An office might look great on opening day, but the real test is how it feels when people have stopped admiring it and settled into actually working in it.
That’s why, a year after redesigning our Auckland office, we surveyed the ACCO team about what they love about the space, how they use it, and what can still be improved.
We took our staff survey results to Toni Dickson, Interiors Manager and Senior Design Consultant at Fuze Business Interiors, who worked with us on the office refit.
She helped explain the thinking behind our survey results to better understand what employees truly value in a workplace. Here’s what we learnt.
The way a workplace feels matters
When we asked employees what they appreciate most about the redesigned office, natural light, openness, greenery and a sense of spaciousness all came through as top priorities.
They may sound like aesthetic considerations, but Toni says they can have a real impact on the everyday experience of a space.
“Humans inherently crave the natural environment,” she says. “Incorporating natural elements in workplaces can have a significant impact on mood, wellbeing, and productivity.”
Natural light helps us maintain a connection with the world outside, reduces eye strain, and supports our circadian rhythm. Bringing plants indoors can soften a workspace, make it feel more inviting, and even improve the air quality.
People love connection…until they need to concentrate
One of the clearest positives in the employee survey was connection. Many people felt the new layout had improved visibility between teams and created more opportunities for conversations and interaction.
Toni says some of the most useful design decisions are about placing shared spaces where people naturally cross paths.
“Kitchens, breakout spaces and meeting areas in central locations create opportunities for informal conversations without forcing them.”
Seating in these spaces should be comfortable and flexible, whether people are having a quick chat or settling in for a longer team session.
Commercial tables are a great way to support changing workplace needs. The Buro MyWorkSpace Flip Training Table offers a flexible surface for training, meetings and collaborative work, and is available in two sizes to suit different spaces.
Or for more casual collaboration, the Buro MyWorkSpace A Frame High Training Table offers a higher work surface for people to gather around.
But there is another side to an open, connected workplace. Making it easier to connect can also make it harder to switch off from what’s happening around you.
While most employees felt they could focus reasonably well, conversations, visitors and general office noise were the most commonly mentioned barriers to concentration.
Toni says zoning is one of the best ways to balance these competing needs.
“Ideally, you’ll have some distance between zones, but of course, that depends on the size of your space. In smaller spaces, you can use tools to reduce distractions and create a visual block, such as slatted walls or plant walls. Acoustic solutions can also help.”
The point isn't to create as many zones as possible, but to understand how people actually work and give them useful choices.
People like to move around during the workday
The survey showed us that our staff move around between desks, meeting rooms, booths, and other spaces depending on what they're doing. Meeting rooms and booths were among the most heavily used spaces, with some employees saying demand sometimes exceeded availability.
For Toni, that reinforces the importance of matching the setting to the task.
“High-backed booths, quiet rooms or pods are great if you really need to focus within an open-plan environment,” she says, “whereas collaborative furniture should be more flexible and open.”
Smaller spaces are particularly useful for one-on-one meetings or calls, freeing up larger meeting rooms for bigger groups.
A workstation is more than just a desk
For many tasks, people still return to their desks. But the desk itself is only one part of the workstation.
Staff also highlighted monitor positioning and workstation setup, a reminder that you don’t get an ergonomic office from one piece of furniture alone. Desk height, chair height, monitor position, screen settings and accessories all interact, and the ideal setup varies from person to person.
“No two people will require the same setup,” Toni says. “Monitors may need to be at different heights. Seat and desk height will vary depending on how tall or short you are. Screen brightness impacts people differently.”
It also helps explain why height adjustable desks were widely valued by our staff: they give people more control over how they work throughout the day.
The Buro Syntra Height Adjustable Desk range gives people the freedom to change position throughout the day and adjust the setup to suit their particular needs.
So, what do employees really value in a workplace?
A year of working in the redesigned office suggests there isn't one answer.
People valued natural light, greenery and quiet. They enjoyed greater connection with colleagues, while still wanting somewhere to concentrate. They appreciated their desks, but regularly moved into booths, meeting rooms and other settings when the task called for something different.
A good workplace isn't built around one ideal way of working. It gives people different environments, furniture and tools — and enough choice to find the setting that works for what they need to do next.
Ready to give your team more choice in how they work?
Explore Buro’s range of desks, tables and ergonomic office furniture to create spaces that support focus, collaboration and everything in between.
