- Lauren Pollack
- 3 min read
Strongly agree, slightly agree, or subtly agree?
Engaging with employees has gotten a bad rap. The usual mix of pulse surveys, chair fairs, and off-the-cuff comments from the squeakiest wheel can make us wonder if there is any value in engaging employees in workplace projects.
Insights from employee knowledge are foundational to developing a workplace strategy and ultimately a final design that is attuned to the employees' and company's goals. Still, we hear a lot of hesitation about "opening pandora’s box" by soliciting employee opinions. An overload of chaotic information doesn't need to be your reality.
With an effective structure, knowledge shared by employees can be synthesized into a valuable resource of insight and information specific to your company. The outcome of successful engagement can enhance acceptance of change initiatives and forecast the most impactful workplace investments.
If you’re saying it’s too early to involve your people- you have likely waited too long.
Here are the top myths about engaging employees in workplace projects:
Myth 1 | It creates unattainable expectations.
“If I engage them, they’ll expect something I can’t give them.”
“People will be frustrated if their suggestion isn’t selected.”
Engagement Reality - The themes discussed should align with the scope and desired outcomes of the project. This is not a free for all or a time to make selections.
Myth 2 | Surface level input is sufficient.
“I’ll wait and engage employees in picking finishes and selecting task chairs.”
“If we can’t really cater to their needs, what’s the point of asking for additional input.”
Engagement Reality - Employees are likely to be more emotional about surface level input when their core needs have not been met or asked for.
Myth 3 | Too many individual needs will surface.
“There are too many opinions, I can’t accommodate every voice we’d have a million different projects.”
“I don’t want to open a can of worms!”
Engagement Reality - Input from employee engagement is sorted into trends and themes uncovering deeper needs and information that will benefit the organization and employees. Employees benefit from being able to share meaningful information productively in a structured environment.
Myth 4 | The project will be slowed down or blocked.
“Engaging employees will slow down the process- needing to find time to meet and get approval from everyone.”
“I know what their feedback will be, and it’s crazy, it doesn’t feel worth my time.”
Engagement Reality - Engagement processes can be run quickly at scale in an organization. The goal is not approval but to be informed. The process should make decisions easier, more effective, and reduce buy-in delays.
Myth 5 | The project should be well defined before employees are engaged.
“I’m just getting the project underway- I’m not ready to engage anyone.”
"The project is two years' out."
Engagement Reality - Information from employees through structured early engagement is critical to defining a project. Engaging too late creates some of the challenges stated in the myths above.
Let’s be clear, engagement is not a free for all.
Connecting with your employees in preparation for workplace projects should be focused and structured to align with the desired outcomes. As an example, high performance workplace projects contain a selection of questions around likes, dislikes, and "less and more" of what they have already. Questions of this nature provide a framework to collect tangible information while leaving opportunities for facilitators to take in the "between the lines" commentary that is often just as informative.
Engagement processes can include workshops, interviews, and analytic platforms. The information gained will provide opportunities to discover more about employees' roles, activities, and interactions, as well as the types of work settings that will be most supportive. In this way, the guide rails of information sharing prevent overwhelm and unattainable employee expectations.
Workplace specialists can support your company in a methodical process that quickly gains information from across the organization. Engagement processes can be targeted around key information, providing guidance to identify and implement the right projects to support your business in long term success.
Communicating and learning from your employees has the power to help your company be a place that people want to be- a place you want to be.
- Lauren Pollack
- 6 min read
Updated: May 18, 2023
Curious about the trends we are seeing at the start of 2023? Follow us as we dig into five key trends. See the five trends here!
If you are feeling drawn to work outside of your home, you are not alone.
A growing number of employees, who feel supported by their organization with autonomy and choice, feel a natural pull to work outside of their homes. These employees, who have been working remotely, are seeking to complement their home office with new places and people. This could be the company office, a co-working space, or a “Third Space” like a café. Organizations can benefit by leaning into complementary offerings to meet the emerging needs of their workforce.
As employees are expressing a shift in preferences, it is a good opportunity for organizations to reflect on workplace experience and employee resources.
“I’ve been going into the office a few days a week, when I’m not in the office I feel like I lose my edge.”
“This will be a welcome and needed opportunity to get out, be with people, and make work more fun.” -Response to an invitation to join a community co-working meet-up group.
Where employees want to go and if they ultimately choose to go, rely on several factors, including:
Convenience | Long and challenging commutes are cited as a barrier to regular office attendance.
Habit | Remote employees are often out of the habit of including other locations in their work week. Many are unsure how to include commute time on top of a workload that has expanded to include previous time spent in transit.
Relevance | If the office or alternate location does not enhance employees' work activity, provide suitable resources, inspire socialization, or enable serendipitous encounters, there is less incentive to visit regularly.
Invitation | We have learned in client workshops that employees on teams that that have been designated as remote, feel the need to be invited into the office.
Workers are seeking spaces that support their needs. When technology in the home outperforms the workplace- it is hard to make a case for the office.
Connections | At a baseline, reliable WI-FI builds confidence in the ability to maintain productivity outside of the home. Ease of connecting to technology in individual and collaborative spaces is critical to effectiveness.
Seamless Transition | The speed at which employees can find their workspace and get set up in a conference room, is critical to productivity and stress level reduction. Hybrid workers can be delayed by lugging equipment back and forth between work and home, when storage or equipment is not readily available.
Privacy | Having limited access to private spaces is often reported as a deterrent for leaving the home office. Enclosed spaces are key for sensitive conversations and focus work. Having reliable access to spaces that provide audio and/or visual privacy increases psychological safety and confidence in spending the day at an alternate location.
Updated Equipment & Workplace Design | Technology and tools should be aligned with the programs and individual technology used by the organization. Design of collaborative spaces will be most successful if they are optimized for in-person and hybrid interactions. Tools that are readily available and well-maintained build trust between employees and the organization.
Trip Planning | In addition to booking space, employees want to know when other people are going to be in the office and where they are sitting once there. Employees report planning their schedules around team and manager interactions but wanting to know who they can expect to see in the office.
Rebuilding The Habit
Interest in events or alternate work locations does not equal attendance.
Turnout is often disrupted by last minute meetings and the intoxicating draw of daily routines. Prioritizing in-person experiences is enabled by creating buffer time for commutes and setting boundaries around meeting schedules.
“I just got a meeting scheduled for this morning. Don’t think I’ll be able to make it. Next time!”
“I accommodate early meetings by taking them at home, then I get into the swing of my workday and it’s hard to leave.”
In-person experiences with co-workers have the potential to elevate the health of the organization. These types of interactions are particularly valuable for improving connections and relationships, onboarding, early career development, culture, and knowledge exchange.
Learning from others and opportunities to mentor are beneficial to the organization and bolster employee career progression and fulfillment. The serendipitous exchange of knowledge and ideas through unplanned interaction and proximity, at the water cooler and beyond, are unmatched in virtual encounters, especially where psychological safety exists in the workplace. In detriment to culture, visibility bias can become a barrier to growth, without managerial upskilling.
Regardless of whether you have been mandated or inspired to venture out of your home, here are some ideas for adding another place into your workday.
Strategize with your Leader - Work with your leader or yourself to prioritize your workload and create a strategy for making time for transit and socialization.
Couple New Habits with Existing Routines - Tack on an in-person day to a regularly scheduled event or meeting. Perhaps take your weekly stand-up call from the office.
Set a specific goal - Pick a consistent day(s) of the week, pay period, or month to venture out. Repetition supports this practice and can be helped by creating a reoccurring block on your calendar, including commute time.
Coordinate with friends - Having friends at work is good for employees and beneficial to the health of the organization. Coordinating in-person schedules not only with teammates but also friends outside of your direct team, enhances the experience in a place. The benefits of working with people you like will be most impactful when time for lunch or coffee is planned on your calendar.
Co-Working Meet Ups - If working from a "Third space" interests you - Organize a group of co-workers, friends, or neighbors to meet up regularly at a café. Working side by side with people in a new space can reduce the burden of certain tasks.
The sense of community created from in-person activities and post-event engagement, pulls in employees, enhancing likelihood of attending future events, and re-establishing relationships.
From our interviews with clients and industry leaders, we have seen the best results when office attendance is linked to a regularly occurring team ritual. Common work-related rituals include team and all-hands meetings, senior or middle manager workshops, annual holiday/festive type events, and guest speakers.
In two exemplary case studies, the combination of meaningful work-related events, combined with company provided refreshments, two days per week, created a shift in regular weekly attendance, at the time of writing. For one company following this approach, they have seen on average nearly 50% occupancy, at a time when most companies are hovering around 30% occupancy. In-person events are most successful when they are well communicated in advance and again after the event to share images and stories.
Taking Action
Organizations who support employees in creating new location habits, have seen an elevation in employee driven outcomes.
Engaging a skilled workplace strategist and change manager can support employees and organizations in changing processes and habits, reducing barriers to in-person experiences.
Pairing in-person events with existing team rituals and appreciation can help build loyalty and belonging within your company's culture. We have seen success in organizations that engage cross-functional teams in strategy workshops or focus groups which double as team building and a means for innovation.
Creating a strategy for the design of your workplace with a specialist, can ensure your design reflects and enhances work activities, building relevance and encouraging return visits. Providing spaces that support group gathering, collaboration, and team socialization, will support these use cases in which we are seeing a natural pull.
Consider new models of real estate, to include geographically dispersed flex, coworking, or third spaces, to ensure your organization gets the benefits of in-person interaction, in line with the preferences of your employees. By including work opportunities and events in alternate locations as well as the company office, employees can meet each other while making spatial associations with your organization's brand and culture.
Through the use of engagement tools and analytics, workplace specialists can understand the most productive location and collaborative needs of teams, making recommendations for beneficial in-person experiences. Working with a workplace consultant can uncover the needs of your workforce and draw out relevant insights and trends. Understanding this data about your organization can bring closer attunement between your workers and place strategies.
Employees desire a change of scenery, socialization, and resources. Through understanding how this desire appears in your workforce, companies can create a strategy for in-person activities that enhances culture and organizational health.
- Lauren Pollack
- 1 min read
Through our work with wonderful clients and partners across the US, we've noticed common themes emerging in the workplace.
Here is a snapshot of five key trends we are seeing at the start of 2023.
We’ll be sharing articles over the next few weeks to dig deeper into each of the topics.
1 - Let's Go! Decisions Abound. - Organizations are ready to move forward with changes, as opportunities for improvement have become more tangible.
2 - Rationalization Meets Innovation - At the intersection of reducing footprint and flexible work modalities, right-sizing real estate is now an opportunity for business innovation.
3 - Flexibility vs. Flex-washing - While some organizations are committing to flexibility, others are leveraging flexibility as a perk, subject to change.
4 - Working, Together - A growing number of employees, who have autonomy and trust, are interested in working from places other than their homes.
5 - Easing out of Burnout - Through change, many of us are carrying outdated relics. It is time to assess when we do things, how we do things, and why.