Building an Office to Support Employees as People
As technology companies try to entice employees back to the physical workplace, there are several big trends in workplace amenities. Gone are the days of Ping Pong tables and slides. Today’s workplace focuses on amenities to support their employees as people. This means listening to what employees say they want in their workspaces or from their employers. These amenities are no longer just physical amenities, they also are benefits and perks for employees. The most requested amenities fall into three main categories: those that provide convenience, support wellness and build connections.
"The companies that are impressing me today are the ones who are paying attention to their employees personal and professional needs and values, and working together to offer solutions that benefit all" says Marissa Huber, Director, Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield.
Amenities that provide convenience can make coming to an office more attractive or easier than working from home. They can help support employees and make their daily lives easier. They include perks such as:
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| Similarly, amenities to support employees also include ways to support and enhance employees’ wellbeing, health and whole self. These include: | ||
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| As companies encourage employees to come back to the office, there is a greater emphasis on using the office to help build connections, both between employees and between the employee and the company itself. In a 2022 survey of more than 10,000 employees around the world, the reason employees like coming into an office was the ease of socializing with coworkers followed by easier collaboration. To build these employee and employer connections, tech companies are providing the following amenities: | ||
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The Rise of Innovation Districts: Mission Bay
More than 40 years ago, a group of San Francisco visionaries across real estate, government and business created a plan to redevelop the Mission Bay area. They sought to bring together residential neighborhoods with a biotech-oriented commercial district and a life sciences campus for the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). Today, the Mission Bay redevelopment project houses 3.4 million square feet of commercial office and lab space and 6,400 residential units.Mission Bay helped set the stage for future innovation districts — dense, mixed-use urban areas with affordable housing and opportunities for education, entertainment and recreation. These walkable hubs, where people can live, work and play, are anchored by tenants with strong research or education focus, like universities or hospitals.
“Successful Innovation Districts offer a variety of spaces to tech companies and their employees including; retail, education, workplace and residential all sitting within public realm” says Nicola Gillen, Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA Lead for Total Workplace.
Mission Bay and other innovation districts have become a natural solution to the ongoing questions over what workplaces should look like in a post-pandemic world. By design, innovation districts offer a balance between work and home, exactly what employees seek right now. Innovation districts also offer:
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Today, there are more than a dozen innovation districts around the world. Below are a few examples of innovation districts being built or already flourishing:
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Tech Cities: The Global Intersection of Talent and Real Estate
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Tech Cities: The Global Intersection of Talent and Real Estate
