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 much of the workforce continues to work remotely or in the office on a limited schedule, individuals have embraced a new definition of work-life balance. With this in mind, and our research that shows most employees want to return to the workplace, people will look to feel a sense of control through flexibility.

Moving forward, the relationship between the employee and employer will operate with a high degree of trust that is dependent on several requirements; Are you providing your employees with enough space? Are you fostering an environment that embraces new work styles and schedules? Are demographic expectations being considered when asking employees to return? Here’s what employers can do to allow employees more control:

Diversify Your Space 

While many employees are excited to return to the office, health and safety will understandably be top of mind as they return. One way to offer people the control and independence they crave is to incorporate more space or space types into the office. This may include:

• Adding outdoor work spaces with more room for breathing and opportunities for safer collaboration
• Creating private office spaces so that employees may distances themselves or retreat to a private space when needed
• Providing an office environment that represents a dedicated home-away-from-home with resources and tools that remote employees may need but don’t have access to at home

Embrace and Encourage Flexibility  

As mentioned before, many employees are excited about the prospect of returning to the office (eventually), but are feeling anxious without reassurance that their health has been considered. Flexibility and a sense of personal control are going to be important at all levels moving forward, and employers should consider ways to not only encourage, but embrace flexible schedules with no repercussions. Here’s how employers can embrace flexibility:

• Give employees the option to work in different parts of the office to allow for more variety and availability of collaborative workspaces
• • Be open to a flexible combination of in-office and work from home (or hotel, or beach, or cabin…), and set up a formal policy around how to communicate when people are working off-site or on-site
• Encourage employees to take time for creative breaks or days off to refresh and reset as they re-adapt to life in the office and get used to new health and safety policies

Mind the Generation Gap

For the first time in history, there are five generations in the workforce. As companies plan their return to the office, the desires and expectations of each generation will have to be considered. Cultural priorities are different across the generations, embrace those differences and help them feel unified and connected to each other among shared values. Here is what our research from the Evolving Workforce Expectations study tells us:

• Older segments were more likely to want to return to the office completely, whereas the younger segments wanted flexibility and variety
• Younger demographics placed a higher importance on concerns around upskilling/reskilling while older demographics highlighted the impact to their direct team
• 21-34-year-olds placed a higher importance on cultural values surrounding personal and career growth, while the 65+ group emphasized improvement from a company-wide perspectives

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 today’s workforce evolves amid the current global pandemic, we predict the role of the physical office will do the same. Leveraging data from our recent study, we’ve identified three themes that will redefine workplace environments of today and the future. Examining this idea from macro to micro level, these themes start by looking at overall real estate strategy, new roles, and finally, dynamic design solutions that can help get employees excited to return to the office.  Below, we’re taking a deep dive into each of these themes and exploring how to activate them in the workplace:

Portfolio Strategy 

As many businesses reevaluate their real estate portfolio, there are many strategies employers and developers must consider to adjust to new working styles and health and wellness concerns. Actions include:

• Consider the location of an office and understanding the value in urban vs. suburban, the access to transportation and parking, the connection to the brand, and geographical opportunities that are available.
• Reevaluate real estate usage while considering new opportunities for consumers/users to interact with the space. For example, is the current space client facing? Is there optimal collaboration space? Is there enough back-of-house space?
• Put people at the center of the decision. If a new location or space can’t recruit and retain top talent or loyal customers is it worth it? On the other hand, have new consumer/employee behaviors impacted how a current space/location will be used?
• Don’t double the footprint if you don’t have to. When assessing real estate, it is more important than ever to question the amount of space or the model needed to support staff and business while keeping flexibility and capital planning in mind.

45% of respondents listed “location and neighborhood of office” as the aspect that they most appreciated about their company’s physical workplace.

Habitat for Humanity | NELSON Worldwide

Redefined Role  

As companies start to plan their re-entry, brands and businesses must understand their unique priority of functions to better redefine their space. In most organizations, there are various teams that perform different tasks and use different space types for work. From research-based roles, to client facing roles, the purpose of each space must be redefined. There are various roles and activities that should be considered along the way:

• Customer-Facing Role: As COVID-19 restrictions ease, more people are open to in-person meetings. In many cases, there are employees that will opt to utilize the office for customer-facing meetings rather than virtual meetings.
• Dependent Workers: Fostering a safe and engaging environment for employees that must be onsite (i.e. R&D, IT, etc.) should not be forgotten, especially as other employees are introduced to the space.
• Cultural Immersion Opportunities: A strong culture is crucial for any business, so for employees that are opening to in-person interactions, the office environment should become a touchpoint of your brand/culture for existing employees and new employees to connect (safely, of course).

54% of respondents selected “a sense of teamwork and sociability” as the thing they miss the most about being in the office.

Pandora | NELSON Worldwide

Dynamic Design

If so few employees want to come in the office, how can you utilize design to get employees excited about the office again? By using human-centric design solutions to support the workforce today and the future, organizations can create environments that not only provide safety, but drive and support innovation. This approach may include:

• Developing dynamic space types that can be a COVID-safe hub for brand/culture events or a space for hosting formal, client-based meetings.
• Taking inspiration from other industries to create fluid environments that provide more convenience-based amenities or micro-experiences (i.e. in-house food concepts, outdoor experiences).
• Presenting a partnership model by tapping into co-working spaces or even a hotel brand that has empty private suites for employees to use as a Zoom studio or podcast suite.

(Chicago, IL – March 1, 2023) NeoCon is pleased to announce that the submissions portal for the 2023 edition of the revered Best of NeoCon competition is now open. A NeoCon tradition since 1990, the competition garners hundreds of product entries each year as exhibitors vie for one of the coveted Best of NeoCon awards. Now in its 33rd year, the program will recognize superlative new products in 56 categories spanning a range of verticals including workplace, healthcare, hospitality,  and education sectors. New for 2023, entries will be considered for a Business Impact Award, in addition to honors for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability, and the singular honor of Best of Competition.

“The Best of NeoCon finalists are emblematic of the latest trends and movements that are shaping how we work, gather, learn, and communicate. This year, I think we will see an even greater emphasis on solutions that consider the growing role that technology plays in our daily lives,” comments Best of NeoCon Director Eileen McMorrow. “From introductions that adapt easily and embrace emerging tech to those that prioritize ergonomics, our jurors will be seeking out solutions that streamline the rapidly evolving ways we work and live, inside and outside of the office.”

More than 50 new and returning jurors representing the industry’s leading design professionals, specifiers, facility managers and decision-makers, will gather on site at THE MART to thoroughly evaluate all Best of NeoCon entries in the days prior to NeoCon, June 12-14. Hailing from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, this year’s jury includes individuals from influential entities such as Honda, Cash App, NBBJ, and Studio GC. The final roster will be announced in April.

“I am thrilled to be returning as a Best of NeoCon juror this year. The early access and exposure to cutting-edge innovations and in-depth dialogue with exhibiting manufacturers of all sizes is an enriching and enlightening experience,” remarks Best of NeoCon 2022 Juror Chen-Hui Spicer, Regional Design Director, NELSON Worldwide. “This year, I’m especially looking forward to evaluating and recognizing products and solutions that prioritize human-centered design, sustainability, and adaptability.”

New this year, the Best of NeoCon jury will be able to nominate products for consideration for a Business Impact Award, which will recognize exceptional solutions through a business-oriented lens. These nominees will then be further evaluated by a group of discerning business journalists. The business jury will conduct in-person judging at THE MART on the Sunday before NeoCon, reviewing each of the nominated products based on the degree to which they contribute to a more successful business and better enterprise-oriented, built environment across verticals—from workplace to healthcare. Criteria include: aesthetics, adaptability, ergonomics, ESG, experience, productivity contribution, sustainability and tech-integration. The program is an evolution of last year’s inaugural Business Innovation Awards, which were a great success.

Heralding the first official day of NeoCon, all Best of NeoCon 2023 winners will be unveiled at a live ceremony at THE MART on Monday, June 12. Winning manufacturers will receive the recognizable award designed by NeoCon partner and renowned design firm Maiarelli Studio.

Exhibitors can submit entries through the Best of NeoCon online portal starting March 1, 2023. Any new products introduced to the U.S. market since June 2022 and that will be on display at NeoCon 2023 are eligible. Products that were entered in Best of NeoCon 2022 are not eligible. Submission deadlines and entry fees are as follows:

Early entry by April 21:        $700.00

Regular entry by May 5:      $800.00

Late entry by May 19:          $900.00

More details on the program and entry process can be found at www.neocon.com/features/best-of-neocon. 

NeoCon will take place June 12-14 at THE MART in Chicago. The show is open to trade, C-Suite executives, and other industry-related professionals and registration is free for all attendees. To register, head here. Stay tuned for more details on programming, product trends, and highlights ahead at NeoCon 2023!

For showroom, exhibitor, and general NeoCon news, images, and real-time information, follow NeoCon on: Facebook (@NeoConShows), Twitter (@NeoCon_Shows), Instagram (@NeoCon_Shows), and LinkedIn (@NeoCon-Shows).

Media Contacts: Novità Communications

Alexandra Zwicky / Danielle McWilliams / Emma Reuland / Katie Fosdick

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About NeoCon: NeoCon is the world’s leading platform and most important event for the commercial interiors industry, held each year at THE MART in Chicago. Since launching in 1969, NeoCon has served as the annual gathering place for the commercial design world’s manufacturers, dealers, architects, designers, end-users, design organizations and media. The three-day event showcases game-changing products and services from close to 500 leading and emerging companies—providing unparalleled access to the latest and most innovative solutions. A robust educational program of keynote presentations and CEU sessions offers world-class expertise and insight about today’s most relevant topics as well as the future of commercial design. www.neocon.com

NeoCon® is a registered trademark of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc, a subsidiary of Vornado Realty Trust.

About THE MART: THE MART is the largest privately held commercial building in the United States: it encompasses 4.2 million gross square feet, spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day (or nearly 10 million people annually).

THE MART serves as the home to Chicago’s most creative and technologically innovative companies, including Motorola Mobility, 1871, Yelp, PayPal, and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies Conagra Brands, Allstate, Medline Industries, Beam Suntory, Avant and Grainger. It is also the largest and most important center for design in North America with more than 250 premier design showrooms offering the latest resources for both residential and commercial markets.

The boundaries between being physically in or out of the office are collapsing and lessons from this global work-from-home experiment will have a lasting effect on the role of the office. Now more than ever, workplaces must evolve like a living ecosystem. More than a real estate asset, these spaces are a physical manifestation of a company’s brand, vision, mission, and values. Inspiring collaboration and brand advocacy, increasing productivity, and unifying teams around a common purpose. The future workplace will support a different lifestyle, where employee well-being and technology are interconnected, and amenities and service offerings will no longer be perks, and instead necessities.

As designers, architects, and innovators, we put our heads together to create a vibrant, intuitive, and versatile collaboration space called The Nexus. This office oasis will provide a variety of ways for employees to work away from their desks and offices and collaborate together. We invite you to The Nexus, the future of collaboration.

The Nexus provides a space for everyone: an intuitive and diverse food and beverage offering, a buzzing collaborative space, in addition to quiet spots for solo work and concentration.

LIFESTYLE

The Nexus works for everyone. Seating varies from comfortable, soft lounge furniture, to ergonomic desk chairs, for varied forms of work. Furniture is modular so those wanting to collaborate can push chairs together or pull them apart to work alone without feeling lonely. The solution is to empower users to control their surroundings or experience based on personal preferences.

An elevated food and beverage concept resides within The Nexus, allowing employees to access healthy snacks, drinks, and meals without having to leave the office. A food window allows easy and safe access to food delivery orders, ensuring a no-contact transfer from the delivery person to the employee, additionally food never has to leave the collaboration space and can stay contained to one area.

Key features:

• Personal lounge chairs for privacy
• Furniture pieces that are flexible and allow individual work or working together
• Elevated food and beverage concept with access to healthy breakfast and lunch options

WELLNESS

WELL building standards are incorporated throughout including, access to light and views, healthy food options, and variety and choice in how you work though the day as demonstrated with a plethora of work settings. Germ mitigation has been addressed by reducing touch points at cabinets by using only open shelving, selecting easily cleanable, wipeable surfaces made of anti-microbial and bleach cleanable materials.

Key features:

• Open shelving to reduce touchpoints
• Easily cleanable, wipeable surfaces made of anti-microbial and bleach cleanable materials
• Enclosed, hot and cold food storage windows for third party deliveries

TECHNOLOGY

Technology is embedded throughout to offer various solutions: to enhance the “phygital” experience, minimize touchpoints, mitigate the spread of germs, and to monitor the amount of people using the space at one time. The most innovative technology within the space is the centrally located Zoom Wall. It can be used as a looping live stream of employees working from home, or it can be used to display recent company news, highlight teammate hobbies, or be the backdrop during an all hands meeting. Telepresence cubbies are set up with seamless technology so someone working from the office can easily meet virtually with someone working remotely.

An IWMS is installed and used for tracking, reserving, monitoring seating areas. Employees can book a spot on-demand through an app on their mobile device, or view availability from their desk before even entering the collaboration area. High touch surfaces like faucets, appliances, and light switches are powered by motion-sensor controls to mitigate the spread of germs.

Key features:

• Double sided technology wall to engage office culture while not all teammates are in the office
• Built-in millwork booth with personal video conferencing

The Nexus is the reinvigorated hub all future workplaces need. It embodies collaboration, innovation, and wellness, while offering a home-like retreat to match each employee’s unique journey and lifestyle.

During a work session on Tuesday, July 26, commissioners heard a proposal for Davidson-Forsyth, a mixed-use development in south Forsyth between Peachtree Parkway and Old Atlanta Road.

The proposed development came about after a memorandum of understanding was approved in January 2020 between the county, SCARF Forsyth Ga, LLC and Midsouth Paving Inc., which called for half of the 800-acre land to be cut from the mining operation and be used for community use. Developers such as Toll Brothers and Empire Communities both thought that a mixed-use development with retail, office and residential possibilities would fit the space well. Read more here.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global strategic management advisory, tapped NELSON Worldwide for the expansion of its existing Business Services Center based in Atlanta, dubbed Nexus.

Read more with officeinsight here.

As healthcare delivery in the U.S. evolves, so do providers’ real estate needs. Stay caught up on trends affecting both healthcare and commercial real estate here, with NELSON Worldwide’s new Insights series examining where the interests of healthcare providers, brokers, building owners and landlords intersect with design and planning in today’s market. We’re also taking a close look at this phenomenon in the Southeast, where we now offer expanded resources and expertise in both healthcare and tenant & landlord services.

How Hospitality is Influencing Healthcare

We live in the era of the savvy, hyper-informed consumer. Thanks to the internet, comparison shopping is a seconds-long exercise at everybody’s fingertips. When an experience is subpar, people are now empowered to swiftly survey the competition and direct their business elsewhere. In healthcare, this consumer mindset is on the rise, driving noticeable changes in the built environment.

Healthcare providers are starting to take cues from the hospitality industry to adjust, merging the guest experience with the patient experience. It’s an effort to become the preferred choice in competitive markets, as well as a self-conscious attempt to positively influence public ratings, which are issued from as high as the federal government (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), to mainstream publications (U.S. News and World Report) and consumer-driven review forums (Yelp and Google).

What does the healthcare experience look like with a hospitality approach? Building owners and landlords take note for future healthcare tenants: here’s how providers are reaching out to their patient populations and saying “be our guest”:

Sophisticated look and feel

Soothing lighting, natural finishes and comforting colors are all common features of modern healing environments derived from evidence-based design. Implemented with hospitality in mind, they also evoke the upscale atmosphere of a hotel. Discerning consumers are opting for providers who offer these kinds of spaces, seeking to reduce anxiety and maybe even add some enjoyment into their trips to see the doctor.

The coffee shop vibe

Consider the ubiquity of remote working alongside the typical length of stay in a waiting room, and the perfect opportunity arises for a workspace amenity. Incorporating tech capabilities such as WiFi and charging stations along with comfortable seating and café space allows patients and visitors to fill their wait times productively, working on mobile devices with a cup of coffee.

Room service, please

Got a craving? Not lunchtime yet? Food service on demand in hospital rooms is now an option in some facilities. Patients can sometimes even order food for their bedside visitors for a fee.

Full-service from front door to exam room

Outpatient facilities in particular are investing in hospitality-trained staff to greet, guide and make patients comfortable before they get to the exam room. This is especially useful for patients with mobility issues and the elderly. As an example, our project for Leon Medical Centers in East Hialeah, Florida, employs a wide variety of staff with training from the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. Visitors are greeted at the entrance and offered assistance and support with navigation around the facility.

Front of house vs. back of house

Just as hotels keep their bustling back-of-house operations behind closed doors, healthcare providers see the value in keeping medical services distinctly separate from lobby and common areas. This ensures areas where incoming visitors can relax without being disturbed by the to-and-fro of white coats, scrubs and gurneys.

Healthcare consumers have spoken, and providers are listening up. Your local healthcare facility may not be turning into the Four Seasons anytime soon, but hospitality amenities and conveniences are slowly affording patients and visitors an improved, even desirable, experience.

Author:
By Jose Estevez
Principal, Healthcare Practice
NELSON

Larger than the epic Baby Boom generation, millennials currently make up about 92 million of the population in the US. Born between the 1980 and 2000, Millennials (or Generation Yers) are defined as those who reached adulthood during the 21st century. They’re known to be incredibly tech-savvy, environmentally friendly, and avid researchers – especially when it comes to making purchases. While it is true that millennials still make 75% of their purchases in traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores, over half compare prices and actively research brands, prices and reviews before ever setting foot inside the physical location. For brands wanting to ensure that the Millennials who have researched them and their products online reason complete the final in-person sale, it is incredibly important to pay attention to both in-store design as well as the design of websites and mobile apps.

Here are some tips for designing brick-and-mortar locations that benefit millennials:

1. Utilize Omnichannel

The design and brand of your website, mobile apps and online stores as well as your brick-and-mortar locations should feel like it is from the same company. Creating a similar experience and brand in all “locations’ whether physical or virtual gives shoppers the comfort to browse and research before even leaving their house. Some great examples include Sephora and L.L. Bean.

2. Cut Down on the Clutter

Minimizing clutter and adding more organized “white space” provides a sense of serenity for millennial shoppers. Try reducing the number of displays or sales racks.

3. Pay Attention to Color

Limit your color palette to neutral colors rather than overly bright and bold. This evokes natural relaxation for Generation Yers. Bringing in colors from nature is an easy way to provide a “getaway” experience. Think of Urban Outfitters.

4. Appeal to All the Senses

While design and color remain of paramount importance, you can’t forget about smell and sound. Calming music and scents tailored to your brand can greatly influence shoppers’ decisions. Stores like Bath and Body Works appeal to all the senses. Soft lighting accompanied by calm music and amazing smells invite the shopper to escape to their “calming space” without having to leave the store.

5. Create Space

If you can’t afford an entire remodel, try creating resting space within. Rearranging furniture and clothing racks can provide optimum space for millennials to shop and recharge before finalizing their purchase. Examples include stores like Nordstrom that have café style areas.

For more tips from Eric Eberhardt, Director of Retail at NELSON, click here.