Evolving Workplace Connectivity
Evolving workplace connectivity relies upon on-going research and development into office design solutions that will support a multi-generational workforce’s varying expectations, wants, and needs. For the growing Gen Z population, flexibility, autonomy, work/life balance, and physical + mental wellbeing have become “must-have” priorities.
Flexible work will remain for some industries and positions, but how does this affect those newly entering the workforce? Gen Z employees find themselves navigating the technical and the softer aspects of professional development on their own, without the benefits that frequent face-to-face engagement, mentorship, and personal connections.
FUTUREPROOF WORKPLACES
Navigating unstructured environments is particularly challenging when you are finding your place in the corporate world. Gen Z is coming to grips with quickly evolving workplace options and environments, often without the help of mentors and colleagues. Peripheral learning is invaluable to their growth and success. Overhearing colleagues navigate scenarios and challenge ideas is essential to understanding how teammates across disciplines and offices work in partnership to achieve a client’s goals. Observing first-hand how good ideas could flourish into spectacular ideas and how teams arrive at the most well-rounded solution can be both educational and invigorating.
Futureproofing the workplace into an incubator of growth and change is the best way to navigate an uncharted future. Creating an agile hybrid workplace environment with options for the workstyles of multiple generations will be significant to maintaining a stable connection point where trust, support, and reliability can exceed the gaps in remote work.
DESIGNING FOR THE STATUS QUO
As office designers and retailers, we have the power to evolve change and adapt to the workplace of the future. Creating healthy, safe, inspiring physical office spaces that support an individual’s overall well-being is important. Enabling employees to connect, collaborate, dream, thrive, and succeed becomes significant to employee retention. Technology that allows remote connection is just one component of the future of work. Authentic human connection builds a much stronger team infrastructure. Asking the right questions about your office design can help you achieve the right balance:
- How do we keep our multi-generation teams engaged and connected within a flexible office work model?
- How do we maximize the office space we have to better support revolving teams?
- How do we efficiently balance flexible work with office time to increase engagement?
IMPLEMENTING CONNECTION
Hybrid workplace models encourage creativity, relaxed collaboration, and a respite from traditional office settings. This is a huge opportunity to adapt how your teams work together with a redesign that incorporates Gen Z sensibilities into a multi-generational workplace:
- Dedicated Seating: Far more than any generation that came before them, Gen Zers benefit from having a dedicated seat at the office. A space to call their own, due to a lack of resources at home, can provide a quiet, focused work environment. Since they are more likely to have roommates or be living in smaller spaces that are not conducive to remote work.
- Training Areas: While Gen X and older generations come from a “sink or swim” mentality for on-the-job training, younger generations expect a mentorship-based model that is far more structured. Therefore, training areas, including small focus rooms, are critical to Gen Z’s professional development, growth, and overall sense of fulfillment.
- Community Spaces: The importance of community spaces for Gen Z office workers cannot be underestimated. This generation has a deep need to belong to something larger than themselves and to be part of a greater purpose. They gravitate to work environments that allow them to socialize and absorb the company culture and crave office environments that encourage people to interact, gather, and socialize.
- Branded Spaces: Branded spaces that embody the personality of the company are powerful storytellers. They create a sense of pride and connect people with a shared vision, which is very important to Gen Z.
- Encourage Storytelling: As humans, by nature, we want to belong to something. While the new wave of hot desks and communal spaces means you can choose where you want to work, it can be harder for people to feel a sense of belonging without their own desks and personal items to anchor them. To combat this, it’s important to give people the opportunity to share their stories, listen to others, learn about the organization, and create their own new experiences to make them feel a part of a collective.
- Spaces For Learning: In a time when many workers are changing jobs or even careers, flexible spaces that allow for hybrid and in-person training can link the two together in terms of culture, onboarding, and building social capital are in high demand. While you can create these different spaces to encourage collaboration and socialization, unless it is thoughtfully programmed, it may remain unused. A public gathering space can easily be activated by offering TED-style talks and roundtable discussions between senior talent and new hires to deepen brand integration and connectivity.
We know that when given the choice, people are drawn to the places that make them feel their best and most productive. They want to interact face-to-face with others because these interactions build relationships and support collaboration. A thoughtful design that evokes workplace connectivity by making people feel like they belong is a design that drives success from within. With the right support from colleagues, a modern work environment that supports flexible learning, and encourages personal storytelling will help you futureproof your office design. Talk to other businesses dealing with these challenges. Ask our design team for input. We are all creating the future of work together.
HYBRID OFFICE DESIGN is embracing work environments that promote flexible work options. Our team is equipped with a new scope of knowledge to help you adapt your existing workplace effectively to the needs of this new way of working and what it means for your team. Contact us at 512-448-3769 or experts@officefurniturenow.com
