Warren Egnal

Over the past few decades, companies have significantly altered their approach to the environment they provide for their employees, ranging from deploying technological solutions that enable more telecommuting and reconfiguring space to allow for more creativity and collaboration. As these and other workplace changes that have increased employee mobility and reduced how much time they spend at their desks, the average amount of space allocated by companies for each employee has dropped dramatically to 250 square feet from 400 square feet in the past 25 years according to some studies. Within 10 years, that is expected to drop further, to 150 square feet or less and, to make matters worse, many companies want to allocate as many as 3 employees to that single space!

Another factor weighing on the traditional approach to office location, space allocation and configuration is the changing workplace demographic and the very different expectations of the current and future workforce. In 2010 the percentage of Baby Boomers in the workplace was exceeded, for the first time, by Gen-X. This generation of workers (and those that will follow) has radically different values and ideas about how and where they want to work. They want to utilize technology that allows them to work from anywhere and at times of their convenience—the ultimate work-life balance outcome. They want to work for employers they perceive to be socially and environmentally responsible, requiring companies to be greener: less waste, LEED certified buildings, etc. They also want to work in a less hierarchical, team-oriented environment that allows for creative expression and self-fulfillment. And they want to have a voice in decisions that affect them.

To keep employees engaged and remain as an employer of choice, companies will need to seriously re-consider their workplace configuration strategies, involve their employees in developing new solutions and be prepared to radically change the conventional approaches that may have worked in the past but are sure to be ineffective moving forward. From time-to-time, experiments in new ideas have been tried with varying degrees of success. The reality is that every company has a unique set of circumstances based on legal/regulatory requirements, their business model and strategy, values and culture, etc. Consequently each strategic solution must be developed company-by-company within the context of these factors.

Strategic office-space considerations must be an integral component of the overall workplace philosophy with site location, building design and space configuration decisions driven by a goal of creating an environment most conducive to productivity and high-performance while still keeping employees engaged and motivated.  Success in changing office environments will depend on including employees in the decision process to ensure they’re being considered in a way that motivates them to embrace the new environment and do what is necessary for the change to take effect. Employee involvement and input will also lead to fresh thinking and new ideas often not considered by those typically assigned the responsibility for leasing, office moves, workplace design, etc. Not only will this ensure a smooth transition to a new workplace location and/or environment but also guarantee an increased ROI as employees are consequently more engaged and thus more effective in moving the company closer to reaching its objectives.

When one of our clients took this approach around an office move, it reduced management time in leading the process (the employees took ownership of the move), materially changed the plan, eliminating aspects that employees didn’t like and introduced new ideas management hadn’t considered that created a more positive environment for the employees. Coincidentally, in the most recent employee survey, this department had the highest employee engagement level of any in the company.

The Engagement Strategies Employee Engagement Advantage Program ensures strategic implementation of corporate initiatives and changes that create a competitive advantage, obtain the results intended and enables teams to reach goals faster. 

Warren Egnal is the Founder of and Principal Consultant for Engagement Strategies, a global firm which helps corporate leadership define their visions, brands, and purposes; foster adaptation to change and motivate positive employee, customer and other stakeholder behavior. Starting with business objective-directed strategy, Warren also creates and implements the policies and programs that translate theory into action. His primary expertise is in providing counsel and support for executives to ensure their decisions are more effective and their employees more productive.

Warren has led teams providing communications and HR counsel and program support for key client initiatives in Corporate and Employee Branding, Total Employee Experience, Customer Relationship Management, Change Management, Privacy, Employee Engagement and Corporate Intranet Programs.

Warren’s client experience includes consulting on multi-dimensional programs for Activision, Xilinx, Sony, Amgen, Qualcomm, HP, Micron, Nextel, Sprint PCS, Merck, Honeywell, BMC Software, Grady Health System, Atlanta Life Insurance Company and Medco Health, among others.

wegnal@engagementstrategies.com

www.engagementstrategies.com