A recent CBRE survey showed that 73% of office occupiers believe they have an effective workplace, but only 46% actually measure their office effectiveness. Those using effectiveness metrics look at space utilization rates, employee engagement, and retention success. CBRE clients' emphasis on metrics like density has decreased, while others have risen. For example, the importance of employee satisfaction jumped to 14% in 2024 from eight percent in 2023.
How Occupancy Data Supports Smarter Space Strategies
Companies seeking improved office space utilization and enhanced employee satisfaction find that data-driven strategies can help them achieve their goals. The data that helps employers craft these strategies includes:
- Space utilization rate: the percent of usable space occupied during business hours.
- Peak utilization rate: the highest occupancy in a set period (daily or weekly).
- Occupancy patterns: which days of the week or times of the day are most and least used.
Collecting this data helps occupiers create more effective workspaces that reflect employees’ needs and wants.
Data-driven strategies
How can organizations use occupancy data to improve their space utilization while also supporting employee morale? These strategies support both objectives.
Strategy 1: Rightsize the footprint
Using data collected from workplace occupancy platforms, companies can identify how much space they really need. They may be able to reassign or sublease some excess space or reduce the footprint size when renewing. Too much space not only wastes money, but it can also depress employee engagement. Large numbers of empty workspaces give the office a lonely feeling and reduce the effectiveness of return-to-office policies for collaboration. Smaller, well-designed floor layouts contribute to team cohesion and the sense of community.
Strategy 2: Design a space that appeals to employees.
Devote space to the genuine preferences and needs of workers. If the data indicates that employees are drawn to group activity space, create more of that with space previously used for individual workstations. Other underused spaces can become lounges, quiet pods, wellness areas, break rooms, and conference areas.
Strategy 3: Leverage occupancy data to encourage in-person collaboration at traditionally low-traffic times.
Nobody wants to come into the office, only to find there’s nowhere to park and all the conference rooms are booked. By tracking available parking spaces, conference rooms, and desks then syncing this data with a booking system, companies can encourage employees to come into the office and better utilize off-peak hours. This data can also be used to schedule remote days and department meetings on different days, so the office is better utilized.
How can companies gather the high-quality occupancy data they need?
Occupancy sensors identify human presence in a given area. Sensors range from basic, which will measure the occupancy of a specific location, to more sophisticated sensors that collect information about the number of people, how long they stay, and environmental factors like lighting, temperature, and humidity.
AVUITY workplace sensors discreetly gather meaningful data without compromising privacy. Sensors can be easily deployed throughout the tenant space, delivering vital information for planning and facilitating real-time adjustments that enhance employee comfort and support environmental goals.
For example, suppose that the sensors detect high occupancy in a specific conference room, accompanied by a higher temperature and humidity level. Connected sensors notify the building management system to increase ventilation and reduce the temperature to accommodate the crowd.
In the longer term, sensor data showing that workspaces and collaborative areas are over-utilized or under-utilized supports changes in layout to enable employees to work in the most productive ways. Space identified as excess for individual workspaces can be repurposed for more amenities, contributing to employee satisfaction without requiring additional square feet.
Key takeaways
Workplace expectations and office utilization patterns have evolved dramatically over the past several years. Organizations that once saw office space purely as a fixed cost now recognize it as a dynamic tool for productivity, collaboration, and employee engagement. By gathering meaningful occupancy data — including space utilization rates, peak usage, and occupancy patterns — companies can move beyond merely efficient space use to truly effective workplace strategies that align with employees' needs and preferences.
Today’s successful office strategies are built on data, not assumptions. Tools like occupancy sensors empower organizations to understand how their spaces are used, enabling more thoughtful decisions about design, layout, amenities, and operational policies.
By embracing data-driven insights, companies can create workplaces that maximize utilization and foster satisfaction, innovation, and community, positioning themselves for success in the evolving world of work.
