The ongoing tensions over return-to-office mandates epitomize the evolving nature of work, particularly where it unfolds, as companies continue to face the challenge of convincing employees to return to the office after COVID-19.
Remote and hybrid work do present undeniable upsides—not just for employees but also for employers, who see gains in productivity coupled with the potential for lowering real estate expenses. However, organizations have legitimate motives for wanting their employees in a given physical location. Research shows, for instance, that distance negatively impacts organizational culture, that emails and virtual calls do not always present the most effective communication methods, and that many employees lament the rise of (unnecessarily boring) meetings, not to mention longer work hours since the beginning of the pandemic.
Affected employers, real estate developers, and landlords—not to mention shop owners in depressed downtown areas—all face the same challenge: How to bring employees back to the office. While companies such as J. P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Salesforce have opted to crack down on remote work, executives should focus on the workplace itself and the employee experiences that can be intentionally staged within it.
Companies are reflecting on how well their offices establish who they are and what they stand for, how to engage their employees on an emotional level, and ways to provide an environment in which people desire to work.
One model to consider is the growth of “flagship” retail locations that offer memorable experiences to customers. Manufacturers such as LEGO and American Girl have long created great experiences in retail establishments—each of which has places-within-the-place so engaging that they can charge for admission—while others have created flagship experiences entirely behind an admission-feed entrance, such as the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, and the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.
Each of these places offers immersive and meaningful experiences that are worlds apart from traditional retail locations. They simultaneously welcome consumers into distinctive built environments, generate demand by enticing them to experience their core offerings, and engender authenticity as consumers get to experience who they are. Any company that wants to bring its employees back into the office should apply these same principles to design, create, and operate flagship offices.
Placemaking
Flagship offices should embrace what is known as "placemaking" and endeavor to make the office environment more livable and meaningful through such methods as interior design, architecture, and art installations. Well-thought-out and congenial offices, both from a functional and esthetic standpoint, should be at least as appealing and comfortable as one’s home office, all the while providing eye-catching and mind-pleasing features.
Consider Magic Spoon, a young company that markets healthy yet colorful breakfast cereal, which recently redesigned its New York City office to be Instagram-worthy, with the intention of making it so unique it would generate envy from non-employees.
Authenticity
Companies should take the time to reflect on their purpose, core values, and heritage to design authentic workplaces that truly embody who they are. A recent study shows that the more people connect on a personal level and see themselves reflected in a given environment, the more likely they are to want to spend time in it.
Sadly, in an attempt to look modern and cool, workplaces often end up looking more or less the same—much like the embattled WeWork. Marriott International took a route authentic to its heritage when it opened a new headquarters in 2022, designing it for hybrid work and taking inspiration from its own hotels.
Employees at Davison Design & Development, whose purpose statement is “Davison helps people transform their ideas into new products,” work in an “Invention Factory” where employees collaborate with inventors to bring their products to market, immersing them in such creative spaces as a treehouse, a castle, workshops, and a crafty cottage.
A compelling narrative
There should be a compelling narrative attached to the office itself that speaks to its place in the world and the very need for it. From there, experiences that unfold within the workplace as well as touchpoints with employees should be curated accordingly to elicit emotional engagement.
Oakley’s fortress-like headquarters perched on a hill in Lake Forest, California, was inspired by its self-styled “mad scientist” of a founder, Jim Jannard, and designed by former design director and CEO Colin Baden. The place conveys the sunglass manufacturers’ ethos of boldness, defiance, and experimentation to its employees. Earlier this year, Oakley even opened up a revamped flagship store with the same ethos within its flagship office!
Employees who enjoy the benefits of working from home are not responding well to being ordered back to the office. There are also hundreds of thousands of recent graduates who have yet to fully experience in-person work, and for whom the upsides of commuting to a physical workplace are far from obvious. Enticing them into desiring to conduct work there must involve carefully redesigned built environments, compelling stories, and authentic experiences that would be well worth an admission fee under different circumstances.
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