Research concludes that office environments must adapt to attract and retain talent in the face of changing work trends.
Companies are taking heed of changing work trends. As organisations attempt to win over the best talent, the physical workplace is being considered to attract talent and maximise productivity.
Features, amenities, and the correct balance of ‘me’ and ‘we’ are all important factors according to research conducted by real estate firm CBRE. “There are a variety of approaches to satisfy the high expectations of talented employees, while controlling or reducing real estate costs,” commented Mr Peter Andrew, director of workplace strategy at CBRE Asia Pacific. “But the best approaches are people-centric strategies that embrace diversity, choice and community”, he goes on to say.
The ‘me’ and ‘we’ concept can be simply described as working solo in a focused and quiet manner in specially designed spaces that provide privacy such as an enclosed space. The ‘we’ refers to shared work spaces such as that of a co-working space to enable collaborative work that often leads to noise. Attaining the balance of both will ensure people to work on at their best in both environments dependent on the task in hand.
Employee diversity, age, gender and life stage should all be taken into account when designing a workplace. Amenities and facilities should satisfy employees so should be involved in the planning phase. Features should promote physical health, such as natural light, temperature and indoor air and water quality, plus reduce stress, and ergonomic design features, including height-adjustable workstations and display screens.
“As workplaces have become more diverse and complex, forecasting space requirements has become much more about probability analysis – what’s the likelihood of someone needing this type of space? – rather than traditional linear or hierarchical calculation processes”, said Andrew.
Workplaces are not just a place to work but should provide a sense of community for employees to feel engaged in. It is thought that the next generation in workplaces will really impact the landlord-tenant relationship due to changing work trends. On the one hand a company has to provide an appealing workplace to attract and retain employees, but on the other hand, office landlords need to adapt to provide the right sort of building to meet demand.
“Building owners need to work in closer alignment with tenants to create new leasing options that provide greater ability for tenants to manage volatile headcounts,” said Dr Henry Chin, head of research for CBRE Asia Pacific. “These can include mixing core-leased spaces with short-term alternative workplaces and other facilities that enhance the experience of the people using the building and the surrounding precinct. More than just providing spaces, landlords can provide events and experiences that enhance the every day experience of building users”.