How do I improve the employee experience with workplace analytics?
You can improve the employee experience by using workplace analytics and occupancy sensors to design better spaces, support hybrid work, and make data-driven decisions that align with how people actually use your office.
Workplace analytics helps you understand how your environment supports (or hinders) focus, collaboration, well-being, and productivity—all of which directly impact engagement and retention.
What Is workplace analytics?
Workplace analytics involves collecting and analyzing data about how employees use office space, tools, and time.
With platforms like Density Atlas and sensors like Waffle, you can track:
- Which spaces are used most (and least)
- When employees are in-office and how they move through the space
- The balance of “me” (focus) vs. “we” (collaboration) zones
- Areas of crowding, underuse, or mismatch between design and demand
This data provides a real-time feedback loop for improving employee experience.
Understand what employees actually need
Many offices are designed based on assumptions—not evidence.
Analytics tools change that by showing:
- Quiet zones are used twice as much as open-plan desks
- Large meeting rooms are booked for small groups (or ghosted entirely)
- Certain neighborhoods consistently draw more engagement
These insights help you design with purpose, creating spaces employees want to return to—not just have to.
Build flexibility into the workplace
Workplace analytics supports more agile, adaptable spaces by:
- Revealing peak occupancy times to inform desk-sharing or hybrid schedules
- Informing how to size collaborative areas vs. focus zones
- Powering Live Wayfinding so employees can find the right space when they need it
Example: Twilio reconfigured former desk rows into “dynamic spaces” with movable furniture to support multiple workstyles—all guided by utilization data.
Improve engagement, morale and well-being
When employees feel supported by their space, they’re more engaged.
Workplace analytics helps you:
- Identify pain points (e.g., noise, overcrowding, unused wellness rooms)
- Prioritize updates based on what employees actually value
- Create offices that balance connection and focus
Bonus: Real-time usage data lets cleaning, lighting, and HVAC respond to actual activity—making spaces more comfortable and sustainable.
Measure what’s working—and what’s not
With tools like Atlas, you can track the ROI of employee experience improvements:
- Compare building performance across locations
- Monitor changes after redesigns or RTO shifts
- Benchmark against industry standards
Insight: Density’s analysis showed that 71% of spaces could support 4x their usage—proving that analytics reveal hidden inefficiencies and opportunities.
Summary
To improve employee experience, use workplace analytics and occupancy sensors to create responsive, human-centered spaces.
They show you what employees need, what they actually use, and how to design a workplace that supports well-being, collaboration, and productivity.
Explore more guides
How do I improve the employee experience with workplace analytics?
You can improve the employee experience by using workplace analytics and occupancy sensors to design better spaces, support hybrid work, and make data-driven decisions that align with how people actually use your office.
Workplace analytics helps you understand how your environment supports (or hinders) focus, collaboration, well-being, and productivity—all of which directly impact engagement and retention.
What are the advantages of occupancy sensors?
Occupancy sensors provide real-time, accurate insights into how spaces are used—helping companies reduce costs, improve office design, and make better business decisions.
They eliminate guesswork from space planning and empower workplace, facilities, and real estate teams to optimize every square foot.
What are effective workplace strategies for the return to office?
The most effective return-to-office (RTO) strategies combine clear policy, human-centered flexibility, data-driven decisions, and office designs that employees actually want to use.
RTO success isn’t just about mandating a presence—it’s about building a workplace that drives collaboration, morale, and performance.
How do I know if my office space is being wasted?
You can tell if your office space is being wasted by measuring how often each space is used—and occupancy sensors provide the real-time data you need to find out.
If desks, meeting rooms, or entire floors are consistently empty or underutilized, that’s space (and money) going to waste. Tools like Density’s Waffle and Atlas help companies assess usage accurately so they can cut costs and improve the workplace experience.