As companies worldwide call their employees back to the office, a new study by office search agency, Sketch Labs, has uncovered the most sought-after office perks in 2023.
This revelation coincides with the International Week of Happiness at Work, which takes place annually from the 25th to the 29th of September, aiming to foster happier workplaces.
Office perks have taken centre stage, as companies strive to lure employees back into the physical workspace amid changing work dynamics. According to Sketch Labs, searches for ‘office perks’ have experienced a remarkable surge in 2023, with an 87.5 percent rise from September 2022 to September 2023.
This upward trend saw a meteoric 200 percent increase in searches from August to September 2023, which could be attributed to influential companies, including Zoom, urging their employees to return to the office during the summer.
Sketch Labs conducted an analysis of the most desired office perks for 2023. The findings showed that office food, an office bar, and an office cinema were among the top choices that employees believe would encourage them to spend more time in the office. Surprisingly, dog-friendly offices were less in demand, with features like office swimming pools and access to an office doctor ranking higher on employees’ wish lists.
The most in-demand office perks for 2023 are:
- Office food
- An office bar
- An office cinema
- An office gym
- Office plants
- An office doctor
- An office nursery
- Office Yoga
- An office swimming pool
- A dog-friendly office
A notable spike in searches for ‘office cinema’ occurred in July 2023, correlating with the releases of the blockbuster films “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” This suggests that the allure of catching a midday movie during lunch breaks may have fueled employees’ desire for an in-house cinema experience.
Mark Knops, CEO of Sketch Labs, shared insights into the growing trend of introducing unique office perks, saying, “Businesses are seeking to introduce more office perks to encourage employees to feel happier while they’re spending more time in the office. By providing unique office features, our clients find that more of their staff want to spend more of their time in the office.” Knops also highlighted some unusual requests from companies, including Jacuzzis, game rooms, treadmill desks, swimming pools, cinema rooms, and even bullet-proof glass. Additionally, there is a rising demand for more inviting office environments, featuring elements like living plant walls.
For a detailed breakdown of the top office requirements sought by both companies and employees, you can access the full report on Sketch Labs’ website here.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
