Workplace Retreat

Details:

Workplace Retreat
Location: New York, NY

Challenge:

Post-COVID, “over 90% of CEOs wanted their workforce back in the office for at least part of the week”, an HR Dive reported, but “less than 50% of employees wanted to go back”, a LinkedIn report said. Following the shift to remote work, employers were facing an abundance of unprecedented workplace challenges particularly around staff productivity and company culture, as well as attracting and retaining new top talent. A 2021 Work Trend Index reported that “55% of the global workforce who were considering switching their job over the next year said work environment would play a big role in their decision”. Plummeting employee engagement was costing companies a lot. During the pandemic and the months after, many businesses especially those who had gone fully remote were desperately looking for answers as to what could bring about the happy medium for both employers and employees. After staff had become totally accustomed to their home office, what was going to get them back to the office…even just part-time?

Solution:

Being in the workplace design industry, we felt our responsibility in helping the c-suite overcome these challenges, while satisfying the workforce as a whole. Our workplace analysis team conducted studies delving into the reasons why staff were hesitant to come back to the office. We found employees didn’t want to lose their freedom and flexibility, weren’t ready to welcome the long commute back, and top of all they felt no desire to return to an outdated workplace that would negatively impact their mental and physical health. If employers were going to win the return-to-work battle, something had to give. If staff were going to leave the comforts of home to return to the office, it had to be a better place than the one they left behind and one that made the commute worthwhile. Our team uncovered exactly what they wanted which included quiet/tech-free zones, innovation hubs, collaboration and social areas, focus rooms, rest areas and features that would support their physical and mental health. A 2021 Gartner report said “Organizations need to unlearn old habits and fundamentally rethink their work design.” Employers were going to have to transform their workplace into a space that would engage, inspire, motivate, support and comfort employees. Our creative design team met over several weeks to brainstorm the perfect workplace solution that combined the best of both worlds (working from home vs. working in an office) under one roof. That’s when we came up with Workplace Retreat. A Workplace Retreat style office is a place where everyone wants to be no matter their age or personality. Think of it as a restaurant. It’s a place people want to return again and again. It’s a place of calm, a destination of joy, a sanctuary for re-energizing. The ultimate in wellbeing. A space to be your best self, a place where bonds are formed and ideas come together effortlessly. It’s different from a standard office as it’s more ‘res-mercial’. While companies may have thought it was impossible to satisfy both ends of the spectrum, our Workplace Retreat design concept has proved the opposite. Our Workplace Retreat design concept is totally customizable to your business’s needs and yields great results for both employees and employers.

Results:

Our team has identified a growing real-world problem and delivered a timely, cost-effective, profit-boosting solution customized to your team’s individual needs. The name Workplace Retreat says it all. Combining the workplace setting with a more hospitable and relaxed atmosphere creates an enjoyable environment where everyone wants to work. It’s the ideal solution for all ‘Big 5’ personality types; openness, agreeableness, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness. With a mix of collaborative and private areas, it works just as well for social butterflies as it does for introverts. Just picture if your office looked like this space! What benefits do you think it’d have on your bottom line? With our expertise and knowledge in workplace analysis, space planning, culture and design, our Workplace Retreat design concept can help you create a more welcoming and inspiring space for your staff to thrive. Companies who have adapted to our Workplace Retreat design model have proved the saying, “when the employer cares for their staff, their staff will care for the employer”. Incorporating a variety of work zones and design features like trees, fountains, pods, swings, technology, specialized lighting and cafés will make working from home a hard choice. A Workplace Retreat is a “home away from home” – a place to retreat to for team collaboration, brainstorming and problem-solving. Offices of the past have limited flexibility, comfort and wellness, and only cater to 1 or 2 of the ‘Big 5’ personality types. A Workplace Retreat style space ticks all the boxes and caters to all ‘Big 5’ personality types. How couldn’t you love going to work in a space like this? When you transform your office into a Workplace Retreat, you’ll experience a great ROI, enhance your company image, future-proof your workplace for any work pattern changes and make the best use of the real estate you have. According to a McKinsey business report, “Companies that invested in good design had 32% more revenue and 56% more total returns for shareholders over five years.”