Capital One Workplace Survey Closely Links Innovation and Workplace Design

Capital One, the financial tech services company, recently released its 2017 Work Environment Survey. The company asked 2,500 full-time office professionals—500 in each of the five cities where Capital One maintains a major office: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.—about what workplace features were most important to them and if their current office accommodated their preferred workstyle.

Some of the findings validate what most architects and designers think about office design—82% of office professionals believe that companies cannot encourage innovation unless their workplace design and environment are innovative. The surveyors also stated that professionals—especially millennials—want flexible workspaces (no surprise here).  

In asking people what design elements mattered the most in their workplace, the survey found that having elements such as natural light, artwork,  creative imagery and easily reconfigurable furniture and space were most important to employees. Other factors, such as having collaborative spaces, bold colors, and spaces for rest and relaxation were also key.

The survey did have some interesting insights: respondents said they would most like to have on-site health food and beverage options, even if it meant forgoing all other benefits (such as relaxation or social areas, an on-site health center, or quiet spaces). And when considering a new job, nearly two in three office professionals believe that workplace design is equally as important or more important than the workplace location (71 % of Millenials are more likely to believe this than Boomers).

Other important insights were localized—each of the five city markets surveyed had different needs. Here are some other highlights:

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