Underused space – 24%
Noise and distractions – 22%
Not enough meeting rooms – 20%
Technology issues – 15%
The office no longer suits how we work – 9%
Other – 4%
The space does not support focus work – 2%
Poor layout or flow – 2%
Teams are too spread out – 2%
The biggest issue: underused space
The most common response was underused space, at 24%.
For many business leaders, this goes beyond being just a property cost issue. It can be a sign that the office is not giving people enough reason to use it, or that the available space does not match what teams need. It is not always about how much space a business has, but whether that space is doing the right job.
Before relocating, it is important to understand what is driving underuse. Is it attendance patterns, poor planning, lack of focus space, too many desks, not enough meeting areas, or a workplace that no longer supports the business?
Smarter decisions are shifting from attendance metrics to purposeful presence. Successful hybrid organisations treat in-office presence as a choice tied to high-value interactions rather than mandates.
Noise and distractions are still damaging productivity
Noise and distractions were the second biggest issue, at 22%.
This is often the result of asking one type of space to support too many activities. Open areas may be used for focused work, calls, collaboration and social interaction all at the same time, creating friction.
The office needs to support different modes of work. People need places where they can focus, take calls, collaborate, meet clients and connect with colleagues. Without that mix, the office can become harder to work in than the home.
Meeting rooms are under pressure
Not enough meeting rooms came in at 20%.
This is especially relevant in hybrid workplaces. More meetings now include both in-person and remote participants, which means rooms need to support video calls, screen sharing and clear audio. The issue often comes down to the size, type and quality of rooms available, rather than the total number of rooms. A business may have large boardrooms sitting empty while smaller meeting rooms are constantly booked.
Workplace planning should be based on actual meeting behaviour, not assumptions.
Technology issues are part of the workplace experience
Technology issues accounted for 15% of responses.
In a hybrid workplace, technology is now central to how people experience the office. If video calls are unreliable, meeting rooms are hard to use, or people cannot connect quickly, productivity is at risk.
Technology needs to be planned early as part of the workplace strategy process, not added at the end. It should support how teams meet, collaborate and connect across locations.
The office no longer suits how we work
Only 9% of respondents selected ‘the office no longer suits how we work’, but the broader results suggest this is the issue behind many office disruptions.
Underused space, noise, meeting room shortages and technology problems are often signs that the workplace was designed for a previous version of the business. As teams grow, hybrid patterns change and work becomes more collaborative, the office needs to keep up.
The takeaway
For businesses planning a move, the goal should not be to recreate the current office in a new location. It should be to create a workplace that better supports how people work now, and where the business is heading next.