What actually gets your employees excited about coming into work every day? It’s no secret that creating an engaging, exciting, and rewarding workplace can make a huge improvement in employee satisfaction and productivity. For many employers, however, it’s not always easy to know where to start.
Do you improve communication by tearing down all the cubicle walls? Do you boost employee satisfaction by ripping out all the fluorescent lights? Will your staff’s productivity be more improved by a sound-proof meditation room, or a beanbag-filled retro-arcade space?
Here’s the thing: These gimmicky amenities don’t actually work. If you want your employees to look forward to clocking in and getting to work, you need to think about the big picture. A few modest, but meaningful changes in the office environment can yield huge results over time. These are basic quality of life improvements that should be on every company’s radar.
Here are the five culture trends we’ll see more of in 2017, courtesy of Katie Boova from Watchdog Real Estate Project Managers:
1. Let There Be Light
Human beings were never designed to spend their daylight hours typing away under artificial lights in a lifeless cubicle farm. We’re living, breathing creatures, and we crave open spaces, social interaction, and natural light. With this in mind, major companies across the globe are experimenting with a more open style of office layout. By dismantling window-hogging corner offices, lowering cubicle walls, and moving meeting rooms to the center of the floor, employees can now enjoy a more flexible, naturally illuminated, productivity-creating workspace.
2. A Breath Of Fresh Air
A healthy workplace is a happy workplace. Perhaps that’s why so many companies have invested in a dedicated position — or even a department — focused on boosting employee health and wellness. These wellness-minded leaders aim to get their employees moving, advocating for outdoor collaboration spaces, after-work exercise events, and breaktime walks.
Keeping employees healthy while indoors is also a growing concern, particularly when it comes to air quality. Integrated CO2 sensors are a great example, helping to reduce fatigue and sleepiness in crowded spaces like conference rooms. Investments in programs like LEED, Well Building, and Energy Star certifications help to create safe and healthy workplaces where workers can feel energized every day.
3. Little Amenities Make A Big Impact
It’s the little things that often make the difference between a great workplace and a mediocre one. For example, companies with strict-and-stuffy, fiercely enforced dress codes just aren’t as fun to work at as places where workplace-appropriate casual attire is allowed. Plenty of companies are experimenting with employee-friendly options like standing desks, collaboration spaces, nap areas, or game rooms, looking to find the right mix of options to make the daily workplace experience about more than watching the clock. Even a small boost to office morale can make a huge difference in terms of overall productivity.
4. Lunch Comes To You
Not that long ago, companies thought that it was pretty easy to check “provide healthy food options” off their to-do lists. Simply chuck a gift basket of Granny Smiths into the break room once a quarter, and the problem was solved. Times have changed. We live in a world where even the humble lunch break provides an opportunity for socializing around a delicious, fresh, and healthy meal.
Today’s employers have an incredible new opportunity to provide the ultimate workplace perk. Forget the old lunch hour. Why not bring in the best local restaurants to set up shop at the office building itself, preparing excellent made-to-order meals? What employee wouldn’t look forward to coming into work every day if it meant trying out new dishes from the menus of the area’s best restaurants?
5. Change Management: The People Side of Office Change
Companies regularly miss the mark by not engaging their employees in an office change early—and often. At Watchdog, we’re big proponents of aligning people, processes, and technology to support a desirable company culture that promotes wellness, purpose, and a strong brand identity.
Some companies invest a significant amount of time and money making big changes — like blindly moving to an open concept office — even when it doesn’t make much sense for their situation or their employees. To avoid this, we advise our clients to engage their staff throughout the process, and communicate to in ways that align with company culture goals. Real change isn’t about following the latest corporate trends. It’s about bringing the needs of employees and employers together, so that everyone wins.
These five trends play a huge role in creating an office culture that’s alive and well. Stronger culture means improved morale, a better ability to attract stellar talent, and steadily increasing productivity. When employers can answer the call to improve the day-to-day lives of their employees with the right mix of amenities, their investment always pays off.
Katie Boova is Marketing Manager at Watchdog Real Estate Project Managers, a real-estate consulting firm that provides owner’s representation and project management services. More about Watchdog Real Estate Project Managers as well as additional blog posts can be found here.
