Design your office to attract the best talent
Today, modern workspaces need to be optimally planned to attract, retain and engage employees. Previously, staff only worked at the office and the focus was on structured tasks. However now professionals are networked and connected all over the world, in various offices and settings. They work across time zones and require shared spaces to work with colleagues who are both close by and far away. Indeed, the office has become more than just a single workspace - it is now a palette of places and shared experiences.
As a result, a company’s success is in large part now determined by the quality of the workspace it provides – and how seamlessly it can allow workers to connect and collaborate.
Here are seven critical elements to designing such a workplace:
1 – Give your employees space to express themselves
Led by generation Y (those born between 1979 and 1997) but followed by the rest of today’s employees, staff need spaces which reflect who they are. In addition, an office needs to be very comfortable, with the right lighting, acoustic levels and air flow. People must be able to connect emotionally to their office space. So if they want a picture of their baby, there needs to be a place for this. You must allow your staff members the freedom to be individuals within their workspace.
2 – Create socially conscious work environments
Most of the youth of today are very conscious about the environment. From the organic food they buy to the hybrid cars they drive, caring for the environment is central to their daily lives.
When choosing a company to work for, many young professionals look at the environmental message they are sending out and its carbon footprint. As a result, to attract these workers, you must align your company with an environmental mission. For example, put a great CSI project in place so that you can give back to the community and your employees.
3 – Ensure your organisation is transparent
Today, employees want to feel part of a company and they want to know more about who they are working for. The Internet has made information freely available and young professionals now expect to have it at their fingertips – including information about their employers. As a result, your company brand must be displayed across the offices, with value-adding messages throughout, for people to see.
4 – Support your employees’ personal growth
Most modern employees are highly educated and are used to growing their knowledge and experiences continually. People naturally have a desire to learn, and if they feel they can’t grow or learn in an environment, they move on. It is therefore always important to provide opportunities for staff to grow and learn by, for example, creating mentor programmes or paying for them to study.
5 – Reflect a work/life balance
Today’s working world is incredibly fast paced and most people battle to find a suitable balance. To attract the best talent, you need to offer flexibility and various spaces that don’t only relate to work. There are many ways to tackle this, for example have a gym at the office, offer coaching services, or create various zones to work in at an office so employees don’t feel stifled by their environment.
6 – Match the type of work being done with the office it’s done in
There is far more to an office than “WE” and “I” spaces. The office needs to provide zones or workspaces that match the type of work employees do. For example, if they work with in-depth contracts or legal documents, they need spaces where they can concentrate. If they participate in long strategy sessions, they need inspiring ‘think tank’ rooms.
7 – Make technology a priority
Today, technology isn’t only a given, but an extension of who we are. Be it a smartphone, tablet or laptop, we almost always have at least one piece of technology with us. We demand connectivity and ease of use. Modern workspaces need to support this technology-driven lifestyle, which is especially important to the younger generation.
