Your workplace design directly impacts your ability to attract top talent and retain your most valued employees. It provides you with a competitive edge and is key to achieving a dynamic mix of talent within your organization.
Attracting & Recruiting Talent
Unemployment is at a record low right now and 70% of employers say they struggle to fill open positions with the right talent. It is a candidate driven job market right now and job seekers want more than a lucrative salary and benefits package. There is an increased focus on the working environment, organizational core values, culture and having the capacity for autonomy, mastery and purpose. For the first time passion is ranked among the top values job seekers are looking for and they want a workspace and a culture that is reflective of that. In a recent study by CBRE, 78% of millennials said that workplace quality was important when choosing an employer and 69% said they would trade other benefits for a better workspace.
Retaining Your Top Talent
According to Ceredian, 66% of employees claim they do not plan on staying at their current company long-term and more that 33% say they are passively searching for a new job. That said, now, more than ever, it is paramount to provide a delightful working environment and positive culture for your employees to keep them engaged and happy. Employee engagement is directly correlated to their level of workplace satisfaction and your physical office environment can have a profound effect on both mood and morale. Every element of your office impacts the way people feel about the work they do and ultimately their level of job satisfaction.
How to Engage and Delight Through Workplace Design
Everyone has basic needs in life and at work there are also essential elements that contribute to a positive work experience including a sense of well-being, organizational support & autonomy, a range of diverse spaces to perform work and the technology required for getting their work done. Your office should be reflective of these needs and offer a variety of ergonomically-sound options for how your teams work throughout the day. This includes providing various options for sitting, standing and lounging. Offering collaborative seating, huddle rooms, privacy areas, rejuvenation spaces, sit-to-stand workstations, access to natural light, movable monitor arms and connectivity to power are just some of the workplace amenities valued by today’s employees.
Agile Working
Agile working is all the rage and designing your office to provide a workspace where teams can be more productive, innovative and customer-centric is where the working environment is headed. It encourages interaction, providing closer and constant collaboration between multiple departments within your organization as well as your clients. Having a flexible workspace with the right balance of private and collaboration space and user-centered design creates a free exchange of ideas and information and ultimately results in greater connection. There are many flexible office furniture solutions that can address these needs and provide a seamless experience for both individual and collaborative work.
Conclusion
Creating a flexible workspace that is innovative and delivers a human-centered design approach with agile options for working throughout the day is the best way to engage and inspire both your current and future employees. Highly engaged employees working in an environment that enhances their sense of well-being and has all the essential elements for performing their job are going to be happier and healthier. Remaining committed to excellence with the balanced purpose of achieving results while having fun – that will ultimately ensure you retain your top employees and attract the next generation of talent.
To learn more about how you can enhance your working environment to retain & attract top talent contact us.
