The intensifying race to find and keep talent in an increasingly competitive digital business environment have enabled employees to reshape the workplace in their image, including access to a flexible work environment and schedule, overall health and well-being programs, childcare, meal services, and sustainability initiatives.
And the latest data show that employers now see that these investments are critical to their workers’ business performances.
These are among the findings from new “future of work” research, conducted by JLL and Harvard Business Review, which previewed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last January.
A poll of 342 executives found that 83% agree that an attractive and flexible work environment is essential to attract and retain the talent they need to innovate and deliver business value in a competitive digital business environment and tight labor market.
More than half of the organizations these executives represent (57%) rate “human experience” as a top priority. “When we talk about human experience in the workplace, it’s really a recognition that, first and foremost employees are human beings with full lives beyond work that encompass friends, families, and varied interests, passions, and commitments,” states the authors of this research report. “So human experience efforts focus on improving how fluidly workers can integrate all of these pieces of the puzzle.”
This thinking is in line with a recent story in the New York Times that examined how wellness initiatives were ramping up in workplaces across the country. Corporate Wellness Magazine’s website also recently ran an article about how offices are merging tech and design for workplace wellness.
Over the past two years, almost one-third (32%) of JLL/Harvard survey respondents adjusted workplace design as a means to enhance the employee’s experience on the job. Another 31% adjusted workplace policies to accommodate flexible work schedules and working remotely.
And 53% of organizations plan to invest in human experience over the next two years. In that effort, more organizations are seeking their employees’ feedback and changes regarding workplace changes.
Already, more than half (53%) of respondents provide workers with the digital technology they need to work remotely or on a flexible schedule. And more than two-fifths of respondents have been customizing tis technology to employee preferences, by providing options to accommodate different people’s work styles and preferences.
A strong majority of respondents also place as a top priority the development of programs to support their employees’ health and well-being. For example, 35% of organizations are providing workplace amenities such as childcare and meal services, and 24% of organizations offer onsite recreation equipment.
Employee demand is also driving sustainability initiatives, say 55% of the organizations polled.
These efforts often result in more effective recruitment and retention. Because of their human experience initiatives, 36% of organizations report greater success retaining talent, 44% report improved employee morale, and 34% report improved productivity.
The research also found that:
•43% of organizations provide an appealing physical environment that fosters professional collaboration.
•42% offer new health and wellness benefits at little or no cost to employees.
•44% providing employees with opportunities, such as volunteer programs, to make meaningful social contributions unrelated to work.
The benefits from human experience initiatives include:
•greater brand image and recognition (29% of organizations polled).
•greater innovation (28%).
•greater visibility in the market and community (28%).
•greater customer satisfaction (27%).
•better relationships with suppliers and partners (21%).
•greater profitability (17%).
Related Stories
| Jan 6, 2015
Construction permits exceeded $2 billion in Minneapolis in 2014
Two major projects—a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings NFL team and the city’s Downtown East redevelopment—accounted for about half of the total worth of the permits issued.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 28, 2014
Robots, drones, and printed buildings: The promise of automated construction
Building Teams across the globe are employing advanced robotics to simplify what is inherently a complex, messy process—construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 key design interventions for a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace
Numerous studies and mountains of evidence confirm what common sense has long suggested: healthy, happier workers are more productive, more likely to collaborate with colleagues, and more likely to innovate in ways that benefit the bottom line, writes Gensler's Kirsten Ritchie.
| Dec 28, 2014
Workplace design trends: Make way for the Millennials
Driven by changing work styles, mobile technology, and the growing presence of Millennials, today’s workplaces are changing, mostly for the better. We examine the top office design trends.
| Dec 27, 2014
7 ways to enhance workplace mobility
The open work environment has allowed owners to house more employees in smaller spaces, minimizing the required real estate and capital costs. But, what about all of their wireless devices?
| Dec 27, 2014
'Core-first' construction technique cuts costs, saves time on NYC high-rise project
When Plaza Construction first introduced the concept of "core first" in managing the construction of a major office building, the procedure of pouring concrete prior to erecting a steel frame had never been done in New York City.
| Dec 19, 2014
Zaha Hadid unveils dune-shaped HQ for Emirati environmental management company
Zaha Hadid Architects released designs for the new headquarters of Emirati environmental management company Bee’ah, revealing a structure that references the shape and motion of a sand dune.
| Dec 18, 2014
In response to ultra-open and uber-collaborative office environments
Susan Cain’s bestselling 2012 book, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking" has made an impact on how we understand our current workforce, recognizing that at least one-third of the people we work with are introverts, writes SRG Partnership's Susan Gust.