Until recently, the top priority for Facilities Managers in any organization consistently focused on reducing operating costs in the workspace, keeping the asset in good and safe condition. Listening to the panelists at the European Facility Management Congress held in Madrid in 2007, we concluded that today the trend is quite different…… Perhaps thanks to the emergence of the “millennials” phenomenon, companies have had to focus their efforts on the retention and attraction of human talent, devoting more energy and resources to the layout of their offices and interior design, considering the new behaviors and ways of working; to this end, they have had to look for better spaces to meet the needs of their employees.
The first to join this trend have been companies in the technology sector: these organizations have innovated in much more striking spaces and have begun to hire profiles with experience in the hotel and customer service sector for the roles of Human Management and Facility Management, as they are the positions called to focus on generating extraordinary service experiences for their employees in the workplace. Who do they work for? for their workers! These areas, now more than ever, are service areas for their internal customers.
The reality is that work schedules are more intense every day, mobility in large cities is increasingly complex and thanks to digital media we work almost 7×24, all of which makes it difficult for workers to attend to their personal affairs. To meet the needs of employees and achieve a better quality of life for them, asset operators and the companies themselves now offer hotel-type concierge services to make it easier for them to attend to their personal needs.
With regard to work spaces, it is essential that the facilities have rest areas, meeting points and group work, reading rooms, places to take calls; all integrated within an innovative design that at the same time ensures adequate lighting quality, air quality, comfortable room temperature and adequate acoustics, as well as places to rest and eat, hopefully with a healthy menu: all this together to generate healthy spaces full of positive energy, ideal for the best performance of the workforce.
Environmental certifications have been defined worldwide that seek to generate these same benefits for occupants, such as LEED and WELL certifications.
Occupants of certified buildings have stated that they feel more productive and ensure that the space has generated a positive impact on their company’s performance. One of the reasons these indicators are achieved is the comprehensiveness of the strategies around occupant wellness.
The WELL certification works on this last point in detail, incorporating seven chapters for well-being: air, lighting, water, food, mind, fitness, and comfort, and in this way gives prominence to the users of the offices or building.
These certifications give us standard tools and guidelines that should be incorporated into the asset and facility management model to really improve working conditions for the occupants of a corporate asset.
As a company dedicated to the integral management of assets, in MTS Consulting + Management our vision of the real estate sector is that every day more companies seek to find this type of features in the buildings where they are going to locate their offices: they are not only looking to be in the most convenient location for their workers, but they are also looking for innovative spaces and services for their collaborators, they no longer expect only to have a few square meters available. Implementing this type of spaces and services are nowadays becoming great strategies for loyalty and retention of occupants, to control vacancy and turnover.
Sources:
CBRE Richard Ellis
International Well Building Institute
Property Directors Forum
