33 / 52
FOR THE WORKPLACE NOW INCLUDE:
Workforce expectations:
The most talented young
candidates want to work for digital companies in
the digital economy. Whether this is a new start-up
or an established business transforming itself, the
candidate’s expectations include flexibility, formal
and informal collaboration, learning, choice, work-life
balance and the opportunity to “make their mark.”
They will gravitate towards organizations whose
workspace, culture and technology provision align to
these expectations. A survey amongst graduates that
investigated not only why they joined companies but also
why they turned down other companies discovered:
• The most important attributes of an organization
according to graduate talent globally were:
a) Professional training and development
b) Creative and dynamic working environment
c) Leaders who support my development
• Millennials want to match their career choice
with their lives and values and so are:
a) Looking to make a difference
b) Expecting to be able to contribute their ideas
c) Want to enjoy themselves
• A significant degree of transition between sectors;
switching between technology, the big four
consultancies and investment banking.
2
Workplace perception:
The traditional workplace no
longer appeals, with research in Paris amongst business
school graduates indicating that 93% of graduates don’t
want to work in such a space. Home working or public
spaces would be their preferred working environment,
again indicating a drive towards choice and flexibility over
corporate culture. However the pull of the city center is
still strong, with 87% wanting to work in urban cores, as is
the desire for collaboration and hunger for quick learning
from others in the organization. For this reason a physical
workspace is still key, but one which acts as a hub for
interaction, designed accordingly, and used in combination
with more flexible work and location options. Within these
spaces businesses should look to provide non-traditional
yet well-connected workspace, supported with high
quality and intuitive technology, to accommodate the
range of workstyles that their future workforce aspires to.
Now we see even highly traditional occupiers such as legal
firms recognizing that their inflexible single-office models
inhibit knowledge sharing, and that more collaborative
hybrid spaces would meet the demands of their incoming
hires and their clients’ expectations of innovation.
3
*“Engagement and the Global Workplace”
report,
Steelcase, 2016
Engagement and wellbeing:
Mounting research shows
that providing employees with choice over when, where
and how they work is the most important factor in driving
satisfaction and engagement of staff when it comes down
to the workplace. With recent research showing 1/3 of
the average workforce is disengaged*, the recognition
that the workplace can make a significant impact on
this is now influencing the way in which space is viewed
as a business tool. Organizations are asking how to
encourage staff back into the office to take advantage
of ad-hoc meetings and unscheduled collaboration.
Wellbeing; covering physical and emotional fitness and
work life balance should recognize and provide spaces
for all work styles and personality types, in a balanced
distribution of facilities. This can transform the workplace
culture, improve performance, innovation and accelerate
productivity, as well as benefitting the bottom line.
4
33