{"id":377961,"date":"2018-04-11T12:59:59","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T16:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/?p=377961"},"modified":"2023-01-14T02:33:52","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T07:33:52","slug":"hr-advocates-help-create-right-work-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/hr-advocates-help-create-right-work-space\/","title":{"rendered":"HR Advocates Help Create the Right Work Space"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is the cost of not attracting the right people with the right skills to your company? What\u2019s the cost of high turnover? Or frequent absences due to illness? Human resources (HR) professionals know the value of addressing common employee-related issues. Leaders from multi-national and government organizations as well as major recruitment agencies came together at the Steelcase WorkLife Center in Dubai to share how the physical environment can be a tool to improve employee engagement with guidance from HR.<\/p>\n

Win-Win Opportunity<\/h3>\n

\u201cHuman resources needs to be strategic, not just transactional and operational,\u201d said Kimi Sokhi, senior manager of engagement & wellness, HR workforce & volunteers at Expo 2020. When organizations focus on efficiency, employees can be asked to do the work of more than one person and feel increasing pressure to boost productivity. Yet, research tells us more than one-third of people in the world\u2019s largest economies are disengaged at work (Steelcase Global Report: Engagement and the Global Workplace<\/a>). Human resources leaders asked: What if instead of applying more pressure, we could improve engagement?<\/p>\n

For Expo 2020, an opportunity to address employee engagement arose when they decided to change locations. \u201cWe have a new building we\u2019re moving into soon. I made sure to be part of the discussion when leadership, facilities and real estate were talking about the physical space,\u201d said Sokhi. Procurement looks at the commercial aspect of the space, she says. Real estate focuses on getting the most use out of the area. Human resources, she emphasizes, gives a voice to the wellbeing<\/a> of employees \u2014 the need for ergonomics<\/a>, sit-to-stand workstations<\/a>\u00a0and collaborative areas for building relationships.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Experts gathered for a roundtable discussion at the Steelcase WorkLife Center in Dubai in January 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to make changes to the space or simply add more workstations without considering the impact on the people working there,\u201d says Karin Vidic, Steelcase human resources director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). \u201cWe have to consider the company\u2019s plans. Does the space need to be flexible to accommodate a change in workforce? Do people need to be at individual desks all day? Or is a more flexible, mobile space better suited to the ways people are working? When all the factors are considered, it can be a win-win for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

What People Want<\/h3>\n

The Steelcase Global Report is the first research of its kind to show a clear correlation between highly engaged employees and people who are highly satisfied with their work environment. In fact, the most satisfied workers have a lot of choice and control over where they get their work done. Recent Steelcase research<\/a> revealed 53 percent of people say they can\u2019t find the right type of spaces they need at work and 40 percent say they don\u2019t have enough informal spaces (See Infographics<\/a>). Recruiters at the roundtable reinforced that idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I am out trying to get the best talent into people\u2019s businesses, the work space is a main factor. It works hand-in-hand with culture,\u201d says Daisy Smith, Charterhouse associate director. \u201cThe best talent, millennial candidates, don\u2019t want to walk in every day to an office with four white walls and sit in the same desk. They want flexibility to work in different spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating Happy Places<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Steelcase\u2019s Laurence Negroni and Xavier Fuchs shared stories of how human resources can help improve engagement when it comes to the physical environment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sokhi pointed to Dubai government agencies as leading the way in flexibility. \u201cIf you haven\u2019t seen the Knowledge and Human Development Authority offices, they are absolutely fantastic,\u201d she said. There are no desks, even for senior leaders. The director general visited companies in Silicon Valley and came back so inspired they decided to completely renovate two floors. \u201cThey want to inspire people and want them to love coming to work. Their whole focus is on happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vidic shared how Steelcase\u2019s new Learning and Innovation Center<\/a> (LINC) in Munich is designed to offer people choices and maximize space in an urban city center. The LINC\u2019s design intentionally promotes movement and posture changes. People can choose from a variety of environments depending on their task, technologies or state of mind. It includes a WorkCaf\u00e9<\/a> which transforms a traditional dining area into a dynamic place to collaborate, connect and get work done throughout the day.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Little Things<\/h3>\n

By getting input from human resources, small changes can make a difference. Minoshka Correa, Johnson & Johnson global health services lead for the Middle East, shared the result of a close collaboration between her company\u2019s facilities, procurement and health services teams. The health of its employees is an important goal for Johnson & Johnson. To promote a more active workday, employees whose roles require them to be seated at their desk for most of the day can choose to sit or stand using height-adjustable desks<\/a>. And, they\u2019ve recently added pods in some spots in the office. These include lightweight, height-adjustable stools with side handles. The stools are designed to be slightly unstable to provide a mild core workout for whoever is sitting in them.<\/p>\n

Leading the Way<\/h3>\n

Human resources can also play a key role in helping leaders embrace new ways of working. Sama Zhangzhiqian, UAE administrative director with tech-giant Huawei, worked with leaders to create a more open, collaborative furniture<\/a> in one of their offices. Previously, employees had said they were hesitant to knock on a manager\u2019s door to ask questions or have a conversation. The new design brought leaders into the open which was a big shift. Zhangzhiqian helped the transition with communication about why the company was making the change and the positive benefits of the new design.<\/p>\n

All the experts agreed the work environment should always be evolving. It shifts as organizations change and people work differently. They also concluded that the environment is better when human resources plays a strategic role to help people and the company reach its goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Human resources leaders gathered in Dubai to share stories about how the workplace can help improve employee engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"topic":[47679],"class_list":["post-377961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","industry-workplace","topic-culture-talent"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow HR Leaders Can Promote Office Designs that Attract Talent - Steelcase<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Human Resources managers offer new perspective on office design with focus on employee wellbeing by offering various places and postures to work from.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.steelcase.com\/research\/articles\/topics\/culture-talent\/hr-advocates-help-create-right-work-space\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How HR Leaders Can Promote Office Designs that Attract Talent - 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