Workplace Team Moved under HR? Here's How to Lead with Intention

As workplace teams increasingly move under HR leadership, many HR leaders are finding themselves responsible for workplace strategy and real estate decisions—areas that may feel unfamiliar. But here’s the good news: this shift actually makes a lot of sense for where the future of work is headed.

At its core, the workplace is about people—connection, culture, collaboration, well-being, and performance. These are areas HR understands deeply.

When workplace and facilities teams sit within HR, it creates an opportunity to lead with empathy and intention, ensuring that space design supports real human needs. It also opens the door to more engagement-driven strategies—designing with employees, not just for them.

That said, balance is key. HR’s historic focus can create a bias to prioritize what people say they want—like holding onto private offices or dedicated desks—which can unintentionally limit how well the space supports what people need to do. That’s where your partnership with workplace experts becomes essential.

Here are ways HR leaders can support their transition into this expanded role:

Collaborate with workplace experts.

Lean into their knowledge of spatial strategy, utilization data, and design trends. They’ll help translate business goals into environments that truly work. Workplace experts care deeply about how space supports people and may challenge outdated practices that might hinder long-term success.

Engage employees early and often.

Involve employees throughout the process, listen actively, and show how their feedback is shaping outcomes. It builds trust and creates shared ownership.

Innovate how employees are supported during workplace change.

Adapting to a new way of working takes empathy and guidance. Change management, clear communication, and hands-on training help people feel informed and supported. 

Shape how culture is expressed through space.

Co-creating etiquette and behavioral expectations helps teams understand how to navigate new environments and collaborate with clarity. Team agreements—an approach that naturally bridges workplace and HR—can help groups collaborate more effectively as ways of working continue to evolve.

Stay curious.

You don’t need all the answers—just a willingness to learn, ask questions, collaborate, and lead with people at the center.

This is an opportunity for HR to support the development of a human-centered and adaptable workplace that aligns with the evolving nature of work. You’ve got this.

CRUX Workplace

#HR #Workplace #RealEstate #WorkplaceStrategy #PeopleTeam #Leadership #CHRO

Continuity Through Change: Guiding Workplace Projects During Reorgs

Struggling to keep a project on track through a reorg?

These days, reorganizations are happening more often—and when workplace teams shift under new leadership or departments, the continuity of a project can be at risk. This is especially true as organizations explore new directions in their workplace strategy and design. 

So how do you preserve the ethos of a project when everything around it is shifting?

🌱 Start with a shared vision.

When a project’s vision is siloed within one department, it can be easily lost or redefined during leadership changes—leading to inefficient use of time and funds. But when the vision is co-created—with input from executive leadership and voices across the business—it becomes stronger and more resilient. A shared vision gives everyone a common purpose to rally around, even as teams and reporting lines evolve.

🌼 Onboard new leadership with care.

Take time to understand a new leader’s lens, experience, and potential knowledge gaps—not just related to this project, but to workplace design and construction overall. When we create space for mutual learning, we build trust and set the foundation for productive collaboration.

🌷 Keep governance and documentation clear.

Good documentation and open communication make it easier for new leaders to step in, get up to speed, and feel like valued members of the team—not outsiders. It also helps preserve the history and decisions that have shaped the project so far.

🌿 Support adaptive alignment.

New leaders can support momentum by learning from what came before, staying open to insights, and aligning with and building on the original vision set at project kickoff.

As reorgs and staff changes become more common, setting your project up to weather transitions helps reduce friction and keeps progress moving forward. Staying aligned to an original, shared vision —without veering off into new directions with each shift— not only maintains clarity and momentum but also saves valuable time and resources that might otherwise be spent revisiting decisions or duplicating efforts.

CRUX Workplace

#workplacestrategy #reorganization #HR #workplace #projectmanagement

Your Workspace, Your Identity 🎨✨

Step into any high-energy, innovative office, and you’ll notice something right away—it reflects the people who work there.

Personal decorations, from company memorabilia to plants and artwork, aren’t just about aesthetics. They foster a sense of belonging, reinforce company culture, and transform an office from a sterile space into a home for ideas.

🌀 As workplaces shift from assigned to shared spaces, striking the right balance can be tricky. Too much uniformity, and employees feel disconnected. Too little structure, and unspoken ownership or clutter can take over.

🦜 A well-designed workspace goes beyond furniture and policies to understand the culture of the teams within an organization—designing spaces that allow for beneficial personalization while aligning with office policies on sharing, cleanliness, and aesthetics. When people feel at home in their space, they do their best work. 🦜 

How is your company balancing personalization with shared spaces? Let’s discuss! #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeExperience #OfficeDesign

CRUX Workplace