (2022, December 6). U.S. Workplace Survey 2022. Gensler.

Gensler. (2023). Global Workplace Survey Comparison 2023. Gensler.

Gensler. (2024). Global Workplace Survey 2024. Gensler.

Gillen, N. (2019). Future Office. RIBA Publishing.

Swanberg, J. (2010). The workplace think tank powered by University of Kentucky. Institute for Workplace Innovation.