Who Owns the Office Experience in 2025? And Why It Matters

As expectations of the workplace continue to evolve, the physical office is being redefined. No longer just a place to complete tasks, it now serves as a destination for connection, collaboration, and culture; a tangible expression of what a business stands for.

But creating this kind of workplace doesn’t happen by accident. The experience people have when they walk through your doors, whether they’re there every day or only occasionally, has a lasting impact on engagement, performance, and loyalty. And yet, in many businesses, no one is clearly responsible for shaping it.

When office experience is left to chance, the result is often underwhelming: friction, frustration, and spaces that fail to serve the people they’re meant to support. When managed well, the office becomes a strategic tool. One that attracts talent, strengthens culture, and helps teams do their best work.

The Office Is Evolving, Whatever Your Working Model

It doesn’t matter whether a company runs a full-time, hybrid or flexible setup. The way people use office space is shifting. Increasingly, it’s moving away from just about being present to having a genuine purpose. Why are people coming in? What are they looking to achieve? And does the space support that?

For some, the office remains the primary place where work gets done. For others, it’s a space for face-to-face collaboration, team connection, and culture-building. Either way, expectations are rising. With the cost of living climbing, and commuting and weekday lunches becoming more of a time and financial burden, people are asking more of their time in the office. They want spaces that are thoughtfully designed, easy to navigate, and genuinely worth showing up for.

That shift in mindset is especially strong among younger professionals. Surveys show that most students and early-career workers want to be in the office at least part of the week, but not just to sit at a desk. They’re looking for social connection, hands-on learning, and a sense of belonging. Employers that

Ownership Is the Missing Link

Despite the clear value of a great office experience, many businesses still haven’t assigned responsibility for it. Different departments may influence parts of the picture; HR owns culture, Facilities manages space, IT supports tools, but no one is steering the full experience from end to end.

That gap matters. Without clear ownership, the office experience becomes inconsistent. Booking systems don’t work properly. Amenities go unused. Meetings fall flat. Friction builds, and teams start to disengage.

By contrast, when someone takes charge, whether that’s a dedicated role, a cross-functional team, or an external partner, the workplace becomes more intentional. Every touchpoint is designed to support the kind of work and culture the business is aiming to create. People feel the difference, and the space becomes a place they want to be.

Different Models, Same Goal

There’s no one-size-fits-all structure for managing office experience. What matters is clarity.

Some organisations appoint a Workplace Experience Manager or Head of Workplace. These roles look holistically at design, technology, operations, culture and hospitality, connecting the dots across teams to create seamless, engaging environments.

Others take a shared approach. HR, Ops, IT and Facilities work together, sometimes through internal working groups or employee engagement committees. This can work well as long as there’s alignment and someone is clearly accountable.

Some businesses choose to partner with external providers, especially when scaling up, moving office, or rethinking how their space works. Outsourcing doesn’t mean losing control. With the right oversight, it can offer access to experience, creativity and resources that internal teams

Ask the Right Questions

Regardless of the model, workplace experience starts with strategy:

– What role does the office play in our business?
– What are we asking people to come in for?
– How well does the current space support that?
– What kind of experience are we creating now, and what’s missing?
– Who is responsible for making it better?

Answering these questions can guide investment, unlock opportunities, and clarify priorities. Whether the focus is on retention, performance, brand perception or wellbeing, the experience of the office plays a central role.

Design the Experience, Don’t Leave It to Chance

In 2025, the most effective workspaces are not necessarily the most high-tech or the most luxurious. They’re the ones that reflect the needs and values of the people using them, and they’re actively managed with that in mind.

Whatever working model a business follows, the office experience should be treated as a core part of the employee journey. Someone needs to own it. Because when they do, the office turns from a place to work to a destination people want to be at.