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Empowering the workforce of tomorrow with office design

by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
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By Sophie Grant, Principal Strategy Consultant at Peldon Rose

Generation-Z is a term representing individuals born between 1996-2020. Gen-Z entered the world of work in a vastly unique way, most starting careers under the pressures of a global pandemic. A rapid rise in remote tools for working, collaborating, socialising, and networking means that now more than ever before, much of our work can be done seamlessly online. It’s fair to say then, when the time came to return to the workplace, it wasn’t really a return at all. For many Gen-Zer’s, it was a complete introduction.

The latest data-driven insights from Peldon Rose’s Strategy team can help to better understand what Gen-Z hope for and require in the physical office environment. In collaboration with multinational hospitality company, Whitbread, we surveyed 600 employees, with Gen-Z accounting for almost a third of the responders. The data highlighted how generational differences in the workplace should be a vital consideration for those looking to effectively manage and design for the multigenerational workforce.

Avoiding generalisations 

There are now five distinct generations working alongside each other. Each demographic is made up of individuals with different experiences and expectations, who bring new ideas and diverse perspectives to the table.

Our data found that both similarities and differences exist between and within generations in terms of what individuals like and require from the physical office environment. It’s important to recognise the nuances and to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to workplace design. Nevertheless, here we focus on which experiences and expectations differ and how elucidating key emerging themes can inform workplace design decisions to benefit business. Ultimately, understanding what your workforce needs to do their best work in an office environment is the greatest tool to enhance performance and results in the longevity of employee satisfaction and business success.

The insight headlines – Stats taken directly from Gen-Z’s survey response.

  • Gen-Z would prefer to work 2-3 days from the office (Tue-Thurs still the peak).
  • 94% of Gen-Z said that wellbeing considerations in the workplace is “very important” to them.
  • 80% of Gen-Z said they would prefer to have access to amenities (such as restaurants, gyms, salons, social spaces) within or in close proximity to their place of work.
  • Gen-Z believe the activities best carried out in the office include: #1 sharing knowledge, #2 collaborating/brainstorming with my team, #3 coaching and learning.

Insight analysis – Flexibility reigns victorious 

Our research clearly reveals that Gen-Z value flexibility in both how and where they work. Within workplace design, flexibility manifests itself in the shape of a variety of work settings that allow individuals to adapt their workspace to suit the task at hand. This idea is supported outside the walls of the physical office, too. Research by Deloitte suggests that Gen-Z are more likely to choose to work for an organisation that offers remote and hybrid working options than colleagues from older generations.

Insight analysis – Experience rich environments  

We know that the workplace is no longer merely a place to perform perfunctory tasks, but rather a destination to offer an experience that differs from the one you can have at home. Gen-Z understand and embrace this concept and are driven by a desire to work in an experiential, amenity-rich environment.

Experiential environments add real business value, too. Collaboration, networking, and socialisation zones spark innovation while creating strong connections between teams and individuals. Gensler’s findings align with this idea and reveal that Gen-Z spent a greater amount of time learning and socialising in the workplace than many of their peers.

Designing for experiences is also a way to value the emphasis that Gen-Z place on health, wellbeing, and work/life balance. Today’s world sees a growing intolerance for situations and environments which don’t align with personal values. And decisions that cater towards employee health and wellbeing aren’t just a question of a nice ’extra’, or a way of calibrating moral compasses – healthier workforces prove, time and time again, that business outcomes benefit as a result.

Insight analysis – Learning opportunities

While Gen-Z appreciate the flexibility that hybrid working affords, the generation also appreciates the value of learning from colleagues within the physical space. In practical terms, this can be supported by incorporating spaces that support learning into workplace design. Think spaces that minimise distraction, allow focus and private mentoring on a one-to-one basis alongside larger areas for group training. Think also of social spaces to happenstance upon colleagues for an informal catch-up throughout the day, such as tea points or window seats, and areas to overhear business-general chit-chat. The secret to success in language learning can be likened to business fluency. Proficiency is best obtained by listening to native speakers, i.e., overhearing peers and seniors converse in the world of work.

Empowering the workplace of tomorrow

Our data shows that Gen-Z’s workplace preferences centre around choice and hospitality, something that could benefit and support all generations at work in a post-pandemic world. In fact, similarities exist between and within generations (we’re all human, after all). While Gen-Z lead the charge, older employees with a longer-standing connection to “traditional” workplaces do also see the virtues of workplace designs that provide opportunities for flexibility, experience, and learning.

So, what do we suggest?

Research on the ground, amongst your people. Learn about their needs and work together to discover how to best accommodate these needs and bring them on the journey of change. Take into account generational variations, underpinned by an understanding that workplace design can make all the difference to employee productivity, wellbeing, and retention, irrespective of age.

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