Does your office space attract and retain staff?
It takes more than a Keurig and some bean bag chairs to make your office space appeal to current and future staff. Here's how to tell if your office space aligns with your goals for attracting and retaining staff.
There is more to creating a workspace that appeals to your current and future staff than adding a Keurig to the kitchen and some bean bag chairs in the corner. The key to leveraging your space for attracting and retaining talented professionals? Careful thought and planning to understand what they value in a workplace.
The company culture you would like to cultivate through your real estate should align with your organization’s goals for attracting and retaining staff.
What your office says about your workplace culture
When evaluating your office space, you must first understand which types of space appeal to your staff’s demographics.
In general, Millennials and younger staff prefer colorful, open workspaces that foster collaboration and open conversation. Contrarily, staff from previous generations prefer more structured workspaces. They often feel more comfortable in the “traditional” office setting with private offices for upper management and cubicle spaces for non-managerial staff.
Each of these layouts fosters an unspoken sense of company culture to current and prospective workers. The company culture you would like to cultivate through your real estate should align with your organization’s goals for attracting and retaining staff.
Office characteristics that appeal to working professionals
In a recent Cresa blog, the author highlights three characteristics needed to attract and retain top talent:
- Top-notch facilities characterized by a modern, comfortable setting, natural light, and a variety of collaboration spaces
- Constructive atmosphere that promotes productivity, health and wellness, and collaboration
- Highly accessible location that not only makes business sense but also is convenient for current and future staff, safe, and amenity-rich
How to align your culture and your corporate space
A high-level self-evaluation could be a helpful starting point to determine where your corporate office space stands and what you might change with your next lease renewal or relocation. With some careful planning, your organization may reap the benefits of greater staff attraction and retention.
If you’re considering relocating or updating the layout of your current workspace, Plante Moran Cresa can help you think through your space needs and programming. Reach out to us today to learn more about what we can uncover in our comprehensive space planning exercises.
