In today’s cutthroat and highly competitive corporate environment, workspaces need to be carefully planned in order to attract, retain and engage top talent. in facet,given the emphasis that younger workers place on their environment – 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, collaborate and create. Here are a few important elements to designing such a workplace:
1 – Allow spaces to reflect “me”
Led by Generation Y (those born between 1979 and 1997) but followed by the rest of today’s workers, staff need spaces which reflect who they are – which is creative, unique individuals. People must be able to emotionally connect to their office space. If they want a picture of their baby, there needs to be a place for this. Essentially, one must allow for ample individuality within a workspace.
2 – Create ‘socially conscious’ environments
The youth of today are very conscious of the environment. From the organic food they buy to the hybrid cars they drive, caring for the environment is central to their daily lives. As a result, to attract these workers, it is important to be aligned with their environmental mission. So for example, put a great CSI project in place, and give back to the community and to your workers.
3 – Provide organisational transparency
Today, workers do not only want to feel a part of a company, but 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.
4 – Support personal growth
Most modern workers are highly educated and are used to continually growing their knowledge and experiences. People naturally have a desire to learn, and if they feel they can’t grow or learn in an environment, they move to one where they feel they can. It is therefore important to always provide opportunities for staff to grow and learn, such as creating mentor programs or financing new courses of study.
5 – Reflect Work/Life Balance
Today’s working world is incredibly fast-paced, and most people battle to find a suitable balance. For companies to attract the best talent, they need to offer flexibility and various spaces that don’t only relate to work. For example, have a gym at the office. Or offer coaching services to find the balance.
6 – Match the type of work being done
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 that employees do. For example, if they work with in-depth contracts or legal documents, they need concentration spaces. 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 to simply plug and play. Modern workspaces need to support this technology-driven lifestyle, which is especially important to the younger generation.