The research was conducted for a period of nine months and included 500 employees working in offices in Bucharest. The participants were divided into four age categories: generation Z (18-24 years), generation Y (25-34 years), generation X (35-49 years) and seniors or baby-boomers (50-64 years). 9% of the respondents are new employees (generation Z), 35% represent the Y generation, 49% the X generation and 7% the seniors.
The results show that most of the study participants (55%) spend between 30 and 60 minutes to get home from the office, and those who spend less than 30 minutes are more satisfied with the work. The highest degree of satisfaction with office location (76%) is given by easy access to public transport. The most important aspects of interior design are ergonomic furniture (82%), appropriate dining spaces (78%) and the existence of individual offices (72%).
"Working conditions have a major impact on the well-being of the employee and, implicitly, on the productivity. Improving wellness standards is a global trend that has become increasingly strong in the local market in recent years. We have been concerned about the quality of the work environment for a long time and fortunately we have noticed that most developers and big companies in Romania have understood the importance of delivering projects that best meet the expectations and needs of the employee. But, to be able to offer the best product, you need to know exactly what the user wants, so you have to know it. This is the most important goal of this study that CBRE has been working for about a year and to which our Research team has been dedicated together with our most experienced consultants", said Mihai Păduroiu, Head of Advisory & Transaction Services | Investor Leasing of CBRE Romania
The 500 study participants work in offices located in different areas of Bucharest, as follows: 26% in the western area, 22% in the northern area, 22% in the central area, 14% in Pipera, 11% in the CBD Piata Victoriei area, Charles de Gaulle Square), 5% in the eastern area and 3% in the south of the capital.
In terms of field of activity, 23% of study participants work in IT, 20% in outsourced companies, 11% in financial and insurance, 9% in retail, and the remaining 27% are in the business sector, the public sector and the industrial and energy sectors. It can be noticed that most of the participants (43%) work in IT and outsourced services, with Romania still having increased potential to attract new investments from players on these niche markets.
Personal life and, implicitly, a balance between time spent working and leisure time activities are of a different importance, depending on the generation to which the respondent belongs. Thus, the Z generation considers time for personal life a very important criterion in choosing a job - 68%, followed by Y generation with 47%, generation X with 51% and baby-boomers with 35%.
The important factors influencing the employee's leisure time depending on the working conditions and the location of the office are: the distance from the house and the degree of accessibility by car or public transport, the inclusion of retail space in the office project, the possibility to go to a gym or to bicycle to work, the existence of showers, locker rooms and relaxation and meditation spaces, etc. (source: CBRE)
