Workplace highly valued by C-Suite, but many lack ability to accurately measure its worth, says new survey by Savills and CoreNet Global

But when asked about their ability to measure these and other outcomes, the Savills/CoreNet Survey revealed that the vast majority lack the ability to fully measure performance. Almost all respondents  said the office creates value by supporting culture and collaboration, but only 38% on average said this contribution is highly measurable. While 99% said the office adds value to innovation and idea generation, only one-third regarded that impact as clearly quantifiable. Savills and CoreNet Global say this disparity highlights the importance of accurately evaluating – as well as enhancing – the value of workplace strategies, especially as expectations of the office evolve, influenced by both hybrid working and the growing impact of AI. 

When it comes to assessing portfolio performance, according to the survey responses, employee engagement surveys are used by 73% of corporate real estate teams and workplace utilisation or occupancy data by 65%. By comparison, only half use financial or business performance measures, while just 33% track employee retention, 22% examine links to productivity or performance, and 13% assess collaboration or innovation. Respondents cited combining utilisation and sentiment data with measures of professional networks, mentoring participation and business performance – such as revenue, billable hours, project delivery times, error rates or client retention – as ways of broadening measurement metrics. 

Michelle Needles, Executive Vice President, Global Occupier Services, at Savills, comments:

 “Our survey reveals a tension: organisations have a clear sense of what they want the workplace to achieve, but many corporate real estate teams mainly rely on established measures to assess portfolio performance and aren’t very confident in their ability to measure impact. This points to an opportunity to broaden the measurement toolkit to triangulate across different sources of evidence – looking at what people do, how they experience the workplace and consequently what the business achieves. Together, these can provide a more complete picture of workplace performance and its wider impact.”

Sonali Tare, Vice President, Strategic Content at CoreNet Global, says:

 “The workplace is a critical business asset, supporting culture, innovation, learning and organisational performance, yet many still struggle to measure its impact with confidence. By harnessing advances in technology to take a more holistic approach to measurement, organisations can make more informed decisions, demonstrate value more effectively and ensure their workplace strategies remain aligned with long-term business objectives.”