By Heather Greene and Gwen Morgan
Fortune 500 companies are losing some of their best people and don’t know why. It’s not always higher salaries. What is the top talent looking for? Frequently, the answer is a desire for purpose and meaningful work. The greatest war for talent we have ever seen is around engagement. Engagement is crucial to attracting talent—and the alternative is expensive.
Gallup research tells us that $450 billion is lost each year in the US to disengagement in the workplace. And those that can harness the power of the creative class have an advantage in business. Innovation can make or break companies in emerging industries, so engaging top creative talent is crucial.
That’s where makerspaces come in. Building a culture of “intraprenuership” (internal entrepreneurs) is a key component in anticipating what’s next, and this can only happen when your people have the right places to create, nurture, and manifest their ideas. Makerspaces in the workplace are inspired in part by the collaborative spaces pioneered by tech start-ups. Harvesting our talent’s creativity and innovation requires the right spaces and, in turn, creates a culture that attracts the best. While a makerspace is but one attractive aspect of culture, it can be a crucial element in today’s battle for talent.
Before you dive in, start by asking yourself three critical questions to determine the kind of a makerspace will fit your needs:
What are you making?
Is it solar cars? Is it quilts? Is it catapults? Is it marshmallow and spaghetti structures? Having a good sense of what will be created in your space will largely determine your technology, equipment and material needs, and, from that, the general type of space required. In our research we’ve defined four types of makerspaces for education and workplace environments: the crafting space, the coworking space, the fabrication lab, and the industrial design shop. (Keep an eye on this blog for more about makerspace types and makerspace ideas.)
What are you storing?
Storage is critical to the functionality of a makerspace. The type of storage the space will require depends on the technology and materials used there, the size of what will be stored, as well as the duration of storage required—from a few days for short-term projects to months for semester-long higher-ed projects.
About the authors
Heather Greene leads Stantec Detroit’s Commercial Workplace studio and interior design team. She has nearly 15 years of experience creating client-centered, innovative interior design solutions for commercial workplace, retail, multi-family, and higher education clients. She is the current president of CREW Detroit.
Gwen Morgan is an interior designer with more than 10 years of experience. She is responsible for developing the vision for interior environments through each phase of the design process, and she’s motivated by designing K-12 schools and higher education facilities.