Around 40% Lack Confidence in Their Office: Why Management Should Invest in Office Environments Now to Boost Engagement

Idex Business Service Co., Ltd. (https://idex-f.co.jp/), the operator of "WAKURINO" (https://wakurino.work/), conducted a survey on "The Impact of Office Environment on Employee Engagement" targeting 1) corporate employees working in an office and 2) management executives, aged in their 20s to 50s.

As interest in human capital management grows, how to increase "employee engagement" has become a crucial management issue for companies.

Therefore, attention is increasingly focused on the impact that the office environment, which serves as the foundation for daily operations, has on employee motivation and productivity.

Just as candidates may lose interest during the hiring process if they cannot envision themselves working in a particular space, the office environment serves as a critical factor influencing employee motivation and attachment even before they join the company.

How do employees and management evaluate their current office environment, and how do they believe their attachment to the company and motivation to work would change if an ideal environment were realized?

WAKURINO

Against this backdrop, Idex Business Service Co., Ltd. (https://idex-f.co.jp/), the operator of the office renovation service "WAKURINO" (https://wakurino.work/), conducted a survey on "The Impact of Office Environment on Employee Engagement" targeting 1) corporate employees working in an office and 2) management executives, aged in their 20s to 50s.

Survey Overview: Survey on "The Impact of Office Environment on Employee Engagement"
[Survey Period] Tuesday, April 28, 2026 - Wednesday, April 29, 2026
[Survey Method] Internet survey via PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press)
[Number of Respondents] 1,031 (1) 520 / 2) 511)
[Target Audience] Monitors who answered as 1) corporate employees working in an office / 2) management executives in their 20s to 50s at the time of the survey
[Survey Sponsor] Idex Business Service Co., Ltd. (https://idex-f.co.jp/)
[Monitor Provider] Sakurisa
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Around 40% of both management and employees feel they "lack confidence and cannot introduce their current office to others"! A clear gap between ideal and reality emerges

When asked, "Is your current office a place you can confidently invite people from outside the company?", the results were as follows:

■ Management
"I do not think so at all (7.4%)"
"I do not really think so (30.9%)"

■ Corporate employees working in the office
"I do not think so at all (13.7%)"
"I do not really think so (35.0%)"

It was shown that front-line employees evaluate their company's office environment more strictly than management. It is likely that there are situations where they feel issues with the current space based on daily usability and comparisons made when visiting other companies.

How does such an evaluation of the office connect to engagement with the company?

When asked, "Does the appearance and comfort of your current office affect your attachment (engagement) to the company?", over 20% of respondents answered that it "has a negative impact (e.g., feels outdated and lacks attachment) (7.9%)" or "has a somewhat negative impact (16.8%)".

These results indicate that there is a certain number of cases where the office environment hinders attachment to the company. Conversely, it implies that good appearance and comfort of an office have a positive effect in fostering a sense of belonging and pride in the company. A comfortable and refined space is thought to not only improve one's mood but also strengthen the psychological bond of "wanting to be a member of this company."

Does improving the office environment offer benefits for companies in terms of enhancing motivation and engagement!?

When asked, "As work styles diversify, what do you think is the role required of future offices?", the most common answer was "A place for individuals to concentrate on their tasks (52.1%)", followed by "A place to generate communication and collaboration among employees (45.0%)", and "A place to enhance a sense of belonging and attachment (engagement) to the company (30.2%)".

It appears that seemingly contradictory elements—a space to enhance individual concentration and a space to collaborate with others—are being demanded simultaneously. Precisely because the option of remote work has become established, offices where people purposefully go to work are now required to have a higher level of functionality: balancing an "environment for concentration" with "real communication."

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