Is the future of the workplace all about wellbeing, hospitality and open plan offices?

According to Nespresso Professional Workplace Futures report “The workplace is in a state of flux, digital transformation over the past decade has fundamentally changed how people work, yet the majority of today’s workplaces are still based on a dualistic, late 20th century model”. We have all felt the change, but Nespresso Professional and The Future Laboratory have teamed up to launch a new report on the future of workplaces, to really pinpoint what the changes are and how we can move to support them. 

The report explores the social, cultural and technological forces that are shaping the future of workplaces, revealing the characteristics and approaches affecting the working environments and the future of workplaces in 2030.

I was invited by Nespresso to attend a breakfast meeting to listen to the findings of the Workplace Futures Report. There were three things that stood out most for me, which I would like to outline below.

1)     Mental Health & Wellbeing

The future of the workplace has been characterised by a change in the expectations of employees, and as such there is a requirement to change the workplace environment and working methods. For many of my clients, far and wide, I have heard the call for practices that enhance the wellbeing and mental health for employees, and the desire for enhanced flexibility of working hours while where one works from has forced a change in workplaces globally.

According to the report, research from Nespresso Professional revealed that ‘95% of office workers say the quality of their workplace is important to their mental health’. From my experience of working with clients, mentoring, coaching and conversations with friends - I strongly believe that employees want a space that enables them to optimise their time and productivity. An optimal and flexible space enables employees to learn new skills and diversify their offering on a multi-generational level and across a geographical spread. In my opinion mental wellbeing, diversity and innovation are all essential components of modern business – so it is excellent to see this reflected in the research. This is more than just the odd ‘wellbeing day’ or yoga session, this is about companies coming to grips with long term changes to satisfy an evolving workforce.

2)     Hospitality

Hospitality plays an integral part in enhancing the social aspect of workplace environments. According to behavioural science, natural light, coffee and human interaction are key to happiness at work. In this sense, I guess we are like flowers; we need the right environment to flourish. Research from Nespresso reveals that 82% of office employees surveyed agreed face to face interaction was critical to developing good working relationships and 48% felt that technology was getting in the way of getting to know their colleagues properly.

With technology literally at our finger tips, the intersectional nature of worktime and personal time has led to a need for a blended environment, one of work and hospitality, which means that most people need to feel like work can be, at times, a home from home. According to ComRes research, “75% of people associate high quality coffee as an illustration that the company care about employee’s wellbeing”. Although it may seem like a small addition, the value derived can be enormous and it is those additions that make people feel happier at work, more productive and consequently encourages them to spend more time there.

Workplaces are a space for people to create a community, network, gather and share ideas - the human element of the workplace will always be an essential part of building and fostering a community feeling. Interaction and engagement do have to remain the focus, as artificial intelligence takes over the mundane work, this will leave people to undertake activity that requires human to human interaction, collaboration and creativity. Until robots are taught empathy and other human personality traits/ attributes the economy can only benefit from this enhanced engagement. I am personally excited to see more people moving away from technology, peering over the laptop (if even for a moment) to create with others, network and build their personal brand.

3)     Adapted Working Environments

I believe digital technologies lie at the heart of workplace transformations. According to the ONS, 1.5m workers in the UK are at a high risk of losing their jobs to automation. As a result, in order to keep one’s job, it appears organisations will be calling upon employees to have an almost symbiotic professional partnership with artificial intelligence and intuitive software. This move to support emerging technologies also calls for a change in the working environment, with flagship offices having to reimagine their environments to suit the needs of a technologically savvy and diverse workforce.

Technology has its positive and negative, but I believe that it has certainly helped assist with workforce and workplace flexibility. Changes to the workplace, working patterns and the fluid workforce have been characterised by the notion of work being able to be completed ‘somewhere, anywhere and nowhere’. I think trust is the most important and valuable component of any working relationship, you need to trust your team to work from wherever they deem suitable – whilst also finding a working pattern that works for them and your industry.

As a result of digital transformation, the workplace is moving towards a scenario that is ingrained in ‘hyper flexibility’ i.e. a space with mixed reality interfaces and a space that can be used to collaborate, socialise, and work solo. Professor Myerson says ‘We’re moving towards a much more social landscape in which offices begin to look like hotel lobbies or retail malls’ and ‘hospitality, generosity and conviviality – often based around food, drink and social activities– are going to be very important anchors in how these spaces are managed.’ As someone who often spends time socialising with clients and prospective clients at lunches, dinners, networking events and private members clubs – I can certainly vouch for this change. And indeed, many of my clients work flexibly too, commonly communicating via phone, email or video call but nothing replaces a face to face coffee meeting.

So, what can you do about it?

·      If you are a business owner it is important to survey your team, ask them what they want and how they like to work. In my opinion, happy people make for more productive companies.

·      Coffee and other beverages may seem like a small addition, but it is clear it makes a valuable impact on staff. Investing in a coffee machine, soft drinks and even maybe a Friday drinks trolley and cake afternoon can make all the difference. On occasion we have been known to host a ‘Fat Friday’ in our office which has on occasion been changed into a ‘Fruit Friday’ by request!

·      In a digital age don’t forget how important face to face interaction is! Book in that one to one meeting or those group lunches. Do what you need to make the team feel appreciated and like a community. Remember one of your biggest assets is your staff!

What is exciting about this new report is the enthusiasm that Nespresso Professional have for being a front runner in the call to change the workplace to suit the future of business. From my perspective, the way we do business is evolving and workplaces need to innovate to suit the needs of a varying demographic. From those micropreneurs building a business of one, to those independent consultants in large firms working from home, the office and even the airport, through to full time employees who require flexibility in their long-term careers. Technology has allowed us to work more flexibly and employers have accepted this as a reality of doing business. We want more from life in work; we want to socialise; we want quiet time; we want flexibility; we want our wellbeing; we want it all.

I am here for it.

And although, I believe we can have it all – it just might not be all at the same time!

To read the full report head over to: https://bit.ly/2MAVlD0

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