ThinkLab highlights key themes from NELSON Worldwide’s Evolving Workforce Expectations survey. The study measures employees’ feelings about returning to work and what employers can do to help them feel more comfortable. Read more here.

NELSON Worldwide’s Evolving Workforce Expectations study explores employees’ sentiments about returning to the office, and the impact COVID-19 has had on work environments and employee engagement. As part of our Evolving Workforce Expectations blog series, we’re taking a closer look at each of the key themes that stemmed from our research: communicate, activate, control, and support. Follow along to learn more about each theme and how your brand can pull off a successful re-entry strategy.

As most Americans continue to work remotely, or in-office on a limited schedule, workers have adopted new behaviors, and a different mindset when it comes to work-life balance. With research showing most want to return to the workplace, it is clear that a strong sense of support from employers is essential for employees to continue working successfully; remote or not.

Moving forward, the relationship between employees and employers will operate with a high degree of trust, dependent on three key principles. Giving employees the tools they need to stay engaged, updating work policies and the workplace environment to be more flexible, and finding ways to foster growth and value are the three keys to making employees feel more supported at work.

Empower Employees with Tools for Engagement 

Before the pandemic, most companies operate under the assumption that offices were critical to productivity and community. Now, even though priorities have shifted, working remotely shouldn’t be a reason to halt these efforts. Thanks to ever-evolving technology, reinforcing company culture and creating community is still possible, even while working remotely.

• Build a virtual community, employers can create a ‘digital community wall’ to celebrate teammate success both in the office and remote
• Provide perks like subscriptions to exercise, meditation, or bike-sharing apps to build allegiance and reinforce culture
• Create rules and recommendations around the new work-life balance and encourage teammates to breathe or take a creative break during the day

Boston Consulting Group – Atlanta, GA 

“Flexify” Policies and Workspaces

Employees are craving control in their personal lives and at work due to the limited amount of control they have surrounding the pandemic. Flexibility can offer them a sense of control they aren’t getting in other areas of their lives. 

• Create an environment in the physical setting that can flex throughout the day to better support more flexible hours, consider both early risers and night owls
• Offer dedicated spaces for a wider range of purposes/needs like in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and even digital content creation like podcasts, webinars, and more
• Extend or stagger work hours could to aid in safe office capacity and usage

Ferrara Candy Company – Chicago, IL

Create a Multi-Sensory Setting 

When combining a potential talent war with the flexibility and comfort of working from home, employers must make the physical office a sought-after destination again. Brands will need to differentiate themselves so that top talent not only wants to work for them but want to come into the office regularly.

• Take cues hospitality such as adding a signature scent or soothing sounds to make employees feel welcomed each day
• Consider an original food and beverage concept, either bringing in localized food offerings or even an on-site chef, so grabbing snacks and meals is satisfying and convenient for workers
• Offer a visually appealing environment that makes an impact, and is somewhere where employees can feel energized and inspired
• Learn from the retail industry by incorporating temporary activations or pop-ups to generate buzz and excitement and induce a feeling of exclusivity and something no one wants to miss out on

Nomad Tower – New York, NY

What matters most is doing what is authentic and genuine to the brand. Employees will sniff out deception immediately if the support feels forced or doesn’t align with the overall brand culture and values. Whether it’s new policies and programs, or new seating arrangements and office furniture, the goal is to help employees achieve success and have the most positive experience possible at work.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re connecting you with a handful of the women of NELSON who are boldly transforming our industry. Sharing their thoughts and perspectives, keep reading to learn more about what it means to be a woman in architecture and design and what inspires them each day: 

Sheryl Moore-Marlette

Chief Operating Officer

What lessons and experiences can you share as a female leader?

Women are naturally empathetic beings and great communicators who know how to rally a team together. I encourage women to use those powers for good. Improve yourself but don’t change everything about yourself — be the best version of YOU.

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Transferable skills are critical to professional success because they empower you to do your job, whatever it is, well. They increase your odds of success at any level and are the foundation and engines of propelling you forward — no matter what you do or how high you want to climb.

 What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for being authentic, dependable, trustworthy and always following my moral compass.

Susan Martens

SVP, Human Resources

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Aim and push yourself to GROW — both internally and externally. Don’t underestimate yourself, know when to be tenacious and when to step back and re-strategize. Listen and learn – it’s not always about being the “loudest” voice in the room, you can still be heard. Respect diversity and differences and have a trusted colleague you can talk things through.

What are some of the traits that you admire most amongst other female leaders you’ve worked with?

Aside from what you would expect from leaders being focused and possessing a clear vision, additional traits I admire most are a strong sense of fairness, loyalty, decisiveness, honesty, and humility. A sense of humor also works!

Past or present, name three women that you would invite over for a dinner party?

Condoleezza Rice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and my mother. All extremely intelligent women and what I value is integrity and conversations based on the value of merits – great dinner party!

Heesun Kim

Design Director

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

I was a very lucky girl. My father is a wood sculptor and my mother is a Korean traditional flower artist. I naturally grow up surrounded by art & flowers…and I like to express my vision through drawings & objects for as long as I can remember. However, I ended up falling in love with design more than fine art. I realized that while fine art is focusing on self-expression, design focuses on a user. Because of this, this path was more meaningful to me. 

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Embrace being a woman. Be confident of who you are and express your point of view. Do not limit yourself professionally because you are EQUAL.  Empower the women around you and encourage an inclusive culture. Along the way, you’ll contribute to making the world a better place for all, and most importantly yourself.

Andrea Brandt, RID, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, CMP

Studio Director

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

I had planned to be an art teacher. However, I had a class in Home Economics my junior year in high school that piqued my interest in decorating…yes, decorating.
I went on a few campus visits and while at Iowa State University I accidentally found myself in the College of Design (Arch, ID, LA, GD, ID, RP, & Arts). I came back and visited the “shop” teacher and said, “can I take a side class in drafting instead of sitting in study hall?” I enrolled in Interior Design in 1981 and never looked back.

What lessons and experiences can you share as a female leader?

Transparency and vulnerability are necessary.
If you are going to pull up a chair, you need to be present.
Focus on elevating others.

Past or present, name three women that you would invite over for a dinner party?

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light” – Frida Kahlo
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“The next decade cannot be a decade of confrontation and contention. It cannot be East vs. West. It cannot be men vs. women. It cannot be Islam vs. Christianity. That is what the enemies of dialogue want.” – Benazir Bhutto

Cheryl Smith, AIA LEED AP

Director

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

It was in my genes.  As a child, I loved to draw and build things with my father and I remember going for drives with my parents to look at new buildings.  It’s what I knew and loved to do.  My father was an entrepreneur and construction owner; I learned a lot from him about the construction business and the development world.  I also learned from my mother, who was the tastemaker of the family, how to design and become a leader in the community.  I think that I found the best of both worlds because as an architect, I have a desire to create wonderful places for people, but also understand how projects get built that contractors can relate to.

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Get involved, especially with community groups, and own what you are doing.  As a young designer, this is an excellent way to find mentors and as you gain more experience, it provides opportunities for you to become a mentor to others.  In college, I became involved in the Architecture in the Schools program where an architectural student is paired with an architect to teach grade school children about architecture and the built environment.  After graduating from college, I became an ACE Mentor and eventually joined the ACE Mentor Board.  The experience becomes both a humbling and rewarding part of the growth of your career.

Chen Hui Spicer, NCIDQ

Southeast Global Solutions Regional Design Leader  

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

From a young age, my childhood dream was to become a famous artist (or die trying!) For a while, I knew I wanted to be a Fine Arts major in college but ultimately I decided that Interior Design was the right path financially. For me, I loved using art to express myself and enjoyed the ability it gave me to share my emotions beyond just words.

What lessons and experiences can you share as a female leader?

My advice is to always be supportive of other women. Also, be strong and bring your best self at all times. The positive energy that you give the world will come back to you.

When I was in college I took a Communications class and the one quote that has always stuck with me reads:  “everyone that you touch in your life, they take a little piece of you with them”.  

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for always bringing the best version of myself forward, embracing different perspectives, and being part of the greater change that pushes us forward.

Many large employers are planning to increase their internship hiring by more than 22% in 2022, according to a new study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Read more with Philadelphia Inquirer here.

In a recent work study with The Business Of Furniture, teammates Kristen Cerutti and Anne Gibson discussed how employers should shift their mindset from activity-based work to behavioral-based work to empower employees to choose how to work to perform at their best.

“There are no two people that think the same, that work the same, that utilize space in the same way. For me it’s less about labeling how many different people there are, it’s about getting employees and employers to understand no two people are going to function in their best capacity in the same way,” said Kristin Cerutti. “So, how can we provide space knowing that?” Cerutti describes neurodiversity a celebration and acceptance of the fact that no two brains think the same. There are groups of people that have enough in common neurologically to able placed into neurodivergent and neurotypical categories.

This leads to a concept designers at Nelson Worldwide have been exploring more lately— how employees are physically reacting to what they are doing. Anne Gibson, workplace leader at Nelson Worldwide explains activity-based working is focusing on supporting the task, which is important throughout the day, whether it’s concentrating on an individual assignment, collaborating with someone, or learning something in a large group setting. Behavior-based work adds a dimension of emotional support someone gets within the environment created. Read the full article here.

A relatively new segment of the industry, wellness tourism is now growing at a 50 percent faster rate than conventional tourism, with no signs of slowing down.

Cheryl Smith, Regional Practice Leader, NELSON Worldwide, adds, “Indoor spaces that encompass the use of natural materials, like wood, biophilic design such as living green walls and other indoor plant materials and daylight will improve the metal wellbeing of the guests by connecting them to nature. Read more with Gurtimes here.

Humans need humans to feel human – the importance of connection at that fundamental level simply cannot be overstated. Brands, in their never-ending quest for relevance, must dive deep into human experiences, connecting with consumers at an emotional level.

Before these connections can be manifested in the built environment, however, the foundation begins with a strong brand culture and purpose. Each employee or consumer must feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Tools like storytelling and narrative, tone of voice, and key visuals help brands create transformational rather than transactional experiences that connect us, regardless of demographics or generational differences.

PURPOSE-DRIVEN DESIGN

​​The physical space must be defined by the kind of relationship that consumers want to have with it – giving them what they want and need, delivered in a way that creates an authentic relationship and a personalized experience that is frictionless yet sticky.

The design of these spaces must offer us a sense of community, engage our five senses, and deliver a level of engagement that is only possible through in-person interactions. What can you show, tell, and teach the consumer? Invite them to be part of the story, not as customers, but as human beings. Focusing on engaging, authentic, relevant experiences, stories, and environments centered around purpose enables us as humans to align with those brands that share our values and principles, making an indelible impression on our memories and uniting us in a common mission.

When considering generational differences, we find that consumers are more similar than different at their core. In this “me”-centric world, they are now fully in charge. So what does this mean for brands? Until now, consumers have had agency but lacked power. Now because of technology, social media, and the blurring of the physical and digital worlds, they have both.

Given that, dynamic design details that engage the human senses must speak directly to consumers’ hearts and heads. These details should fuel curiosity, and make them feel alive, heard, and special through unexpected relevant moments and experiences – all of which should inspire, educate, and connect them emotionally, ultimately creating brand loyalists. Consider the opportunity to create a sense of community or recognize and embrace local cultural or behavioral nuances. Or for brands with solid sustainability values, for instance, approaching their design with details that reinforce their position will strengthen their relationship with consumers aligned with this belief. Incorporating elements such as recycled materials or energy efficient lighting, for example, are effective strategies that speak to a brand’s commitment to sustainability.

We know that Boomers prefer shopping in-store and seek experiences that emphasize convenience and value. They also prefer to browse the aisles as a way of discovering new products or categories. For this cohort, focusing on sales associate interaction and brand services, the consumer journey, and amenities that encourage dwell time are key. Like Gen-Z, the human-centered approach is still the core strategy. How it’s expressed is what differs.

GEN-Z’S PUSH FOR EQUITY IS FOR ALL

Gen-Z’s influence on retail shopping trends is extremely strong. They are a generation that prioritizes inclusivity, among other values, and seeks spaces that are accessible to all. When designing sensory experiences, brands must allow for neurodiversity among their customers. Design acoustics heavily affect those with hearing sensitivities or neurodivergent individuals. Knowing this, we can design spaces that utilize a balance of soft and hard materials, allowing sound to flow fluidly throughout the environment. The same applies to harsh or flashing lights or strong scents.

THE REINVENTION

With the rise of technology, social media, and digital channels, brands and designers today must be cultivators of change in transforming all dimensions of the human experience within the built and digital environment. Real-world experiences cannot and will not ever be able to be translated into a digital space.

How humans are influenced by color, scent, sound, and lighting differs by person, but we are all influenced by these elements in one way or another. These elements, along with materiality, are translated into trust, comfort, emotion, and relevance. Together, they shape the retail experience.

Experience is the battleground for differentiation today so let’s focus on what’s important and of value to the consumer – no matter their age, or generation. Being human is what truly connects us all, and what an amazing time to be part of this reinvention!

Bevan Bloemendaal, Chief Brand and Creative Officer