Today’s office space is often referenced in expected terms – number of square feet and floors, available contiguous space, parking ratios, and “walk scores”.  But many companies and property owners are quickly realizing, there are other factors that occupiers consider.  In fact, in a competitive market driven by talent, these “other factors” may in fact be more important than the traditional categories of commercial office transactions.  Features such as outdoor spaces, on-site food & beverage, variety of people places, and walkable experience are now frequently mentioned when companies consider new workplaces for their workforce.  The legacy mindset of “office space” has clearly shifted to that of creating an environment and experience for the employee that creates a sense of “place for work” that engages the workforce.

Why is the concept of a “workplace” so important to employees?  There is a fundamental shift in individual perspectives about careers and the paths to success.  The younger generations have successfully realized that their professional growth can happen through a variety of experiences that often involve different companies and locations.  And in today’s market, individual motivations sometimes take priority over organizational objectives.  In simple terms, today’s workforce is increasingly motivated by a broad variety of amenities and opportunities to help their success, sense of fulfillment … and satisfaction with their careers.  While today’s workplace needs to help companies achieve their objectives, it also needs to perform for employees on an individual basis.

For companies, it is about creating a compelling experience for employees.  Instead of focusing just on output and results, it is essential for companies to understand how today’s workforce is motivated through their work environment.  For instance, many organizations now provide multiple workspaces within their offices providing employees flexibility beyond their designated chair and desk.  Hybrid workspaces allow individuals a “change of scenery” for focus, inspiration, efficiency, and rejuvenation.  Companies are also providing a broader variety of dining options within their internal cafés.  And as expected, many organizations now offer robust fitness centers to support employees in their individual objectives for physical well-being.  Companies that embrace this “people-centric” hybrid design to their workplace environment will be the winners.

A high-performance workplace can help improve employee engagement.  There are a variety of metrics demonstrating the direct correlation between employee satisfaction and corporate performance.  Typically, individuals who are satisfied are more engaged with corporate objectives and related goals. Higher engagement will drive satisfaction, and likely lead to overall better performance, for the company … and for the employees.

At Greenstone, our focus continues to be on creating compelling work environments that we describe as High Performance Workplaces®.  Our recent delivery of Kimball Place in Alpharetta represents all of the tenets of attractive workplace environments for employees and companies alike.  And our efforts at 14^th+Spring will deliver a vibrant urban live, work, play environment in midtown Atlanta. To learn more about our thoughts on High Performance Workplaces and our current opportunities, we invite you to visit www.getgreenstone.com.