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ITOKI CORPORATION (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yoshiro Hirai; hereinafter referred to as ITOKI) has published the "ITOKI WORKPLACE DATA BOOK 2022," which analyzes and compiles data from 103 cases in which offices were revamped through renovations and relocations in which ITOKI was involved. We are pleased to announce the results of the analysis.

In "ITOKI WORKPLACE DATA BOOK 2022," the survey targets are randomly selected from offices completed between 2018 and 2020 (3 years), mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The number of participants ranges from small to large. By comparing some data over the last five years from 2017 to 2021, it is possible to get a bird's-eye view of changes in office characteristics.

When we asked 40 offices completed in 2020 about changes in work styles during the COVID-19 pandemic, 57% said they were trying new ways of working. The results showed that companies that have created a variety of spaces within the office, such as focus areas, areas for relaxation, and areas for various meetings, and that they are adopting work styles that allow employees to freely choose where they work. In particular, 45% of companies have set up spaces that accommodate work remotely, and some have set up web conferencing spaces and introduced team addresses so that employees can meet when they come to the office.

The adoption rate of hot desking (※1) has been increasing every year, reaching 67% overall in fiscal 2021 (※2). Along with the increase in the adoption rate of free address systems, we have also confirmed a trend toward smaller desk sizes in offices.

In 2021, there was a noticeable increase in the number of small conference rooms used by 1 to 4 people. There are many concentrated seats and small meeting seats in the open office area, and the number of large conference rooms and private rooms is decreasing. The increase in the proportion of meeting rooms for four or fewer people is expected to be influenced by the increase in the number of single-person rooms for concentration and web conferences, and two-person private rooms for interviews and collaborative work.

When asked about themes for office renovations, "strengthening communication" topped the list in 2021, the same as in 2020. Specific measures for "strengthening communication" included the installation of cafe spaces where employees can easily communicate and open spaces that encourage interaction between employees both inside and outside the company and across departments. In addition, many companies cited "work style reform" and "improving work efficiency" as areas they focused on in particular, with measures they implemented including the introduction of free addresses, promotion of more flexible work remotely, and the introduction of work styles that allow employees to choose the location according to the nature of their work.