The top 10 office amenities workers look for when applying for a job

Flexible office specialist Workthere, recently surveyed 1,000 UK office workers to determine what office amenities they look for when applying for a job and found that it is parking that comes out on top, followed closely by catering, free coffee, gym facilities and pet-friendly spaces.

The 10 office amenities UK workers look for when applying for a job:

1. Parking- 32%
2. Catering facilities- 31%
3. Free coffee- 24%
4. Outside space- 24%
5. On-site gym- 22%
6. Office furniture- 22%
7. Green space- 21%
8. Relaxation spaces- 20%
9. Pet-friendly office- 18%
10. Security- 18%

After parking, which ranked top accounting for 32% of responses, catering facilities came a close second, with over a third (31%) of employees saying that a food offering within the office would sway them to take a job. On analysing the data further, Workthere found that 47% of office workers in the South West want parking facilities as an amenity when applying for a new role, compared to 25% of people in Scotland, while catering facilities are more important to employees in the north than those in the south.

Research has revealed that 60% of UK employees prefer working in a hybrid role. Despite spending less time in the office, it seems enticing office amenities are still important to the British workforce and could impact where people apply for, or even accept a job.

It is interesting to see that wellness has ranked higher than social office amenities such as community events and pool tables, with UK workers preferring relaxation spaces, outside space and good natural light when applying for a job.

29% of Brits said that they would want relaxation spaces in an office, but only 19% currently have these types of spaces in their workplace.

Workthere’s data also shows that there is a clear distinction between fun office perks and those amenities that staff need to work more effectively and efficiently. For example, 13% of people surveyed said they would want a pool table, table tennis or air hockey in the workplace, whereas 17% would like mental health support in the office.

The five office amenities least likely to impact when applying for a new job:

1. Auditorium space- 7%
2. Concierge service- 7%
3. Phone booths- 8%
4. Community events- 9%
5. Pool table- 13%

Jack Williamson, Head of Workthere UK, comments:

“These results provide an interesting insight into the amenities that are important to office workers in the UK. Whilst there are many other factors that will influence the attraction and retention of talent, it is clear that amenities also play a key role and could, in some instances, be a deciding factor."

“Given the focus around sustainability, it is interesting to see car parking coming out on top, and this could be something that we may see change in importance as we move forward. The focus on wellbeing will continue to grow with individuals and businesses recognising the huge role that this plays in the work/ life balance. Looking ahead, it is vital that flexible office provides factor this in and continue to listen to the wants and needs of their customers in order to remain relevant and agile.”

For more information about the research, visit: Search Flexible Office & Co-Working Space Worldwide | Workthere