The office is increasingly becoming a source of competitive advantage for employers. More importantly, it is no longer simply a company address. According to Bartosz Oleksak, Office Agency Expert at AXI IMMO, factors such as location, building quality and workplace design now have a direct impact on employee comfort, team performance and a company’s attractiveness to both current and prospective talent.
A well-designed workspace is not merely a matter of aesthetics or corporate image; it is a strategic tool that supports the day-to-day functioning of an organisation. From improving concentration and collaboration to boosting productivity and reducing staff turnover, office design plays a crucial role in business performance. Increasing attention is also being paid to air quality, access to natural daylight, interior layout, acoustics and the presence of natural elements, all of which contribute to the health and wellbeing of office users. At a time when businesses are embracing AI more widely than ever, people remain the foundation of every organisation. A workplace that genuinely makes employees’ daily lives easier should no longer be viewed as a cost, but rather as an investment in business stability, resilience and long-term growth.
Office location is increasingly influencing both recruitment outcomes and employees’ willingness to work from the office. Well-connected buildings located near major transport hubs, including underground stations and tram lines, significantly expand access to talent pools and encourage office attendance. A shorter and more predictable commute reduces stress, one of the main factors affecting workplace comfort, particularly in large cities.
For employers, this translates into a greater likelihood of regular office attendance, improved team collaboration and a more attractive working environment. Conversely, peripheral locations with poor public transport links may limit access to skilled professionals and make it more difficult to build strong, stable teams. This is why choosing an office location is no longer simply an administrative decision; it has become a key component of both HR and overall business strategy.
The immediate surroundings of an office are equally important. Access to amenities such as restaurants, cafés, retail outlets, fitness centres and social spaces contributes significantly to employees’ day-to-day convenience and influences how they perceive the attractiveness of a location. In practice, well-developed urban and service infrastructure enables employees to organise their working day more effectively while reducing the need for additional travel.
Bartosz Oleksak, Associate Director, Office Agency, AXI IMMO, comments: “Social and urban development trends have reshaped the decisions of office property owners, who have moved away from creating traditional office-only districts in favour of mixed-use developments that combine multiple functions within a single complex. These vibrant urban environments encourage people to make better use of their time before and after work. As a result, they enhance the overall workplace experience. For employers, this means a more competitive working environment, particularly at a time when hybrid working has become the dominant model. In this context, the office – and by extension the employer – must provide employees with compelling reasons to come into the workplace. Locations that offer access to dining, retail and leisure facilities can increase employee engagement and help reduce staff turnover.”
The quality of the building itself and the comfort it provides are equally important. Modern office buildings offer improved air quality, advanced ventilation and air-conditioning systems, greater energy efficiency and a range of solutions designed to support employee health and wellbeing, all of which can directly improve team performance.
This is particularly relevant for knowledge-based work, where indoor air quality and microclimatic conditions have a measurable effect on concentration and work pace. Research into green buildings suggests that improvements in workplace quality may be associated with lower absenteeism, enhanced wellbeing and higher employee satisfaction with working conditions.
Combined with thoughtful interior design, these features create an environment that genuinely improves organisational performance. Optimising workspace – from ergonomic workstations and quiet zones to relaxation areas and effective acoustic solutions – can reduce stress, enhance concentration and contribute to higher productivity.
Bartosz Oleksak, AXI IMMO, adds: “Natural light and greenery improve how people perceive a workspace and can increase job satisfaction. Ergonomic furniture helps reduce fatigue and health-related issues, while natural light, plants and dedicated wellbeing areas boost morale and employee satisfaction. A carefully balanced combination of open-plan areas and smaller meeting rooms improves communication and supports both collaboration and focused individual work.”
The role of greenery and natural elements in the workplace also deserves particular attention. Natural light and planting can positively influence the workplace experience and help teams work more effectively. A notable example is Roger S. Ulrich’s study published in Science, which demonstrated that views of nature can facilitate recovery and positively affect users’ wellbeing.
Although the research focused on post-operative patients, its findings can be applied to workplace design, where comfort, stress levels and wellbeing influence employees’ day-to-day functioning. In practice, this means that features such as greenery, open views, natural materials and well-designed relaxation spaces should be regarded not merely as aesthetic additions, but as meaningful contributors to better working conditions.
Current workplace trends also highlight the growing importance of sustainability. Office buildings certified under schemes such as LEED and BREEAM are widely perceived as more responsible and forward-thinking, while also providing healthier working environments. For many jobseekers, such credentials signal that a company is committed to sustainable development, enhancing its appeal according to prospective employees.
Bartosz Oleksak explains: “Office optimisation does not necessarily mean reducing floor space. Increasingly, it is about aligning workspace with the actual working model and reallocating budgets from underutilised square metres to solutions that improve workplace quality and team productivity. A smaller but better-designed office can provide a higher-quality fit-out, improved acoustics, ergonomic workstations, collaboration zones, focused work areas and dedicated wellbeing spaces. In a hybrid working model, this approach makes particular sense because the office must offer value that remote work cannot provide: opportunities for collaboration, meetings, relationship-building and knowledge sharing within a carefully designed environment.”
In conclusion, a modern and functional office is far more than a matter of appearance. It is a tangible investment in people. An attractive location and thoughtfully designed workspace can help reduce staff turnover and support recruitment efforts. Conversely, an office situated on the outskirts of a city with poor transport connections may limit access to skilled talent and hinder organisational growth.
As a result, the office is increasingly moving beyond its role as an operational cost and becoming a strategic contributor to long-term business stability. For management boards, HR teams, workplace managers and finance departments alike, this means viewing office space through a much broader lens than rental costs alone.
