Marvin Onumonu75% of UK workers said that a comfortable and well-designed physical workspace played an important role in their job satisfaction, according to Mitie’s latest report.
The report, ‘The multigenerational game: Creating a workplace that works for everybody’, found the youngest group, aged 18 to 34, were the most likely to see career progression and learning new skills as key motivators, in addition to salary.
However, just 33% of 18-24-year-olds and 40% of 25-34s said they were very satisfied with the opportunities for career progression and skills development provided by their employer.
The top reasons for workplace dissatisfaction were a poorly maintained workplace at 51%, uncomfortable or badly designed workspace at 46%, poor amenities or lack of breakout areas at 40%, difficult or expensive commuting at 33%, and rigid workplace policies at 28%.
32% of employees over 55 wanted more dependable networks, and 29% of this age group wanted more user-friendly systems.
Younger employees wanted better software and tools for collaboration, more automation and artificial intelligence (AI) features, and smart systems to make work more productive and secure.
16% of 18 to 34-year-olds identified as neurodivergent, compared to 10% of the overall workforce.
Neurodivergent staff were twice as likely to be dissatisfied with the accessibility and inclusivity of their workplace (40% compared to 19%).
70% of 18 to 24s were fully in-person, 43% of those aged 25 to 44 were hybrid, and 9% of over-55s were fully remote.
Employees aged 25 to 34 valued flexibility, with 44% reporting dissatisfaction with a difficult or expensive commute.
Simi Gandhi-Whitaker, MD smart workplaces at Mitie, said: “By investing deliberately in our workplaces – through thoughtful design, smart technology, and flexible policies – we can unlock capability, drive retention and position the workplace as a catalyst for organisational success.”
