Workplace strategy has typically involved cutting costs and maintaining the status quo. In most other areas of business, a strategy of cost cutting would not be expected to achieve anything substantial.
Over 80% of the average companies costs relate to people. A small change to employee engagement or productivity can have a massive effect on a companies bottom line. Companies need to invest in this area if they want to stay competitive writes Keith Perske, head of workplace solutions at Colliers International.
He found that companies who look at workplace strategy as a true business opportunity (as opposed to a design challenge) are far more likely to get positive results from their workplace strategy. These results include:
- More productive staff
- Higher levels of employee engagement
- Better retention of key talent
- Ease of attracting new talent
There are five major shifts that he believes all organisations need to make if they want their workplace strategy to still be successful in the next five years:
- Make employee experience a core part of business strategy
- Build a forward-thinking 'Internet of Workplace'
- Create a workplace that makes people healthier
- Ingrain the co-working mentality of thinking about core and flexible working space
- Enable the agile organisation.
For a more detailed explanation of these five workplace shifts, read the full article here.