Human-Centric Office Revisited
A Post-Renovation Review ver.1
Workplace Strategy
CBRE Tokyo HQ
CBRE
As the ways in which people work diversify, the office requires an integrated space and system that connects people while delivering financial benefits. With this in mind, we have renovated our CBRE Tokyo office from 2022 to 2023. In January 2024, our new Human-Centric Office was up and running.
However, ways of working are constantly changing. As such, offices also need to be updated with a certain regularity. That said, in making changes, if we were to only adopt the opinions of a few people who are vocal, or act on rumors among employees, office will diverge rapidly from our original vision. To ensure that our office continues to support the way people work and encourage innovation, it is essential that we regularly gather objective and/or quantitative information and recognize the current state of our workplace.
It was in this context that, nine months after reopening our office, we conducted an evaluation of the new office space utilization, as well as a survey of the employees who work there. This document presents some of the findings.
1. Satisfaction
Office satisfaction
When asked to rate their satisfaction with the office, 84% of employees responded “satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied,” an improvement from the results of the same survey conducted in 2022 (76%), just prior to the start of renovation.
Fig. 1 Results of the satisfaction survey ( % satisfied/somewhat satisfied)
The results of a survey conducted in 2022 revealed that while spaces such as phone booths and internal conference rooms were seen as extremely important, satisfaction with their performance at that time was low. In response to these survey results, the current renovation included increasing the number of phone booths and internal meeting rooms and adding slightly larger spaces. As a result, the satisfaction rate for both spaces has recently exceeded 80%.
Fig. 2 Importance and satisfaction with phone booths and meeting rooms
Fig. 3 An office environment that takes diversity into consideration
Our prior office had a low level of performance from a diversity point of view, with only 21% of respondents saying they were satisfied. However, in our latest survey after the renovation, we found that employees in all categories were highly satisfied with the new office. This can be attributed to the addition of focus areas as well as collaboration spaces, automatic doors, height-adjustable desks, and spaces with relaxing music and a nap room. Of course, we continue to encourage hybrid work and flex-time that allow employees to work according to their own preferences and circumstances.
86% of employees said they would not want to return to their office environment before the renovation, clearly indicating that the renovation has improved the office environment.
Fig. 4 Satisfaction by diversity group
Fig. 5 Assuming it is possible, would you like to return to either of the past work environments before the 2024 renovation?
2. Global Vision
The relationship between vision and engagement
In June of this year, CBRE conducted a survey of office workers across Japan in collaboration with Nikkei. The results of the survey revealed that an office that embodies management’s vision for the company is one of the most important factors in enhancing employee engagement. In the CBRE employee survey, 86% of employees said that the new office contributes to the actualization of CBRE's global business vision, suggesting that the new office should help to further raise employee engagement.
Fig. 6 Do you think the new office contributes to the actualization of CBRE's Global Vision?
CBRE’s Global Vision
Create the real estate solutions of tomorrow, so businesses and people thrive
3. Office Utilization & Vibrancy
Office atmosphere
CBRE does not have any mandates requiring employees to come to the office for a certain number of days. Despite this, on average, about 70% of employees come to work in the office. It can be said that the new office is attracting employees and creating vibrancy and energy in the office. Indeed, 81% of employees say their new office has “an energetic atmosphere that encourages social interactions and relationship building.”
Fig. 7 Daily Show Up Rate
Fig. 8 Do you feel the new office has a more energetic and positive vibe, with colleagues connecting effectively and encouraging social interactions and relationship building?
4. Workplace Effectiveness
Office evaluation
The survey asked employees how important they consider various elements of the office and how they rate the current performance of each. The results show that employees generally gave high performance marks to the elements they considered particularly important. Additionally, they gave high
marks to the factors that have been considered most important by companies who have made changes to their offices, such as ensuring that employees' health is taken into consideration and that the office attracts the best talent.
Fig. 9 Importance and performance of office elements
5. Workplace Purpose
Productivity and collaboration
The top two operational priorities in conducting business, in order of percentage of responses, are “Team productivity” and “Cross-organizational coordination and collaboration”. The new office is seen as facilitating both. This is evidenced by the fact that 70% of employees say the new office has
raised their productivity, and 84% say it creates opportunities to connect and communicate with a variety of people across departments and across the company. The fact that the office is seen as contributing to the expansion of business may be one reason to the improved employee satisfaction.
Fig. 10
Operational Priorities for Your Own Organization
Improving team productivity 57%
Encouraging further teamwork in your team 56%
Promoting collaboration with other business units or teams 54%
Improving individual productivity 48%
Acquiring top talent, reducing employee turnover 51%
Fig. 11
Do you feel that you are more productive in the new office compared to the previous office? New office = Marunouchi HQ after 2024 renovation
Strongly agree, Somewhat agree
70%
Agree Disagree
Fig. 12
The office creates opportunities to connect and talk with various people beyond the boundaries of departments and companies.
Strongly agree, Somewhat agree
84%
Agree Disagree
Reasons for coming to the office
When employees were asked why they come to the office, the fourth most common response was “I can focus better in the office,” with the top three being “communication with team members”, “hosting visitors/clients”, and the “need to use office equipment”. It is often thought that employees come to the office for collaboration, and that working from home is better suited for focusing on individual tasks. However, the results of this survey show that the office is still the preferred place for focused work provided that there are such spaces suited for this
Fig. 13 What are your top reasons for coming to the office?
To work closely with my team / be easily accessible to my team and others. I need to handle physical documents/equipment (e.g., printing, contract stamping).
To feel connected to my team/other teams. To socialize, catch up, and get to know other employees.
To host visitors/clients.
purpose. In fact, the average occupancy rate in the “focus areas” of the new office is 89%, with 100% occupancy at peak times.
I find it easier to collaborate with other LOBs.
I find it easier to focus in the office.
The nature of my work requires my presence in the office. To develop trust with my team.
I am asked to / I feel pressured to. It is my habit. To learn from other people.
To change my mood/refresh.
The role of the office
As mentioned at the beginning of this document, we believe that “connecting people” is the most important role an office can play. One of the proofs that the new office is fulfilling this role is the number of events held in the office. In the nine months from January to September of this year, 173 events were held in the new office, which is already more than three times the annual number of events before the renovation. The events held were not only internal events, but more than 30% of the events were with external guests. The new office is expected to further deepen the corporate culture by connecting people with each other, and this, coupled with increased operational efficiency, will contribute to further business expansion.
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Fig. 14 Number of events