Guest Commentator: Bridget Abraham, Managing Director, CBRE @CBRE
How can growing middle market firms unlock the power of their workplace to better align with their strategic growth goals, such as attracting and retaining talent?
How and where business gets done has been fundamentally altered.
Real estate solutions live beyond the built environment, and the decisions you make regarding location have monumental impact on your talent, costs, network, technology and brand—and vice versa.
Strike the Right Balance
Many corporate leaders are torn when it comes to the future of work. On one hand, they want to support hybrid work; on the other, they want predictable office show-up rates to help manage their occupancy and best utilize their space. Meanwhile, many employees want flexibility and choice in how they work and when they show up at the office. The need is for a middle ground that reconciles business goals with workforce needs.
Developing an employee-friendly return to office (RTO) strategy is top-of-mind for many organizations. Some aspects of our lives—notably hospitality, travel and entertainment—have largely returned to the way things were prior to the pandemic. But the office has yet to catch up.
Inducements like free lunch and one-off perks may help occasionally, but they won't inspire a workforce to see the value of the office and truly come back. Leaders need to roll out an effective, sustainable RTO strategy that makes the office a destination of choice and a magnetic epicenter of workplace culture and collaboration.
Unlocking the power of your workplace
The most important amenity in the return to the office is other employees, so creating places people want to work is critical. Designing a workplace that is a destination of choice revolves around 3 key pillars:
- Policy and Culture: "The workplace as the home of the organization"
Represent the organization's brand and values through distinct experiences
- Relationships and Teamwork: "The workplace as a means for togetherness"
Help employees establish and maintain relationships
- Space and Place: "The workplace as the advantaged venue"
Meet the daily needs of all employees seamlessly and intuitively
This moment in time is forcing an evolution in how we motivate employees, allocate and operate space, set long-term strategies and how we measure performance. To date, communication on RTO policies and expectations has been the prevailing method of employee engagement.
What's not working:
- Communication without training
- Communication without a change strategy
- Ping-pong decision making
- Doing nothing
What is working:
- Purpose of the Office | Defining the "why" for returning to the office is a critical first step.
- Social Media | Signal change from the outside in. Then weave it closer to the middle.
- Role Modeling | RTO is more likely to stick when leaders and managers show up.
- Alignment & Performance | Align HR, IT, CRE through workflow and practices. Measure outcomes over activity.
- Manager Training | Prepare managers to set new team norms, habits, and routines at the team level.
The time has come for leaders to right-size their real estate footprint and create better employee experiences as they welcome their people back to the office. RTO success goes beyond just having more people in the office; it helps drive participation and belief in company culture and ultimately improves overall business performance.
Upcoming Event
Middle Market Executive Roundtable: Succession Planning
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 | 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Conference Center at the Chamber
Join us at this year’s fourth and final exclusive roundtable to delve into the many different scenarios where having a succession plan will help keep your company moving steadily. Gain best practices for the preparation and process of planning, consider what stakeholders need to be involved, and grow a deeper understanding of the growth opportunities that preparing emerging leaders within your organization does for your business’ stability.
