Hybrid Work and Social Reboot
In the past few years, people have experienced unprecedented changes in their work dynamics, particularly with the rise of remote work and the isolation that came with it. After the end of Covid, many people have re-evaluated the importance of social interaction with colleagues. Office chatter, once an integral part of daily life, is something we deeply missed – from sharing weekend stories to discussing colleagues' children's activities, and even office pranks during parties. These interactions added vitality to our daily work routines.
As hybrid work models become the norm, how to balance communication with colleagues and efficient independent work has become a major focus. A healthy office environment has been proven to be crucial for both employee well-being and productivity.
Survey Background
To better understand modern office culture, we surveyed 1,100 office employees aged 18 and above in the Netherlands. The survey covered where employees interact with colleagues, the types of help they request, the frequency of personal printing, and whether they know the difference between ink and toner.
Popular Spots for Office Chats
Our survey revealed the top six places where office employees prefer to chat with colleagues:
- Their own desk (48%)
- A colleague's desk (31%)
- Office kitchen (28%)
- Cafeteria (21%)
- Printer or scanner area (15%)
- Water cooler (9%)
Age analysis shows that employees aged 45-54 are most likely to chat at their own desk (51%). Meanwhile, employees aged 18-24 prefer chatting at colleagues' desks (34%) or in the office kitchen (32%).
We also looked into which cities had the highest rates of these interactions:
- Employees are most likely to chat at colleagues' desks in Rotterdam (62%), Amsterdam (53%), and Utrecht (41%).
- The most frequent office kitchen chats occur in Groningen (54%), Enschede (49%), and Arnhem (43%).
- Cafeteria chats are most common in Eindhoven (47%), The Hague (39%), and Almere (31%).
- Water cooler chats are most common in Leiden (26%), Zwolle (22%), and Breda (20%).
Types of Help Employees Request
The survey found that employees most commonly ask their colleagues for help with the following:
- Making tea or coffee (23%)
- Printing documents (20%)
- Waiting for lunch breaks (18%)
- Setting up printers (16%)
- Getting a ride home (13%)
Over a third (34%) of respondents mentioned that they often ask colleagues for help with printer-related issues.
In terms of age, employees aged 18-24 are most likely to ask for help with printing (37%), while those aged 25-34 are more likely to request assistance with waiting for lunch breaks (39%).
Here’s a breakdown by city:
- The highest requests for tea or coffee are in Rotterdam (51%), Arnhem (44%), and The Hague (36%).
- The cities where employees ask the most for help with printing are Enschede (48%), Utrecht (35%), and Leiden (29%).
- The highest requests for waiting for lunch breaks are in Groningen (31%), Almere (30%), and Zwolle (28%).
Frequency of Printing Personal Documents
77% of respondents admitted to printing personal documents at work. Specifically:
- 7% always use the office printer for personal documents.
- 18% often print personal documents.
- 26% occasionally print personal documents.
- Only 14% said they never use the office printer for personal purposes.
Employees aged 18-24 are the most likely to print personal documents, with 16% always doing so and 42% doing it regularly. Employees aged 65 and older are the most cautious, with around 32% saying they never print personal documents at work.
Cities with the highest number of people printing personal documents include Amsterdam (24%), Rotterdam (22%), and Eindhoven (12%). The lowest cities are Groningen (48%), Enschede (42%), and Breda (34%).
The Knowledge Gap: Ink vs. Toner
We also asked office employees whether they knew the difference between ink and toner. In short, ink is wet, while toner is dry.
On average, only 35% of Dutch office employees correctly distinguish between ink and toner, while 30% are unsure.
Age-wise, employees aged 65 and older are most likely to know the difference (46%), while those aged 25-34 are the least knowledgeable (28%). Men are more likely to know the difference (42%) compared to women (31%).
The cities with the highest correct answers were:
- Rotterdam (57%)
- Amsterdam (54%)
- Eindhoven (51%)
- The Hague (48%)
- Groningen (45%)
Cities with the highest percentage of employees unsure about the difference include Breda (65%), Arnhem (56%), and Utrecht (50%).
Survey Summary and Future Outlook
From this survey, we gathered key insights:
- Employees prefer to interact at their desk, at colleagues' desks, or in the office kitchen.
- Making tea, printing documents, and waiting for lunch breaks are common requests.
- A significant 77% of employees print personal documents at work, especially younger employees.
- Only 35% of employees correctly distinguish between ink and toner.
As Covid has ended for over 3 years, office culture is gradually coming back to life. The hybrid work model helps employees reconnect face-to-face, supporting both their well-being and work efficiency. Looking ahead to 2025, we can expect office interactions and collaboration to reach new heights!