Workplace Design Evolution and Amenities

How does the design of a workplace attract employees? Why is workplace design so important towards retention rates? How have the needs of employees changed over time? Christina Piper, Vice President of Workplace Design at Big Red Rooster – a JLL company says “since the pandemic, we’ve seen a lot of clients inquiring about hybrid work and kind of figure out their hybrid work strategies. The biggest change that we’ve seen in workplace design evolution is before the pandemic, clients who wanted workplace strategy was like 10 to 20 percent, very low, and now it’s really 50 to 60 percent and they want some bit of strategy to understand what’s lacking in their workplace, what could be different, and how to implement some of these hybrid strategies.” Piper defines workplace strategy as “diving into the research side of their organization, focus groups, employee surveys, leader interviews, and more.” The increase in client interest in workplace strategy shows how the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the comfort elements and strategies of a workplace.

What are tenants looking for in amenities?

“Tenants are looking at standard things like parking but they’re also looking at restaurant options that are close by, things like dry cleaning, and even the ability to have parks and trails close to where they are for a lunchtime walk” says Piper. “Also, people are really saying, you know safety is a big concern, so do they feel safe in their building? Is there a security guard? Is there access control at all their doors? Do they feel like the building is well kept up?” adds Piper. “Just in general tenants want a modern building and they want to feel like they’re in a space that’s been invested in and cared for” describes Piper. A property that has been invested in and cared for can look like many different things like dedicated green space, energy efficiency, technological advancements, and more.

The Evolution of Workplace Design

In the last few years, landscape design has evolved from a domino effect of events. First, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted working from home which later evolved into hybrid work systems focused on combining in-office and home-office working schedules. From there a larger emphasis was placed on the wellbeing of employees and how workplace design can benefit and encourage employees to enjoying working in an office space. “When we talk about a comfortable workplace, we’re talking about a place where people feel safe, where people feel they can be efficient, and where people feel like they can flex between several work settings is what I did was comfortable. A lot of that has to do with furniture, a lot of clients are bringing up points of ergonomic furniture” explains Piper. Ergonomic furniture is human centric furniture that focuses on providing function and comfort. Piper gives an example of ergonomic furniture by mentioning the sit-stand desk she uses in her home office.

“Also, a comfortable workplace is one where people can feel free to utilize technology, whatever route needed to be efficient” adds Piper. Technology has been increasingly important towards everyday life in the workplace, but different utilizations work for different employees, teams, and organizations. Emphasizing the notion of freedom to utilize technology that is effective and efficient for you can further encourage productivity in the office. Additionally, making technology adaptable and accessible for whatever method an employee chooses to utilize technology is crucial. If technology is not adaptable to the needs of each employee, the technology will likely go under appreciated. For example, if an employee wanted a change of scenery to work in the common lounge space of their office, are there electrical outlets nearby that they can use for their laptop, is there enough natural light to make the space comfortable?