How Office Location Impacts Staff Retention and Hiring
Office location doesn't just determine how long employees spend travelling - it fundamentally shapes their daily experience, wellbeing, and connection to their role. Where your office is based can influence both recruitment and retention, making location an important part of your people strategy.
The Commute Conundrum
We often underestimate just how much commuting affects staff. A UWE study found that each additional minute of commuting reduces both job and leisure satisfaction. Add 20 minutes, and it’s like a 19% pay cut.
Even so, when faced with two job offers, one higher-paid with a longer commute, and one lower-paid with a shorter journey, 84% of people still choose the longer commute. Researchers call this “commuter’s bias”.
Long journeys don’t just cause frustration. They can lead to:
• More stress and worse mental health
• Lower output and more sick days
• Reduced job satisfaction
In 2023, Unispace found that 42% of employers enforcing office returns saw a higher-than-normal turnover, whilst 29% struggled more with recruitment. With staff increasingly able to choose where they work, commute quality has become a key factor in retention.
How Location Shapes Daily Wellbeing
Commutes are just one part of the picture. The environment around your office, from green spaces to local amenities, can have a big impact on satisfaction and performance.
The Green Space Advantage
Even just seeing greenery from office windows, or having access to outdoor space can boost wellbeing. Simple things like outdoor seating, the ability to step outside for a walk during lunch, or areas where people can comfortably work near nature can make a noticeable difference in energy, staff morale and productivity.
The Accessibility Factor
Accessibility means more than motorway proximity. Offices located just outside congested areas often provide the best of both worlds: connectivity without chaos. Your team can avoid rush-house traffic while enjoying calmer surroundings when they arrive.
The Advantages of Being Semi-Rural
Business parks in semi-rural locations are becoming a popular alternative to city offices, especially for teams embracing hybrid working or prioritising wellbeing.
Here’s why semi-rural locations work so well:
• Predictable commute times without congestion
• Immediate access to green spaces and fresh air
• Ample, often free parking
• Calmer surroundings that support work-life balance
Making Location Work for Your Retention Strategy
Even if you’re not relocating, there are ways to make your current office location work harder for you. You could offer subsidised public transport or flexible commuting options to make journeys easier, make the most of outdoor spaces with seating or greenery, and create partnerships with nearby cafés, gyms, or recreational facilities to enhance the everyday experience for your team.
If a move is being considered, it’s worth prioritising transport links that suit different commuting options, access to natural spaces and amenities your staff value, room for growth and flexibility, and a high-quality local area with a strong community feel. Semi-rural business parks often strike the perfect balance, providing connectivity without the stress and congestion of a city location.
Making Hybrid Work
For hybrid teams, location and flexibility need to go hand in hand. Office days should be scheduled around collaboration that justifies the journey. There’s little point in having only one person in the office if others are spending over an hour commuting. On-site amenities and a welcoming environment make a big difference. When your team wants to come in because the office adds value to their day, location becomes a retention asset rather than a barrier.
Finding the Right Location for Your Team
In summary, office location has a direct relation to retention and should be important in your organisations’ strategy. The right location reduces stress, enhances wellbeing, and creates an environment where talented people choose to stay.
Business parks like Tanshire Business Park demonstrate how countryside settings with excellent connectivity can offer compelling alternatives to traditional urban offices. Located just outside Guildford in Surrey, such locations provide access to natural environments and walking trails whilst maintaining strong transport links. Sitting close to the A3 with mainline rail services to London Waterloo just 35 minutes away from nearby stations.
Features that make rural business parks attractive include:
• Surrounded by countryside with gardens and green space
• Traffic-free access avoiding congested urban routes avoiding congested urban routes
• Ample parking eliminating daily stress and expense
• On-site amenities including cafés and meeting facilities
• Grade A office spaces with high-speed connectivity
Testimonial:
"After a guided viewing the decision to move the business to Tanshire Business Park was ultimately an easy one. We were impressed by the high standard of the office space provided, the rural location, the on-site cafe and the transport links close at hand. The close proximity to the A3 makes travelling to client meetings in Guildford a simple process and our staff certainly benefit from avoiding the Guildford traffic in the morning!"
Tim Butler, Founder of Innovation Visual
Location as Strategy
Where your office is located shapes the day-to-day experience of your team; from commute stress to work-life balance and overall wellbeing. Research shows that commute quality affects retention, green space boosts productivity, and location flexibility is now a key driver of staff satisfaction. For organisations focused on keeping their best people, location deserves the same attention as pay, culture, and career development.
Ready to Explore Your Ideal Location?
Discover how business parks like Tanshire Park combine countryside tranquillity with excellent connectivity. Explore available office space or learn more about the benefits of countryside office locations.
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