Introducing Choice in the Workplace
What exactly is ‘choice’ in the workplace?
Now, more than ever, so many of us have an expanded range of choice in how we work - one that extends far beyond the physical boundaries of the 'traditional' office. If we are to find a positive from the pandemic, it has taught us that work truly can and does happen anywhere and everywhere. Think of 'choice' in the workplace as in you choose where, when, and how you will best support your activities and engagements. Offering a more robust range of settings can make a powerful statement about the value an organization has for accommodating the unique needs of its workforce.
We introduce three different kinds of workplace settings below that support this concept of choice: Activity-Based, User-Adaptable, and Tech-Enabled.
Activity-Based
Activity-based settings are those that are designed around the variety of activities being performed in a space. Offering employees thoughtful, curated work environments that address solo, team, and community work practices will enhance not only individual worker performance and focus, but also highly valuable collaborative engagements, elevating one of the most missed experiences of our recent, 'physically siloed' reality.
Solo
Heads-down and focus work
Team
Collaboration and organized meeting
Community
Impromptu gathering and touchdown spaces
User-Adaptable
User-adaptable settings reach beyond the idea of a 'flexible' workspace. 'Flexible' workspaces can be modified and reverted to their original purpose, whereas an 'adaptive' workspace is one that can morph and adjust to accommodate a different function or purpose. By thinking of the workplace as a dynamic ecosystem, the everchanging components of an organization can be accounted for. This means space adapts with the changing nature of work, in a simpler, more organized, and less painful process.
Tech-Enabled
Tech-enabled settings include spaces that incorporate various technologies to improve the user productivity. It is important to keep in mind that when we say, 'user' or 'users,' that we are not only speaking about the individuals physically occupying that space, but also anyone engaging remotely with those individuals. This could be in the form of one direction communication, like a presentation, or multi-directional engagements where the on-premises users interact and collaborate with the remote users. In addition to technology, acoustical performance enhancements also need to be considered when designing a tech-enabled setting. Coordination with our Workplace Technology Specialists will ensure a successful environment and user(s) experience, both in person and remotely.
Providing employees with this variety of workplace settings - activity-based, user-adaptable, and tech-enabled - creates freedom of choice in how people approach doing their best work. Today's companies are better equipped than ever before to explore and recruit talent from across the country (or even the globe) due to the increased connectivity enabled by technology, especially after the pandemic had most offices working from home. Industry professionals started having more intentional conversations about the value of introducing choice in the workplace as COVID-era work demanded flexibility. Organizations have found that collaborating with an experienced Workplace Consultant is the most efficient route when looking to create various workplace settings within their unique office environment, and have also discovered that this investment helps drive the best outcomes in terms of productivity, wellness, and attraction and retention of talent. ★