The Role of Workspace in Talent Attraction and Retention
Attracting and retaining top talent has been the top concern for CEOs over the last 3 years. Moreover, it's only going to become even more important. Without high-performing people, your company will be less innovative, productive, and successful.
However, attracting top talent is difficult. Finding high-performing staff and persuading them to work at your company is a difficult, time-consuming, and costly process.
Even more important is retaining your current high performers. They are 400% more productive than your average staff, and are responsible for most of your company's success.
There is much more to attracting & retaining talent than a competitive salary. A great culture, wellbeing, and career growth opportunities are all essential. One often overlooked aspect is the importance of providing a great workspace experience. Your staff spend most or all of their working lives in your office. Making it an enjoyable and productive place to be is essential.
At Zentura, we’ve been designing and building high-performance workspaces for over 15 years. Today, we'll share the 4 key ways a great workplace design can improve your talent attraction and retention. By the end, you'll know what they are, why they matter, and how to apply them in your own office.
First Impressions
Your office will be one of the key first impressions that prospective recruits get about your company. A survey of 1,000 UK office workers found that almost half of respondents agree that the room where they were interviewed would influence their opinion of whether or not to accept a job offer. Top talent have no shortage of options for new jobs, so your office needs to deliver a first impression that differentiates you from your competition.
So how can you improve the first impressions that your workspace gives? The two key areas are your reception and the area where candidates will be interviewed. Your reception needs to provide a welcoming, culture-tailored experience.
For the interviews themselves, the area needs to be spacious and on-culture. Interviewing a candidate in a cramped, sterile meeting room will make them feel uncomfortable. It will also give a lasting impression that this is what your company is like.
Culture
While a great workspace alone will not create a great culture, it is very difficult to produce a great culture without one. A great culture in your office will lead to your staff contributing more. They will also stay at your company for longer, and collaborate better with colleagues.
There are 9 key components of culture. These are vision & values, processes, communication, leadership, learning & development, environment, recognition, compensation, and wellbeing. Your working model plays a big role in three of those: communication, environment and wellbeing.
Having a vibrant space that brings your brand to life space boosts employee morale and leads to higher satisfaction. Office design can also help support company culture by bringing your brand to life. A workspace that embodies your brand strengthens your culture. To learn more about creating such a space, read How to Create a Workspace Tailored to Your Culture.
Engagement
Employee engagement is the level to which your people are intellectually and emotionally invested in your company’s success. According to research by the Harvard Business Review, an engaged employee is 45% more productive than a satisfied worker. However, just 9% of UK workers felt enthused by their work and workplace in 2022.
As the place where your staff spend so much of their working lives, your office has a profound impact on how they feel about your company. This includes not only the design colours and features but also the layout and how easy it is to work and collaborate.
To maximise your staff engagement, your office should bring your culture to life. As a result, your people will work in a way far more aligned with your company, and their results will reflect that. You should also promote collaboration to improve staff networks and create a variety of environments that give your people autonomy. This will allow them to work in the environment that suits them best. To learn more, read How to Improve Staff Engagement with Office Design.
Wellbeing
Now more than ever, staff are prioritising their mental and physical wellbeing. It goes without saying that your office has a huge impact on the health of your people. 87% of workers would like their current employees to offer healthier workspace benefits. Poor wellbeing can also be a huge drag on company performance: recent research has shown that 15-20% of the average company’s payroll is wasted due to poor worker wellbeing!
When it comes to attracting new staff, it can be difficult to demonstrate your commitment to wellbeing, rather than just talking about it. A great workspace is one way you can prove to candidates you care about their wellbeing.
In our experience, there are 9 main ways to improve the health of your people through office design. These are optimising natural light &biophilia, allowing customisation, incorporating breakout & focus spaces, encouraging activity, including ergonomic furniture, and including stimulating elements such as colour and art. To learn more, read this article.
Improving Your Talent Attraction and Retention
Keeping and recruiting the top talent you need has never been so difficult. In a competitive jobs market, only the companies offering the best staff experiences will have access to the top talent.
Your workplace has a crucial role to play in differentiating you from your competitors in the battle for top talent. This starts right from the moment a candidate walks in the door by providing a great first impression. It continues by providing an engaging culture that keeps them engaged and productive. By keeping them fit and healthy, it maximises their long-term personal performance and wellbeing. As a result, your company will be more efficient, innovative, and profitable, both now and in the years to come.
To take the next step to improve your talent attraction and retention through your workspace, download your Definitive Office Design Guide. There, you'll get answers to all your questions about office design, why it matters, and how to do it effectively. Download Your Office Design Guide Here.
Want to know exactly how to adapt your office to improve your talent attraction & retention? Read How to Improve Your Talent Attraction & Retention With Office Design. We’ll walk you through 5 of our top considerations when we are designing workspaces for companies that are struggling to hire & keep the kind of people they need, and explain how you can implement them in your office.
