In today’s market, retaining talent is as critical as retaining clients. However, many offices are still planned around cost per desk rather than how the space is actually used day to day.
That approach creates a gap between what businesses provide and what employees experience. If you want employees to stay, you need to treat them like your most important customers. That means listening to what they want, responding to their feedback, and delivering workspaces that support performance and wellbeing, not just giving them somewhere to sit.
Why employees expect more than just a desk
A recent report from the British Council for Offices (BCO) shows that office workers now expect to be treated in the same way businesses treat valued customers.
Just as customers demand choice, service, and quality, employees expect the same from the places they spend their working lives.
The data highlights the shift:
Midweek office utilisation has dropped to 66% (down from 80% pre-pandemic).
Weekly averages are just 30%, meaning much of the space businesses pay for goes underused.
Where the office experience does not justify the commute, people make a rational decision to stay away.
Proof it works: real voices from BHP
At BHP’s new Sheffield office, we were able to see the impact of designing around employee experience rather than floor efficiency alone.
Their anonymous staff survey told us exactly what mattered most:
Collaboration & Connection: “The open plan layout in the main area allows for me to easily ask for assistance/advice from those with more experience.”
Choice & Flexibility: “Sitting with different people each day gives me more interaction with others I wouldn’t normally have.”
Wellbeing & Comfort: “The physical set-up of the desks, comfortable, supportive chairs and suitable monitors. Being able to adjust the height, etc. of these.”
Culture & Brand Alignment: “Great, modern feel but in keeping with the city’s heritage. Well kitted out and high-spec. Very on brand for BHP.”
The feedback is not about novelty. It reflects how space influences behaviour, interaction, and daily working patterns.
The business case
Employees who feel considered in the design of their workplace are more likely to spend time there, collaborate with colleagues, and remain with the organisation over the longer term.
The office should be treated as part of the employee value proposition. Just like a client touchpoint, it shapes perception, builds trust, and gives people a reason to stick with you.
At Formm, we design offices using the same discipline applied to customer experience design, starting with user needs and working back to space, layout, and specification decisions.
The bottom line
Treating employees like customers is not about gimmicks or superficial perks. It’s about recognising that workspace is a service, that either supports retention or quietly undermines it.
If you want to retain your best people, your office has to do more than exist. It has to give people a reason to choose it.
Explore our recent projects here or get in touch to talk about how Formm can make your workplace your best retention tool.