What role does the workplace play in the employee experience?

The office, a space that can be adapted to employees' needs

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Although the office has come under fire in recent years, it remains a strategic and powerful HR lever for fostering employee engagement, productivity and well-being in a hybrid work environment.

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COVID: the tipping point for office use

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Let's take a look back. After the confinements, the office reopens, but employees are reluctant to return full-time and want to remain (at least in part) teleworking.

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Behind this new reality - which is far from being a whim - lies a key lesson: the plurality of workplaces enables us to better respond to the diversity of employee needs. It's the start of a new era for the office, based on usage. The golden rule from now on: one specific use = one type of workspace.

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Reinventing the office

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Since then, the office, like a chameleon, has adapted to specific needs that workers cannot always satisfy at home. A study by Leesman(1) compared office and home working habits. Out of 21 uses studied, there are only 5 that employees prefer to carry out at the office:

<li> Accueil des clients et des partenaires </li>

<li> Interactions sociales informelles </li>

<li> Apprentissage par ses pairs </li>

<li> Utilisation de matériel technique </li>

<li> Collaboration sur des projets créatifs </li>

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In addition to offering workspaces that meet employees' needs, it's important to provide them with a premium workstation. The level of comfort and service offered at the office is a powerful argument for attracting employees. Provide them with quality equipment: ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks... Oh sure, a Steelcase chair is more comfortable than the chair in the kitchen!

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Giving meaning to office life

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Today, people come to the office because it adds value to them, to the completion of a task. Travel is useful and intentional.

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In this context, the office remains central, but does not necessarily imply an exclusive concentration of all activities there. It supports the experience of employees, without confining all the tasks to be carried out in a single unit.

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The office as part of a workgroup

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When design brings an organization's identity to life

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By going to the office, the employee gains access to something less tangible: the corporate culture. By immersing themselves in a place with a customized layout and personalized design, employees come into contact with their organization's identity.

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While hybrid working offers great flexibility, it also brings with it the risk of the organization's identity evaporating. The workplace must therefore step up its efforts to leave a memorable impression on its users. When well orchestrated, each visit reinforces employees' sense of belonging and pride.

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Encouraging the creation of strong ties

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The office is also the heart of the work community. It's where bonds are forged, the foundation of a productive work system. It's not easy to bond with Marion, who joined the company 6 months ago, if you've never met her in person.

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Discussions at the coffee machine, team lunches, information exchanged on the fly in the corridor, are informal moments crucial to team cohesion. Yes, that little bit of laziness in the morning that makes you hang around the coffee machine for a few extra minutes can turn out to be very beneficial for your work!

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And therein lies the challenge of hybrid working: the aim is to federate, in a plurality of geographical work possibilities. Thus, the office is an anchor for the company's operations, and external workplaces are like extension zones.

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Coworking and telecommuting as deployment areas

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As you can see, the office is still the place to be, but hybrid working is here to stay. 86% of employees surveyed by Leesman over the past two years have more than one workplace(2). Hybrid working is therefore firmly rooted in working habits. Dealing with coworking and telecommuting over the long term is a necessity.

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These ways of working cater for other types of use, and allow employees to choose the location best suited to their current tasks. Rather than seeing it as time employees don't spend in the office, look at it as an enhanced collaborative experience. Workplace diversity enriches the employee experience by offering more choice and flexibility.

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The employee experience must be customizable

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Unfortunately, we don't have a set route for your employees. It's not a fixed, linear path, but one that can be customized for each individual.

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Within a single organization, there can be a wide variety of hybrid work styles. This highlights the challenge of satisfying the different needs of employees, both individually and collectively.

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According to a Cushman & Wakefield workplace experience survey, employees appreciate and value the freedom to choose where and when they work. By giving them latitude over these choices, their commitment is strengthened(3).

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The challenge is to juggle individual aspirations with collective needs. We need to ensure that every employee is fully supported in his or her activities, whether working remotely or in the office.

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<font size="-1">Nos sources</font>

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<font size="-1">(1) Leesman, 2022. Purposeful presence: how and why employees return (p.10) </font>

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<font size="-1">(2) Leesman, 2024. The Power of Workplace Report (p.4) </font>

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<font size="-1">(3) Cushman & Wakefield, 2023. What occupiers want (p. 9) </font>