The 18- to 25-year-olds just entering, or poised to enter, the workforce aren't likely to be satisfied with shared "hotel-style" desk assignments, drab cubicles or windowless spaces that have characterised offices in the past, according to new research that could strongly influence space and energy efficiency strategies in the corporate world.

The highly educated, mobile and tech-savvy age group that falls within the demographic band known as Generation Y wants a workplace that's like them: urban, flexible, collaborative, environmentally sensitive and unconventional.

For them, work isn't just a place they go to from nine to five, then go home. They want an office and a work culture that's an extension of themselves and their home life - a place that supports what they value - and it better be green, according to a new study by Johnson Controls Inc. that has implications for employers, facility managers, human resources departments and building and office space designers.

Johnson Controls released the results of its research project OXYGENZ at the WORKTECH10 Conference in New York. The study is aimed at providing the first look at the workplace expectations of Gen Y - a group often considered as transformers or invaders depending on one's viewpoint.

With the Baby Boomers retiring and millions fewer in the younger generations to replace them in the workforce in the US, UK and Western Europe, employers are trying hard to understand what makes Gen Y tick.

Read more.