Hilti North America Headquarters. Image © Ryan Gobuty.
The function and purpose of the physical corporate workspace is evolving. Technology has made ‘where’ we work irrelevant in many cases. The workplace of the future is more about ‘how’ we work, bringing people together to collaborate, innovate, learn and socialize. It’s about communicating, nurturing and supporting a company’s culture and mission. Couple that institutional evolution with an increase in worker expectations, their desire to contribute and engage in a meaningful enterprise and the emerging generational appetite for advancement through more frequent changes and you’ll quickly realize that the business of design is no longer ‘business as usual.’ To compete with top talent, Financial Services Firms must place a greater emphasis on the employee experience.
There are as many different approaches to employee amenities as there are unique corporate cultures and missions. Not surprisingly, many focus on food. Sophisticated coffee service has become a baseline expectation sometimes even staffed by a professional barista. Many offices incorporate lounges with self-serve ‘mini-marts’ stocked with quality local market foods, energy drinks and treats. Traditional ‘me spaces’ decrease in favor of enhanced ‘we spaces,’ sophisticated work lounges replete with stylish, comfortable furnishings and finishes. Fitness centers and employee cafeterias get a similar approach, integrating healthy eating options with a fitness tracking program sometimes supplemented with onsite access to clinical healthcare professionals. All of these things may sound expensive, and some can be. So why are corporations making these types of investment?