A Round Table discussion on how your workplace and location add value to your company

What’s happened since Covid-19? 

People have become used to working from home - walking the dog during lunch and saving commuting time. Companies are finding it hard to get their employees to return to the office. They are experiencing 30-50% maximum occupancy at best. In most cases the type of employee and location determines how likely they are to return to the office. However, reasons for returning cannot be assumed. One company had imagined people were coming to the office to collaborate. In fact, they came for focus work. Continuous piloting enables assumptions to be tested so the workplace can evolve in line with employees’ changing needs. While productivity remains high, it is too early to assess the impact on creativity and culture. If innovation declines, could companies find themselves at a disadvantage in the future? 

The increase in commercial space entering the market is creating a challenge for real estate owners. Companies want more flexibility than traditional 10-15 year contracts. Employees want flexibility too -rising energy costs are bringing probably further changes to working patterns as working from home becomes more expensive. Possible solutions were considered, for example bringing parties together to share space and creating flexibility in square meters leased. 

How does the office add value? 

Offices breathe the brand in a way that extends beyond logos and corporate colours. The office vibe and the people working there radiate the culture and ethos of the organisation. Being part of this vibe is particularly important for onboarding junior employees. A strong office culture also creates opportunities for mutual co-working spaces with other companies and removes the need for excessive branding. Offices can also add value through engaging and facilitating employees in creativity and innovation, encouraging interaction, collaboration and knowledge sharing. To successfully do this, companies need to be clear on exactly why they want employees to come to the office. With a vision in place, the focus is then on making the trip to the office worthwhile – perhaps using a living lab concept to explore ideas in collaboration with HR and IT departments. Offices are all about people. To ensure they support your vision, people need to be at the forefront.

How can your office become a differentiating factor in the war for talent?

The increasing digitisation and automation of industry brings a need for different types of people who excel in e-commerce and branding. The war for talent among this target group is raging. Culture forged through social interactions and office atmosphere is important to attract and retain top hires. With employees spending less time in the office, and office space needing to be more flexible – and less strongly branded – other culture builders need to take over some of the role played by the social fabric. This requires close collaboration with departments such as IT, brand, marketing, communication, real estate and HR. Don’t overlook factory and on-site workspaces. These have traditionally attracted less investment than office environments. With the upcoming retirement wave in prospect, a new vision for these spaces provides another opportunity to differentiate your business in the war for talent.  

The inspiring Round Table discussion showed just how much things have changed in 12 months. The exact impact of hybrid working is not yet clear so the transition to a new workplace environment continues. On a positive note, we all have been stimulated to rethink the workspace and opportunities are emerging.