For tech professionals, what amenities should the ideal office offer?
Many companies offer a variety of exciting employee perks — and for good reason. Amenities that support employee well-being — like mental health programs, volunteer days and gym equipment — also benefit businesses. On top of reducing employee stress levels and burnout, companies that offer wellness programs save money on things like employee turnover and reduced productivity, according to research from Gallup.
While not every employee needs their office to look like the sprawling Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington — campus shopping mall included — what does the office that “has it all” look like? It depends on the team, but it’s fair to say that, for tech teams, an ideal office environment is a healthy, flexible workplace that allows employees to mix things up when a fresh reset is needed.
For Claire Ho, a Campus Recruiter with Yext, the abundance of fresh air and sunlight in Yext’s New York office are what keeps her energized and excited to come to the office.
“Every corner of the office is bathed in sunshine, energizing us with essential vitamin D,” said Ho.
Opportunities for natural light, relaxation, and collaborative work and social spaces are just a few of the highlights of the offices featured in this article. Built In spoke with Ho, as well as professionals from Own Company, Tufin, Qualtrics and Identity Digital to hear more about how their office spaces support the needs of their teams.
Yext is a digital presence platform that helps brands make meaningful connections with their customers with AI and machine learning-powered tools.
Tell us about your office space. Where is it located? What are some of its amenities that put employees front and center?
Step into the vibrant heart of New York City at Yext HQ, where work meets play in one of the city's most coveted neighborhoods. Situated amidst the bustling energy of the Hudson River, the iconic High Line, and the famed Chelsea Market, our location offers the perfect blend of convenience and excitement.
Our workspace is designed to maximize natural light thanks to expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. When you need a breath of fresh air, simply step outside onto one of our terraces or ascend to our rooftop, which offers stunning city views.
Fuel your creativity with a visit to our artisanal coffee bar, where skilled baristas craft the perfect brew to kickstart your day. When hunger strikes, our pantry awaits, stocked with an array of savory and sweet treats to keep you fueled and focused.
At Yext HQ, we redefine the workday experience, seamlessly blending convenience, comfort and community to empower you to thrive.
Tell us about your favorite spot in the office. Why is it special to you and other employees?
My favorite spot at Yext will forever be the rooftop. It's the ultimate escape from the confines of a desk, offering a refreshing change of scenery whenever needed. During the afternoon, it’s a place where teams go to enjoy their lunch together — but summertime is when the rooftop truly comes alive. There's always something going on, from free food and yoga classes to happy hours.
“My favorite spot at Yext will forever be the rooftop. It's the ultimate escape from the confines of a desk.”
Every spring, anticipation builds for the rooftop's reopening because it signifies that warmer weather is on the horizon. It's a testament to the versatility and significance of this space, serving as the heart of our community and a catalyst for memorable experiences.
Qualtrics creates software the world’s best brands use to deliver exceptional frontline experiences, build high-performing teams, and design products people love.
Describe your office space. Where is it located? What are some of its amenities that put employees front and center?
I am based out of Chicago. The office has an updated modern feel to it. The space is broken up into sections with well placed walls and meeting rooms to eliminate the big open-office feel. The large windows provide ample light to give an airy feeling against the darker tones of furniture and fixtures.
I would have to say the view is one of the nicer amenities in the office. The kitchen and dining areas have large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river, as well as views of the west side of the city. Qualtircs could have leased another location with views of neighboring buildings — instead, they chose this location with amazing views. The location is perfect for city life; public transportation, after-work socializing, shopping and more. The location helps with work-life balance.
Please list your favorite spot in the office. Why is it special to you and other employees?
The office has terrific views of the Chicago River. I feel like a VIP when I am able to sit near the window which overlooks the river as it branches off to the north and south. In the summer, it is relaxing to watch the boats and all the people along the riverfront. I am constantly amazed at the number of people willing to brave the cold in the winter to go on the architectural boat tour on the river.
The music in the common shared all-hands meeting area is a nice feature. It helps activate the space by providing warmth and energy previously missing. The music has also drawn people out of their workstation comfort zone to work in an alternative space, allowing for more organic interaction between people who do not normally engage with one another due to workstation proximity.
Own Company, formerly OwnBackup, is a cloud-based SaaS data platform empowering customers to ensure the availability, security and compliance of their data.
Tell us about your office space. Where is it located? What are some of its amenities that put employees front and center?
Own’s premium office space is located in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The office offers a variety of amenities, including a well-equipped gym with private showers, a salon for hair and nail services, massage chairs, a large range of areas to meet and work that aren’t conference rooms or a desk and a golf and sports simulator. Most importantly, Own culture empowers its employees to own their day — to make the most and best of their time in the office by supporting the use and enjoyment of these amenities.
The San Diego office is also growing to be just as exceptional. It provides fantastic and new amenities, such as our dedicated wellness room, which includes a zero-gravity massage chair, yoga mats and spa-like amenities for all employees to enjoy. The office also includes a collaboration room equipped with board games, puzzles and a Nintendo Switch with over 130 titles for team building and downtime throughout the day.
Tell us about your favorite spot in the office. Why is it special to you and other employees?
My favorite spot in the office is our largest meeting space, which we call “Radio City.” It’s a large event space in our office —masterfully put together by our amazing audio-visual team — where we have monthly and quarterly company-wide meetings that feel as grand as an Apple keynote event but as personal as a one-on-one meeting.
As a workplace experience manager, I also find it an incredible space to create and curate experiences and host a variety of events for our employees. We’ve done team movie nights and hosted guest speakers and internal demo events for many of our teams. The room is equipped with an incredible and creative lighting and sound system and a huge LED screen. There is nothing we can’t do in that space — the possibilities are endless.
“There is nothing we can’t do in that space — the possibilities are endless.”
Are there any office space developments that are underway?
At Own, our office is constantly evolving and changing to better suit the needs of our growing business. The office will always strive to provide a premium and enjoyable experience to its employees, clients and guests. I don’t want to reveal too much yet — but a new and improved dining space and experience could be on its way!
Tufin is a network security company that manages and automates security changes for its customers.
Tell us about your office space. Where is it located? What are some of its amenities that put employees front and center?
Our office is located in Fairlawn, Ohio. It is a very open and collaboration-friendly environment. There is plenty of desk space for impromptu collaboration and multiple breakout rooms for private or team workspace. We also have a nice reception area and a great kitchen area. We are also blessed to have two large multimedia conference rooms used for training and large corporate meetings
Tell us about your favorite spot in the office. Why is it special to you and other employees?
My favorite spot is the main office space. The openness allows for easy collaboration and invites impromptu meetings and teamwork. It also has many areas to blow off steam — like nerf dart wars, target games, exercise machines, putting practice, etc. It's definitely a work hard play hard culture.
“My favorite spot is the main office space. The openness allows for easy collaboration and invites impromptu meetings and teamwork.”
Identity Digital, formally known as Donuts, is an eCommerce company focusing on domain name registry, security features and domain operation services.
Tell us about your office space. Where is it located? What are some of its amenities that put employees front and center?
Our office is small but mighty, located in a high-rise in downtown Bellevue, Washington. It is a mixed plan of open desks, offices and conference rooms. Although it is mostly open plan, the design considered the need for privacy by ensuring each workstation is set in its own cubicle. Cubicle dividers are half height, providing privacy without blocking natural light or feeling stuffy and old. We have a large kitchen that we frequently come together in for happy hours, trivia, catered lunches and other fun events. We also have a ping pong table, meditation room and some informal break-out spaces.
Our downtown location can't be beat. We are connected via sky bridges to several other buildings full of restaurants, shops and entertainment — including a bowling alley, mini golf and an entire mall! It makes it so easy for us to get out to stretch our legs, grab lunch with our teams and host fun events. Our office puts employees front and center because the design and location is all about how we want to live our day-to-day lives together. We have a great space to work individually, but it encourages us to collaborate and have fun too!
Tell us about your favorite spot in the office. Why is it special to you and other employees?
My favorite spot is our meditation room. We have a chaise and yoga mats in there, so I can take a moment to sprawl out or stretch when I need a mental reset. It's special because it's a dedicated and respected quiet space. It's nice to know that we have a spot we can go to when we need a quiet, private break for whatever reason.
“It's nice to know that we have a spot we can go to when we need a quiet, private break for whatever reason.”
Are there any office space developments that are underway?
The last bit of construction in our office was completed in 2019. Everything is still feeling fresh with room to spread out, so we're not working on any new developments at the moment.
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