ESG sustainability performance is becoming increasingly important, not just to investors but to top talent in a competitive job market. We've spoken about the benefits of ESG previously, but we haven't talked about measurement. In a space comprised of many factors, from real estate footprint to emissions to parental leave policies to supply chain approaches, measurement is no easy feat.
Around 59% of people say they’re disengaged from their jobs and this can lead to a barrage of challenges, including staff burnout, lower employee retention and major impediments to company productivity. When staff are engaged, they’re better equipped to fulfil their tasks, remain motivated and display company loyalty. To ensure that your employees remain engaged in their role and committed to your company’s greater mission it is fundamental to keep up with the evolving workplace expectations.
In part 2 of this blog series, we break down the emerging workplace expectations and how organisations can better manage employee engagement to keep up and stay ahead.
Like its distant cousin Software as a Service (SaaS), Workplace as a service (WaaS) is driven by technology developments and evolving business demands but is focused on the work environment specifically. WaaS comprises cybersecurity, cloud services, software and hardware like laptops, printers, monitors and phones - so, everything an organisation and its staff needs to function in a workspace. Rather than being bought, these are leased by service providers.
Not only does this offer greater data security, reliability and budget transparency, but this also takes employee flexibility to new heights which in turn, attracts top talent and caters to all working styles. This model allows companies to have a productive, tailor-made space that aligns with the needs and culture of the organisation.
Many business leaders are well acquainted with the advantages of having employee diversity spanning across culture, gender, and disciplinary training. Perhaps lesser-known but equally advantageous are the benefits organisations can gain from neurodivergent talent as they bring fresh perspectives to a company’s mission and can recognise opportunities through a new lens. So, designing workplaces that nurture neurodiversity not only allows talent to feel included and function well, it’s an all-important aspect of good business.
Workplaces can be designed to be inclusive of neurodivergent talent; from simple and intuitive wayfinding, to sensory stimulation, to the thoughtful use of colour and light, to limiting noise-induced distractions through considered acoustics.
Now a widespread workplace expectation across the country, employees have taken a liking to hybrid working and have seen the merit in this model’s flexibility. In fact, 74% of the Australian workforce prefer working in hybrid environments. With this convincing figure, it’s imperative for organisational leaders to provide a variety of tools and resources that cater to both remote and in-office employees.
This involves making technology, culture, security and company programs inclusive and accessible for each individual employee’s working needs. Value is best delivered through a workplace strategy that informs how to keep on-site and off-site teams motivated, engaged and productive.
Again blending the physical workplace with advanced tech, smart buildings have revolutionised the role of the office to accommodate the workforce of the 21st century. And as tech-wise, Gen Z employees become an increasingly prominent percentage of the workforce, not considering what this demographic needs to be engaged and productive in their work would be a huge misstep for organisations. Smart buildings are an important tool for connecting employees and retaining them. The data obtained from smart building technologies provide insights into usage patterns and preferences and can include tech such as:
Humans are inherently social beings. That’s why the efforts of creating workspaces that empower employee collaboration often bear fruit and contribute to surges in productivity. As much as 80% of businesses are already experiencing the business efficiency and process enhancing benefits of social interaction and collaboration. What’s more, this can also improve company culture and advance team faculties for critical thinking and problem-solving. Social interaction in the workplace can be achieved by establishing things like:
As organisations contend for their relevance in the modern working landscape, it will no longer suffice to only manage workplace expectations - rather, it pays to exceed them. Pandemic or not, there were always bound to be transformational changes in the way we work and operate. The clincher then is to embrace the change, embody the willingness to adapt to evolving workplace expectations, and build the agility to respond to what the future holds in this space.
The future is here
The role of the office is different, but it isn’t redundant by any stretch of the imagination. Businesses that recognise and prepare for this shift will remain attractive places to work. Explore more in our future of work in Australia guide.
Office meetings will be in the metaverse within three years, according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. He predicts that virtual meetings will evolve from the current 2D images to full 3D avatars.
“Metaverse” is the latest buzzword going around the tech industry that can potentially revolutionise the way we live, work and play. Some are saying the metaverse is the future of work, and the office will be a thing of the past.
But what is the metaverse, how will it impact the way we work, what's the best way to prepare and when will we actually see and experience it? And the big one:
Spoiler alert: the physical office will not only live on, but even be enhanced by the metaverse.
“We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet, we’ll be able to feel present – like we’re right there with people no matter how far apart we actually are.” (Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO)
Some are calling it the next evolutionary step for the internet - web 3.0. The metaverse renders everything in 3D rather than the current 2D visuals we currently see today. It “brings the internet to life”, and builds a virtual world of interconnected communities where everyone can meet, work and play.
Coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash”, the term metaverse refers to a digital environment that enables people to interact as avatars, using VR headsets and glasses. Think of it as a cyber realm where you can move and act in the same way as in the physical world, and directly interact with other people from any location on the planet as if they were standing right next to you.
The metaverse will go beyond the current Zoom or virtual meeting, and transform the way we work and interact with our colleagues and teams. Here are some ways the metaverse will change the future of work:
According to Mark Zuckerberg, the metaverse will open up new forms of work where people no longer need to be physically together to “feel present, collaborate or brainstorm.” Using 3D avatars, workers from different locations can meet in virtual spaces to interact, communicate and collaborate as if they were sitting side-by-side in the same meeting room. This will allow people to do more online like manage projects, design products or buildings, and other team-based activities. Also, with VR headsets and motion capture gloves, coworkers can see everyone’s expressions and body language.
Since the metaverse enables a work from anywhere model, employees are no longer confined to their workstations and cubicles. They are free to work at home, at a cafe, at regional locations, or at any other area where they feel comfortable and creative. Also, long commutes to work will be a thing of the past, since all interactions would be happening in a virtual environment.
The metaverse will not only bring change in the workplace, but also open new work opportunities as businesses adapt to the new digital environment. There will be new jobs created that do not currently exist - similar to social media jobs that would have been unthinkable before the internet. Also, some jobs today may need to change to accommodate this new virtual world, providing workers opportunities to learn and re-skill. Lastly, there will be new types of companies that may emerge to manage and facilitate the metaverse, delivering more job opportunities for people in any location.
That’s one difficult question to accurately answer. Although some of the needed technologies to enable the metaverse already exist, they are still in the early stages and have limited capabilities. Some say the full metaverse may take years to complete and launch. There are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed, including:
We know that it will take years before the technologies needed can mature and enable a full metaverse - but even if they do, the metaverse will not replace the physical workplace. Here are some of the reasons why the office will still play a crucial role in the future of work:
Our need for in-person or face to face interaction is the biggest reason why the metaverse will not replace the physical workplace. The office is not just a place to work. It is where people can collaborate, socialise, and build lasting relationships. Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has made people realise their need for some sort of physical connection. And the office provides a space where workers can establish this connection, have those ‘water cooler’ moments, and work creatively as a team.
Online gaming is perhaps the closest thing we have now to experiencing the metaverse. Online games allow you to create your characters or avatars and interact with other people through a virtual gaming environment. This can be fun and exciting but highly addictive. And there are health risks associated with too much online gaming, including sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety. So, spending your 8-hour workdays in the metaverse may have similar effects, and probably will be detrimental to your physical and mental wellbeing.
All employees need to be in the metaverse for it to work as a virtual workplace. However, this single working environment may not work for everyone involved. As we’ve seen during the pandemic, people have their own style of working. Some are more creative and productive at home, while others feel more focused and motivated at the office. Having the flexibility to work where people feel most comfortable, whether physical or virtual, enables them to not only be more productive, but also be more inspired to deliver their best work.
With the hybrid work model becoming the norm across many industries, we believe the metaverse won’t replace the physical office, but can actually enhance the experience. The metaverse can bridge the gap between the digital and physical environments. It can bring both on-site and remote workers into an immersive and engaging virtual workplace, where they can collaborate, brainstorm, and work together as one team. This would allow people to work seamlessly between the metaverse and the physical office - creating a happier and more inclusive culture, as well as a more creative and productive work environment.
Want to learn more about the future of work? Read our guide to the future of work in Australia.
Does a strategically placed fiddle leaf fig plant really help your employees to work smarter? Technically, yes, although a plant won’t achieve this on its own. More on the fiddle leaf fig later. The ultimate workspace design combines several key elements to create an environment where productivity, creativity and wellbeing thrive. A well-designed workplace is one that’s seamless; your employees interact harmoniously with their surroundings. One that facilitates focus, energy and efficiency. So as we begin to embrace the hybrid working model, there are ways you can optimise your workspace to not only bring your employees back into the office but increase their output at the same time.
The first step is to speak to your employees – what do they like about the current workspace and what do they need to feel more motivated and operate more efficiently? At Axiom, our wrkxTM data and strategy toolset measures the impact of workplace design on an organisation. We begin this process with an employee questionnaire – developed in collaboration with behavioural scientists – to assess how the current space could be adapted to help people work smarter. These insights tell us what is most important to the business, and what changes are needed, to deliver an intelligent design that motivates your workforce.
Armed with your all-important employee intel, it’s time to focus on places, not spaces. Drawing on the principles of agile working, your design should offer a variety of purposeful places to suit the task at hand and/or individual preferences. In order to work smarter, sometimes we need a quiet place to think, while at other times we need a large, open place to collaborate. And after extended periods of working from home, employees are looking for an informal place to reconnect, relax and feel part of their workplace community. A workspace that pays homage to different styles of working can boost employee engagement and improve the overall enjoyment of office life.
In addition to creating the right settings for tasks, collaboration and socialisation using the principles of agile working, there are other fundamentals to keep in mind. It’s all about designing dynamic workplaces which create the perfect environment for productive thinking. Here are some other elements to consider:
So as people crawl out from under the ‘work from home’ shell, how do you create the workplace of the future? A place where your employees can reconnect, be efficient and productive, yet feel just as comfortable as they do in their homes?
Gathering feedback is critical, asking your employees what they need will help make them feel valued, bring them on the journey and ultimately embrace their working environment. An intelligent design is a humanised design that recognises people need different places to work smarter – a diversity of purposeful places reflects the diversity of your workforce. And connection to the outside world, and the all-important benefits this brings to productivity and wellbeing, is just as essential as your floorplan.
Find out more about the workplace of the future in Leading the Future of Work in Australia: Insights and Strategies
The pandemic has changed workplace expectations, unlike anything that has come before. But the appetite for change existed well before Australia’s first confirmed case of COVID-19.
In 2018, SuperFriend’s Indicators of a Thriving Workplace report surveyed 5,000 Australian workers from different industries. 1 in 4 reported high stress in their current role. Of these, 1 in 5 said they planned to leave their employer in the next 12 months. These pre-pandemic figures hardly paint the portrait of a workforce satisfied with the status quo.
If the world was walking towards the future of work then – it’s sprinting now. Two years of unprecedented disruption have changed the role of the workplace. As the workforce takes its first tentative steps back into the office, businesses need to work hard to keep pace with these employee expectations. Those who fail to do so may struggle to attract and retain talent in today’s competitive job market.
Here are the main changes and how your business can adapt.
Tech and data will both have a transformative effect on the role of the workplace.
Technology is already making workplaces more effective. Think of the impact platforms like Google Workplace, Slack and Jira have had during the pandemic (that’s not even mentioning workflow software like Trello, Monday and Asana). This software has been instrumental in managing projects and breaking down information silos. Post-pandemic, the continued use of these platforms will mean more time for creativity and innovation.
With staff likely to work from home at least once a week, workplaces will evolve. Videoconferencing is a great example. Software like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have forever changed the meeting, WIP and catch-up. Hybrid working models cater for these technologies with bespoke meeting spaces integrated with these platforms, so remote staff aren’t penalised.
Data can also be utilised to drive workplace change. For instance, a company may realise that with hybrid working arrangements only 50% of the workforce is in at any one given time. The company would then be able to change to a hot-desking working arrangement and dedicate other space in the office to collaboration and creativity.
For employees who have grown attached to the lifestyle benefits of remote work, a focus on wellbeing is less of an added perk and more of a prerequisite.
So, it’s encouraging to see businesses evolve to meet this expectation. 7 in 10 Australian employees now believe leadership places a greater priority on wellbeing. There is a range of benefits to be realised by this focus shift, from greater productivity to reduced staff turnover.
It’s not fanciful to think of the workplace of the future as a positive space employees relish spending time in, rather than a space they return to with reluctance. To achieve this, business leaders and office designers need to consider a range of questions:
You can find inspiration in Axiom’s showcase.
Just as voters are pressuring politicians for tangible action towards sustainability, so too are employees expecting greater commitments from their employers.
A 2021 survey of over 1,200 Australian workers by Atlassian and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found that 74% of employees think businesses should be just as concerned with their social impact as financial results (up from 69% from the same survey in 2020).
There are many ways businesses can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, including:
The role of the office is different, but it isn’t redundant by any stretch of the imagination. Businesses that recognise and prepare for this shift will remain attractive places to work. Explore more in our future of work in Australia guide.
We believe in the power of intelligent design to motivate a productive and inspired workforce. At Axiom, we use an integrated strategy, design and delivery approach that seamlessly incorporates business objectives to create ultimate value. This is founded on our commitment to client satisfaction and finding the perfect equilibrium between efficient timelines, meeting budgets and achieving the end goal.
