What, No Beer?! Employees Want Better Tech, Not Snacks

In an effort to entice employees back into the office, companies have ramped up digestible perks like beverages and food, but a recent survey conducted by proptech firm Essensys indicated that employees don’t care about snacks or other frivolous amenities — they want better technology and flexible workstations. 

Of the 1,000 U.S. workers the firm surveyed earlier this year, 81% expressed frustration with their office situation, with 56% preferring better technology to enhance their ability to work, and 52% looked at the tech amenities in other buildings with envy, Commercial Observer reported. 

Such amenities included buildingwide WiFi, network access across the building to various services regardless of the in-office location, and sensor-controlled climate control and lighting. 

Subsequently, only 20% said amenities such as massage rooms or beer were enough to bring them back to the office. Sixty-three percent reported that flexible workspaces were important, and among those, 34% wanted convenience when it comes to layout and space.

The survey was commissioned by Essensys and conducted by Wakefield Research. 

“I think what [the survey] is saying is that in this hybrid work world that we now live in, when people can come back to the office, they just want to make sure they can actually be productive and get to work,” Essesnys North America CEO Jeremy Bernard told Commercial Observer. 

“And when you add challenges logging into a network, booking conference rooms or finding a place to be, I think that creates a level of friction and frustration with the actual back-to-work move and creates challenges,” Bernard said.