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Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace Performance
A CBRE Thought Series
Part Two
DESIGNINGTHE WORKPLACE EXPERIENCEAsia Pacific edition
2 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace ExperienceEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THE EVOLVING WORKPLACE
WHY CHANGE YOUR WORKPLACE?
WHAT MAKES FOR A GREAT WORK EXPERIENCE?
FOUR STEPS TO CREATING A WORK DESTINATION
TOWARD A BETTER WORKPLACE
Work is constantly changing. Consider how differently you perform your daily tasks today as
compared to even five years ago. But modern workplaces have not adapted at a pace equal
to technology, and the inability of real estate to keep pace is prompting many occupiers to
think differently about how they plan and allocate their space.
Attracting and retaining talent, driving greater collaboration and productivity, and improving
business agility are all top drivers of workplace change. Once the right market for talent is
identified, the focus must turn to creating an environment where that talent can feel engaged
and thrive.
Many things go into making “the office” so much more than the physical space one sits in.
These include everything from the conference room technology to the services available to
employees to help balance personal and professional demands. The extent to which such
factors are considered in workplace design can help create a great work experience.
Creating an optimal workplace is a four-step process: Know your users and what they need to
be effective; see your office as the center of a network of places where work gets done; meet
your people’s basic functional needs first; and, design for delight. When you are committed to
designing a workplace that creates competitive advantage for your organization, you need to
challenge the status quo.
It is essential to analyze the path to an informed workplace strategy. Lead with your vision.
Gain commitment from key stakeholders. Take a user-centered approach to understanding
what your people need. Address the experience, not just the place. Accelerate your cycle of
investments. Finally, experiment, adapt, repeat. This process is most successful when it is led
from the top and recognized for what it is: a tremendous organizational transformation effort.
As we discuss in the first paper in this thought series, the starting point for any discussion around workplace performance is labor and
location selection. In addition to being a core element of any organization’s business strategy, talent needs to be a keystone in an
occupier’s overall real estate portfolio strategy.
With that established, an occupier can focus on the design of the workplace and reimagining how the office functions. The
technological and social changes that have redefined how work gets done demand a rethinking of how we accommodate our
employees and design an optimal workplace experience.
3 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
Work is constantly changing. Consider how
differently you perform your daily tasks
today as compared to even five years ago.
Driven largely by the rapid advancement
of technologies that seamlessly integrate
into our lives and enable us to do things
smarter and faster, each new breakthrough
redefines how we communicate and
share information, changes the hours
we work, and expands the number of
places from which work can be done.
Compared to other regions, Asia Pacific
has much higher space density levels,
yet faces the same pressure to drive
down the cost of real estate. Further
increasing density per desk is not the
answer, but increasing density per
person offers interesting potential.
Lease terms in Asia Pacific are much
shorter than Europe and North America
and within that lies the opportunity to
experiment more: if it doesn’t work it
can be easily changed in a few years.
Implementing an alternative workplace
strategy, that involves sharing, presents
a challenge: lower levels of awareness;
cultural differences; and a shortage of skills
to communicate, create, and execute well-
conceived alternative workplace solutions.
The smartest organisations are
exploring the ability of workplaces
to drive real business performance
benefits: increasing diversity of settings
in workplaces and empowering
workforces to make choices about how,
where, and with whom they work.
A recent millennial survey in Asia
Pacific indicated that 60 percent
would like to work this way.
The Pacific region now leads the world
in creating world class workplaces and
also inspiring workforces to embrace
the opportunities that these workplaces
present. Increasingly the same can be
seen in Asia, proving that initial leadership
and staff concerns can be overcome to
implement high performance solutions
that also create underlying cost savings.
Today they are asking: “What will happen
when employees no longer need laptops?”
“How will the cloud affect our business
model?” “What resources will people
need as service becomes more app-
driven, and on-demand?” “What will
the role of the office be in the future?”
THE EVOLVING WORKPLACE
4 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
The smartest organizations are no longer thinking of their real estate as a “necessary evil,” but
instead as a dynamic and flexible asset capable of driving
business performance.
5 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
“You don’t change your workplace to
follow a trend or mimic a competitor,”
says Peter Andrew, who leads CBRE’s
Workplace practice in Asia Pacific. “There
needs to be a clear purpose entrenched in
business performance.
You drive change to support a new
business direction, to establish greater
connections across teams, better reach
and serve your customers, attract and
retain talent, or to speed up decision
making. Whatever the driver, sophisticated
companies leverage their workplace
transformation as a catalyst for change,
accelerating the shift by disrupting the
status quo.”
In Asia Pacific, more companies look to
strike a balance between reducing costs,
improving productivity, and enhancing the
overall work experience for employees.
Cost saving is no longer the main
consideration.
Today, the desire to drive better
collaboration with customers, colleagues
and coworkers ranks higher than cost
savings on the agendas of corporate real
estate executives.1
WHY CHANGE YOUR WORKPLACE?
6 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
“You don’t change your workplace to follow a trend or
mimic a competitor. There must be a clear purpose entrenched in
business performance. Sophisticated companies leverage
their workplace transformation as a catalyst for change, accelerating the shift by
disrupting the status quo.” —Peter Andrew, Senior Director, Workplace Strategies Asia Pacific, CBRE
7 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
MAIN DRIVERS OF WORKPLACE STRATEGYReflects the main drivers of workplace strategy globally in green bars, and top three in EMEA and Americas in multi-color markings
Source: CBRE Global Occupier Survey, 2015/16, Asia Pacific Office Occupiers Survey 2015/16.
Productivity Agility Employee Attraction
and Retention49%
Better Collaboration
55%
60
50
70
40
30
20
10
0
Global Americas EMEAAsia Pacific
Cost Savings49%
Increased Employee
43%
Business
35%
8 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
As we discuss in the first paper in our thought series, finding the
right market for talent is critical—along with other strategic factors
such as client reach, supply chain proximity, and cost. But once
you have found it, the focus shifts to creating an environment
where that talent can thrive. And in this regard, employers often
look to employee engagement as a benchmark. There is good
reason for that focus: Gallup2 reports that companies with highly
engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147 percent.
But driving engagement is not easy. Even though most executives
rate engagement as a top priority, engagement scores across the
globe are relatively low. In a study of the global workforce, Towers
Watson found that while a slightly higher 40 percent of employees
are highly engaged, a full 60 percent of them lack the elements
required to be highly engaged. Of that 60 percent, close to a
quarter are disengaged and another 46 percent can be described
as either unsupported or detached.3
While there are many factors that impact employee engagement—
clear expectations, company culture, connectivity to managers
and leaders, mentorship and training—there are many instances
where real estate decisions can and should have an impact, such
as on productivity.
“We know now that the elements that impact our people’s
productivity are numerous and far reaching,” says Phil Rowland,
CEO Global Workplace Solutions Asia Pacific at CBRE. For
instance, “How long and stressful is an employee’s commute?
How much time is wasted in a meeting resolving technology
issues? What is the availability of a person’s preferred focus
space? How far does an employee have to travel to get a healthy
lunch? We already have the insight to identify known barriers to
productivity. Forward thinking businesses recognize the return on
investment and are starting to see real, tangible benefits.”
36%Percentage that feels unsupported or detached
from workplace engagement
24%Percentage that feels fully disengaged
Is the global workforce disengaged?
Source: 2012 Global Workforce Study, Towers Watson, 2012.
9 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
“We already have the insight to identify known barriers to
productivity. Forward thinking businesses
recognize the return on investment and are starting
to see real, tangible benefits.”
—Phil Rowland, CEO Global Workplace Solutions, APAC, CBRE
10 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
IS SMALLER BETTER? IN PURSUIT OF GREATER EFFICIENCIES
“Given the uncertain economy and tighter budget constraints, the workplace is actually viewed as an opportunity by most organizations to optimize space and costs,” says Singapore-based Arpan Barua, a director in CBRE’s Advisory & Transaction Services business. “In Asia, where workplaces are usually high density already, the ability to leverage activity-based working has enabled companies to optimize space.”
These cost savings are often the result of driving investments out of the things people no longer need— larger offices and cubicles, inflexible policies, antiquated conferencing technology—and into the things they place higher value on, including better services, agile work environments and policies, and user- centric technologies.
“Cost reduction is not typically the prime reason for clients to begin rethinking their workplace approach,” says Chinatsu Kaneko, head of Workplace Strategy, North Asia at CBRE. “Our latest annual survey showed that increasing collaboration and productivity are the key metrics sought. When the focus shifts to a performance outcome, as opposed to simply reducing physical space for the sake of efficiency, that’s when the real workplace strategy conversation can begin.”
“When the focus shifts to a performance outcome, as opposed to simply reducing physical space for the sake of efficiency, that’s when the real workplace strategy
conversation can begin.”—— Chinatsu Kaneko, Head of Workplace Strategy North Asia, CBRE
11 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
Consider your typical workday: What
separates a good day from a bad one?
Is your commute easy or painful? How long
does it take to get through security? Are you
greeted by name when you walk through the
door? When you have a meeting, how long
does it take to get connected? When you
need to speak to someone, can you easily
find her? When it is time for lunch, is it easy
to quickly grab a good meal? When your
computer malfunctions, is it easily fixed? Do
you have time to think between meetings?
While many of these things may seem minor
and inconsequential alone, when
aggregated they can make, or break, how
you feel about work on a daily basis. This is
why “the office” is so much more than the
physical space you sit in.
WHAT MAKES FOR A GREAT WORK EXPERIENCE?
12 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
“The concept of a total work experience is still evolving,” says Rhys
Harvey, who leads CBRE’s Global Workplace Solutions business
in Pacific, “It’s not about furniture choices or the size of a desk.
It’s about the things that influence our people when they are
performing their roles – work related and otherwise – and how
much control they have to change these influences for the better.
Where and how people focus and the ‘permission’ to disconnect
to make this effective, the ability to form relationships and extend
networks in non-confronting scenarios, how they balance the
personal and professional demands on their time when the
allocated times for each often overlap. Only once these type of
attributes are clear can we truly create an environment that helps
people be their best.”
“In our recent millennial survey, young people in Asia Pacific
demonstrated a strong desire to embrace flexible workplaces:
60 percent preferring a workplace where they can choose where,
when and who to work with” says Dr. Henry Chin, head of
Research Asia Pacific for CBRE.
“In our recent millennial survey,
60% of young people in Asia
Pacific preferred a workplace where they can choose where, when and
who to work with.”—Dr. Henry Chin, Head of Research,
Asia Pacific, CBRE
“The office” is so much more than
the physical space you sit in.
13 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
THE GIFT OF TIME (AND WHY HAVING AN OFFICE DOESN’T GUARANTEE THAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FOCUS)
“A common justification for having an office is that it allows for focus and concentration, but in practice “open door” policies mean this is rarely the case,” says Andrew. “Sometimes it is finding the time and headspace to focus that is the problem.”
In a 2014 Harvard Business Review article,4 researchers Michael Mankins, Chris Brahm and Greg Caimi argued that organizations waste tens of thousands of hours on email, instant messaging applications and ineffective meetings annually. “It’s hard to know exactly how much of this squandered time could be rescued,” they wrote. “But our data suggest that most companies have an opportunity to liberate at least 20 percent of their collective hours by bringing greater discipline to time management.”
This research lends strong credibility to Andrew’s argument that helping people manage their time more effectively, and encouraging them to disconnect from distracting information channels for a period, might be the best route to increasing productivity. But that doesn’t mean you should do away with all of your enclosed space and switch to 100 percent open plan.
“Having space that allows people to disconnect and focus, and signals to others that they prefer to be undisturbed, will benefit all levels of employees, not just senior executives ,” says Shobhit Choubey, director of CBRE’s Workplace Strategy team in Singapore.. “We need to recognise the benefits from all perspectives, providing the space, time and permission for people to focus.”
“Having space that allows people to disconnect and focus, and signals to others
they prefer to be undisturbed, will benefit all levels of employees, not just senior executives.”
—Shobhit Choubey, Director Workplace Strategy, Singapore, CBRE
14 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
So, what goes into creating an optimal
workplace experience—making the office
a destination that people prefer over
other alternatives? We believe it is a four-
step process:
1. Know your users and what they
need to be effective.
Fundamental to the idea of creating
workplaces that attract people is
understanding the people themselves.
Today, that often equates to understanding
the millennials, who, according to a recent
CBRE study5, account for approximately
25 percent of the working age population
in Asia Pacific. The study also suggested
that 73 percent of Asia Pacific millennials
agreed that good employers place a lot
of thought into the working environment,
and that 72 percent feel that a good office
design or layout had a positive impact on
the employees that work there.
However, a 2014 CBRE study6 that looked at
more than 5,500 professionals found that
“variety, choice, access and transparency—
preferences typically associated with
millennials—are equally important to
Generation Xers and Baby Boomers.”
CBRE delved into this question further, in
its global millennial study, surveying nearly
7,000 of our own staff across the globe to
understand life and work preferences.7 The
results reaffirmed the previous finding that
FOUR STEPS TO CREATING A WORK DESTINATION
15 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
generational preferences vary minimally, but also showed that
compensation, business ethics, HR policy, learning opportunities
and organizational culture were the most important workplace
variables in driving new job selection across all generations.
A life-stage indicator drove the one significant variance:
Respondents with younger children placed higher value on flexible
work policies. In fact, the presence of children in the household
was a consistent differentiator for both work and lifestyle
preferences, reinforcing the importance of considering
life stages when defining a work experience that supports
employee engagement.
As more organizations begin to track performance measures
such as engagement, social networks and employee happiness,
corporate real estate leaders are being asked to develop solutions
to improve culture and connectivity, well-being and flexibility in
the workplace. Of note: In a recent CBRE well-being report,8
91 percent of commercial real estate leaders surveyed said
they expect the level of CRE engagement in health and wellness
initiatives in organizations to increase.
2.Seeyourofficeasthecenterofanetworkofplaces
where work gets done.
As technology increases our ability to work from anywhere, many
organizations are embracing the idea that the office is just one in
a network of places where work can be done effectively.
Effective flexibility programs give employees greater control of
their time and signal that their employers trust them to make good
decisions—a signature element of engagement.9 They also offer
organizations a means of reducing the amount of underutilized
space in the office. Instead of designing for peak demand, many
are targeting average demand.
But that doesn’t mean you should plan for fewer people in the
office. A Harvard Business Review report on managing across
distances10 finds that 95 percent of people surveyed see in-person
meetings as key to building long-term relationships, and that
only 20 percent believe you can achieve the same results through
virtual connections as you would in person.
As more organizations are
tracking performance
measures such as engagement, social
networks and employee
happiness, corporate real
estate leaders are being asked to
develop solutions to improve culture and connectivity,
well-being and flexibility in the
workplace.
16 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
“We encourage leaders to view their workplace as more than
just an office, but an impactful tool that showcases the brand, empowers employees, and is a visual manifestation of their
culture.”—Chinatsu Kaneko, Head of Workplace Strategy North Asia, CBRE
17 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
Connections are easier to forge and maintain face-to-face.
The office can accelerate, or inhibit, establishing and maintaining
these relationships.
“The importance of face-to-face interaction is especially prevalent
in Asia, which means that there are not as many telecommuting
programs,” says Andrew. “Homes are also smaller, and the quality
of work-from-home arrangements isn’t as good as in other parts
of the world. That puts even greater pressure on making the office
a great destination.”
“We encourage leaders to view their workplace as more than
just an office, but an impactful tool that showcases the brand,
empowers employees, and is a visual manifestation of their
culture,” says Kaneko.
3.Meetyourpeople’sbasicfunctionalneedsfirst.
A workplace has to meet your people’s basic functional
demands before any higher-order benefits can be achieved.
Many organizations jump to implementing an all open-plan
environment in an attempt to foster communication, but fail
to meet the need for focus. The result is often an environment
that neither meets the aspirational goal of collaboration nor the
practical goal of helping employees be productive.
As per Maslow’s hierarchy,11 a workplace must address the
foundational elements we all need to be productive at work,
though what previously was considered foundational is changing.
For example, the application of psychology principles to design
a wide variety of spaces that appeal to different personal styles,
work patterns and preferences. CBRE, for instance, offers up to 15
distinctly different work choices through its Workplace360 work
environment—compared to three to four work settings in a more
traditional environment.
The case for choice
In the last 40 to 50 years, most offices were designed with private
offices for managers, cubicles for everyone else and a smattering
of conference rooms. While this allocation of space may reflect
the hierarchy of the organization, it does little to address the
functional requirements of those in it.
Most knowledge workers, regardless of function or seniority, spend
roughly half of their time working autonomously, and the other
half working with others face-to-face or remotely. An office that
acknowledges this reality should offer a greater variety of space
types—both enclosed and open—and give everyone access to
both, so that people have easy make use of both collaborative
and private, quiet spaces.
Technology with purpose
People can take advantage of the variety of spaces a more
progressive workplace offers, only if they have the technology
to seamlessly move between them. They are also more likely to
communicate virtually if it doesn’t take the first 10 minutes of
each meeting to connect. When provisioning a workspace for
functionality, technology should be consistent (Does this docking
station or conference room monitor work like the others do?),
relevant (Does this technology help me do my job better or faster?)
and intuitive to use (Can I connect without assistance?).
Looks good, feels good
In a 2007 Harvard Business Review article, Tony Schwartz and
Catherine McCarthy argued that “the core problem with working
longer hours is that time is a finite resource. Energy is a different
story … [it] can be systematically expanded and regularly renewed
by establishing specific rituals—behaviors that are intentionally
practiced.” It is no surprise then that health and well-being in the
workplace has become a hot topic in corporate real estate circles
in recent years.
As reported in a recent CBRE survey, eight out of 10 employees
agreed that a company’s wellness offering would be crucial to
recruiting and retaining them in the next 10 years. Furthermore,
47 percent of organizations surveyed by CBRE, report12 that
wellness initiatives improved employee engagement, and 25
percent reported an increase in employee retention.
A place where everyone knows your name
“Having a sense of belonging in a work environment is a
significant step towards motivated and engaged employees. In
high performing workplaces, if you ask what is the best feature, by
and large the first answer is, ‘the people’,” says Andrew. “While
that doesn’t mean that people spend their entire work day talking
18 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
and collaborating, it does mean that having physical proximity to
others who can contribute to improving their own performance by
providing feedback, direction and perspective is hugely valuable.
This reality puts pressure on the office to be a social place where
people can get to know one another, build their internal network,
and easily find the people they need, when they need them. It
translates to workspaces that promote transparency (read:
more glass, lower panels), connectivity (internal stairways and
centralized support services) and community (spaces and events
that promote socialization and knowledge exchange).
4. Design for delight: building on the foundation.
Leading organizations recognize that their workplace investment is an
opportunity to differentiate – to go beyond the common and expected,
and use their space in a way to create competitive advantage.
By connecting closely to the culture and brand of the organization,
the work experience goes beyond meeting the fundamental
needs of employees, and begins to facilitate an experience
that is unique to the company. “This is more than posted
slogans or walls painted in corporate colors. This has little to
no impact towards inspiring staff to genuinely connect to the
purpose of the organization,” says Andrew. “Rather, by more
intrinsically reflecting the brand essence and values through
design, services and policies, you create an environment that
motivates and inspires employee on a daily basis, reminding
them why their role is important and how they contribute to the
greater purpose.” And, you help build a sense of pride among
your employees for their organization and their workplace.
When it comes to creating a comprehensive workplace
experience, the key consideration is how an organization
can drive the specific behaviors and connectivity that
allow its greatest asset, its people, to thrive at work.
Take, for example, the young professional balancing family and
career. Today, there are more dual-income-earning households
than in any previous decade. In many households, this means that
more of the household responsibilities are shared by both parents.
19%reduction in absenteeism
25%increase in employee retention
47%jump in employee engagement
Benefits of wellness
Source: What’s Trending in Health and Wellness Best Practices in the Corporate Workplace?, CBRE Research, May 2016.
19 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
“As organizations look toattract and retain high
performers, they will be well served to consider how they help
those struggling to balanceprofessional and personal
demands. What can theworkplace offer that helps tostrip more of the mundane
tasks out of their work day andtheir personal time?”
—Peter Andrew, Senior Director, Workplace Strategies Asia Pacific, CBRE
20 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
.
“The workplace is the battleground in the war for talent, and
the high performers— women and men both—know that
it is in their best interest, and their employers, to be in an
environment which helps remove challenges when trying
to balance professional and personal demands,” says
Andrew. “By identifying and servicing the key decisions or
mundane tasks out of their work day and their personal time,
employees will respond with loyalty and commitment.”
In a world of endless possibilities, how can we make a real,
intangible, culture of worth? Ashley Branca, experience services
lead within CBRE’s Workplace practice, advocates a forward-
thinking hospitality approach to tackle the challenges of daily work
and “to aid in the personal needs of employees struggling with the
blurred lines between work and life.”
In CBRE’s own Workplace360 offices, a concierge’s responsibilities
go beyond the expected reception services to include support that
tackles the real-life responsibilities of employees. This may range
from managing groceries and dry-cleaning, to arranging car
detailing, to picking up a gift for a friend—all things that would
otherwise have taken employees away either from work or from
spending quality time outside of the office.
“Hospitality does not boil down to perks,” says Branca. “Instead,
it’s about creating a positive connection to the experience of
coming to the office by making it easier for your people to do the
work you hired them to do. Hospitality-driven services that
support both business and employee needs are the most flexible
resource an organization can invest in to signal the value it places
in its people.”
“Hospitality does not boil down to
perks. Instead, it’s about creating a
positive connection to the experience of coming to the office by making it easier for your people to do the work you
hired them to do.”—Ashley Branca, Experience Services Lead,
Workplace Practice, CBRE
21 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE. HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?You are committed to building a workplace that makes your employees happy, creates competitive advantage for your organization, and “manages” (read: reduces) your net real estate cost of service. To do so successfully, you’ll need to challenge the status quo.
Providing a compelling workplace means making informed bets on the future experience you want to create, not asking everyone for buy-in. Managing to consensus often means meeting in the middle, where you are not likely to exceed anyone’s expectations.
Here are a few steps to avoid that common space-planning trap:
Let data drive space allocations.
An increasing array of tools and technology are available for gathering data about how your
people work, how they communicate and what they value. Use that information to make a case
for greater efficiency while giving people more choice.
Engage your people in problem-solving outcomes, not collectively setting strategy.
Most space planning relies on asking people what they want, but few can envision something
different from what they have. Instead, base your strategy on your organizational vision for the
future, and then include your people in problem-solving aspects of how that can be achieved.
Change the rules for how you use space.
The policies that govern how space is used have as much or more to do with someone’s
workplace experience as the physical space itself. Change how you ask people to use the space
and you may find that work processes and expectations change as a result.
Introduce new and delightful services.
Redefine roles to be truly user centric. Upskill your receptionist to function more like a concierge,
responsible for problem-solving for employees and visitors. For IT, a five-star hospitality
approach might include core training, a physical IT helpdesk and a resident expert for individual
and group training.
Get into the event business.
People come to work to connect with each other. Simple things like an educational series, Friday
socials or a food truck day are all things that require little capital but make a big difference in
fostering community.
22 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
Where to begin? This paper identifies
many of the opportunities available in
today’s workplace and envisions what a
truly productive and connected office and
office worker may look like in the future.
What are practical steps to help prepare
your organization for these realities, and
more immediately, inform your next
workplace strategy?
Here are a few tips for getting started:
• Lead with your vision. Highlight
areas where your current workplace
accelerates or inhibits your
organizational vision and objectives.
Galvanize support for change, making
the status quo unacceptable.
• Gain commitment from key
stakeholders and influential leaders
from across the organization who will
“walk the talk.” Your real estate and
facilities team can create the space and
conditions for change, but successful
transformation ultimately lies with your
business leaders who must change
themselves and model the desired
culture and work patterns for others.
• Take a user-centric approach to
understanding what your people need.
Do not fall victim to broad stereotypes
about generational preferences or
TOWARD A BETTER WORKPLACE
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Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
get lulled into believing that all engineers, lawyers, sales
professionals or accountants have the same needs. Instead,
seek to understand your people and what they need to be
truly effective.
• Address the experience, not just the place. A sports stadium
has a completely different feel when it is empty. Going to a
game is energizing not just because of what is happening
on the field. The food and drink, the big screen and on-field
entertainment, the home-team customs and, yes, the people
you are there with—all play a part in creating the experience.
All are deliberate decisions made by someone about what it
means to go to a game. What should it mean to go to work for
your organization?
• Adaptability is key. With rapid change of technology and
a breadth of different needs from different teams design
solutions to need to factor in the ability to easily adapt over
time rather than create rigid solutions.
• Experiment, adapt, repeat. The best workplace strategies
are never complete. Instead, they should regularly evolve
in response to new business and user requirements, lessons
learned from previous implementations, and advances in
building, enterprise and personal technology, furniture and
space design.
The precise steps that organizations should take to optimize the
appeal of their offices to the talent they seek will vary based
on each individual company’s strategy, brand aspirations and
recruiting priorities—as well as their practical implications at a
local level.
Keep in mind that many people are naturally resistant to change.
But according to Choubey, “when organizations lead the change
with a clear vision and strong sponsorship from the top, it sets the
foundation for sustainable long-term change towards delivering
for the corporate strategy.”
CBRE embraces the concept of decision-makers as change leaders,
not just change managers—and real estate executives as master
collaborators, with a seat at the decision-making table.
In the third paper in our thought series, we explore a holistic
approach to managing a real estate portfolio within the broader
business context to create competitive advantage for occupiers.
24 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
At CBRE, we believe that the key to better business performance is better real estate performance. Real estate and people are the two
highest costs any occupier faces. But cost is only half the story. Our most strategic clients recognize that when properly approached, these
two critical pieces of the corporate structure can also have a transformative impact on the overall performance of their organization.
This thought series brings to life CBRE’s decades-long record of workplace-transformation experience to demonstrate how organizations
of all types and sizes can realize those goals. We bring market-leading qualifications and capabilities, including analytical expertise that
spans markets, industries and asset types; a relentless focus on superior execution; and, a high-touch, client-centric approach.
Most of all, these papers tap into the thinking of some of the sharpest minds practicing in the industry today—professionals with the ability
to drive world-class productivity and operational excellence for every client they serve.
We encourage you to connect with us to discover how we can help unlock the value of your real estate portfolio.
A CBRE THOUGHT SERIES This thought series on Workplace Performance gives consideration to optimizing an organization’s strategic goals through the proper application of its real estate portfolio. Each paper provides perspectives and insights on how to achieve this objective through labor market selection, space design and workplace experience, and portfolio optimization and workplace program development.
Part One: ALIGNING THE WORKFORCE AND THE WORKPLACEReal estate can be a significant competitive differentiator for occupiers in the race for talent. In this first paper, we outline the steps organizations need to take to identify the optimal locations for their operations and find, attract and retain the right talent to enhance their competitiveness and improve their bottom line.
Part Two: DESIGNING THE WORKPLACE EXPERIENCEThe way we work continues to evolve, driving companies of all types to rethink their approach to space and the workplace experience. In this second paper, we consider the trends shaping the physical workplace and best practices in workplace design.
Part Three: BUILDING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEReal estate is a critical, tangible expression of the strategic decisions a company makes. In this final paper in our thought series, we focus on the total real estate management approach that organizations take within the broader business context to create competitive advantage for occupiers.
ABOUT OUR THOUGHT SERIES
25 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
ENDNOTES
1. Source:2015/16AsiaPacificGlobalOccupierSurveys,CBREResearch,April2016.
2. Source:HowEmployeeEngagementDrivesGrowth,GallupBusinessJournal,June20,2013.
3. Source:2012GlobalWorkforceStudy,TowersWatson,2012.
4. Source:YourScarcestResource,HarvardBusinessReview,May2014.
5. Source:AsiaPacificMillennials:ShapingtheFutureofRealEstate,CBREResearch,October2016
6. Source:DesigningtheOfficeoftheFuture,CBREResearch,November2014.
7. Source:LiveWorkPlay,Millennials:MythsandRealities,CBREResearch,October2016.
8. Source:What’sTrendinginHealthandWellnessBestPracticesintheCorporateWorkplace,CBREResearch,May2016.
9. Source:GreatPlacestoWorkInstitute.
10.Source:ManagingAcrossDistanceinToday’sEconomicClimate,HarvardBusinessReview,2009.
11.Source:Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds,SimplyPsychology,2016.
12.Source:What’sTrendinginHealthandWellnessBestPracticesintheCorporateWorkplace?,CBREResearch,May2016.
PHOTOGRAPHS
1. Page4:CBREWorkplace360office:Tokyo,Japan
2. Page6:CBREWorkplace360office:MexicoCity,MexicoPhotocredit:RobertoLazos
3. Page7:CBREWorkplace360office:Madrid,Spain
4. Page9:CBREWorkplace360office:Chicago,IllinoisPhotocredit:BobBuyle
5. Page10:CBREWorkplace360office:Tokyo,Japan
6. Page12:CBREWorkplace360office:Tokyo,Japan
7. Page13:CBREWorkplace360office:Madrid,Spain
8. Page16:CBREWorkplace360office:HongKong,China
9. Page19:CBREWorkplace360office:Glendale,CaliforniaPhotocredit:RMAPhotographyInc.
10.Page20:CBREWorkplace360office:Chicago,IllinoisPhotocredit:ErichSchrempp
11.Page23:CBREWorkplace360office:Orlando,FloridaPhotocredit:JasperSanidad
12.Page26:CBREWorkplace360office:Orlando,FloridaPhotocredit:JasperSanidad
26 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.
Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience
CONTACTS
To learn more about how to drive better business performance through better workplace performance, connect with CBRE.
Peter Andrew Senior Director, Workplace Strategies Asia Pacific peter.andrew@cbre.com.sg
Chinatsu Kaneko Head of Workplace Strategy North Asia chinatsu.kaneko@cbre.co.jp
CBRE’s experience in counseling global occupiers on the redefinition and optimization of their business and real estate portfolio strategies positions us uniquely to drive the
changes shaping the physical workplace and best practices in
workplace design.
About CBRE Group, Inc.CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (in terms of 2015 revenue). The Company has more than 70,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 400 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.
Disclaimer: Information contained herein, including projections, has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. While we do not doubt its accuracy, we have not verified it and make no guarantee, warranty or representation about it. It is your responsibility to confirm independently its accuracy and completeness. This information is presented exclusively for use by CBRE clients and professionals and all rights to the material are reserved and cannot be reproduced without prior written permission of CBRE.
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