The last time we talked about attracting and retaining talent in office renovations, we talked about what the post-90s generation is looking for in the workplace. However, that was in the second half of 2018, when the requirements for an ideal workplace were somewhat different from what they seem today. In this article, we explore what today's employees will be looking for in the coming months and beyond to ensure your office renovation has everything they need to attract and retain the next generation of talent in the industry.
Last year and early 2021, attracting and attracting talent is all about fostering a positive workplace experience by truly focusing on how to improve employee wellbeing (both physically and mentally). Today and moving forward, the overall line of thinking remains the same, but has now changed finer details to accommodate the so-called "new normal" catalyzed by COVID-19.
Let's take a look at the employee experience and wellness considerations that employers now need to consider as we move fast toward 2021, and how office renovations can help support this...
Safety must now be prioritized in office renovation projects
Of course, as we enter 2022, employees will wonder if they feel safe in the work environment. They want to see the necessary (and ever-changing) precautions in place to support infection control and aspects such as the density, geometry, and division of the space itself. Who knows what the future holds as we move further into the year, but at least for now, it's critical that businesses stay responsive and adapt to any recommended security guidelines.
How to solve this problem through office renovation:
The most effective way to adapt office design and office renovations is to ensure safety with a variety of space-dividing solutions, such as screens, partitions, portable office walls, flower pots, and strategically placed storage units. It's worth noting here that plastic desk partitions aren't the only solution.
Measures must be taken to support more socialization
Some employees work from home, the number of people in the workspace may be staggered, new hires may have joined in the past few months but haven't actually met any of their colleagues yet, teams are fragmented, and face-to-face interactions are limited in different ways from business-to-business degrees. For all these reasons, employers now need to do more to build connections and strengthen strong relationships between employees to maintain a company culture, connectivity, a sense of belonging, and productive collaboration.
How to solve this problem through office renovation:
1. More settings in workspaces designed for collaboration and face-to-face interaction
2. Sufficient video conferencing resources to keep in touch with remote meetings and resident employees
3. The configuration of furniture and technology makes employees feel that they can interact safely with confidence
Put employee well-being at the heart of office fit-out design
Essentially, any office design, office renovation, and office renovation project needs to focus more on the well-being of employees than ever before. Not only in terms of infection control, limiting the various factors of disease and physical health, but also in terms of mental health, because this also has a profound impact on productivity and thus on the bottom line.
Both existing employees and the next generation of talent want to see them cared for, and their health is seen as part of the physical workspace and the broader company culture.
How to solve this problem through office renovation:
There are many ways to address employee well-being through office renovation and interior design, but biophilic elements are essential when specifically addressing COVID-safe workspaces. Not only do houseplants help purify indoor air, reduce toxins in the air, and promote overall health, but plants and pots are also beautiful alternatives to plastic desktop screens and partitions.
Installing an air purifier is also an efficient way to remove viruses from indoor air.
Promote the need for remote work
Until 2021, working from home, flexible working, and remote participation are all familiar concepts, but these concepts are at the discretion of employers and not adopted by all businesses or departments. Due to the coronavirus's restrictions on movement and various lockdown levels, most businesses around the world now have to implement remote work in some form. This will also not disappear or return to "normal".
We want to see more employees adopting a more nomadic approach than ever before in terms of where, when and how they work, so it's critical that employers promote this desirable level of choice and control, and many are now accustomed to it.
How to solve this problem through office renovation:
1. Again, provide high-standard video conferencing tools to enable family workers to participate seamlessly.
2. Combine portable writing and/or digital screens so that anyone joining a meeting via video call can easily view and access collaboration and idea sharing.
3) With a more flexible way of working, you can also consider swapping out your dedicated desk area for more collaboration spaces that are more conducive to activity-based work than assigning seats.