Workplace Design Affects Talent Attraction and Retention

Unemployment is lowering across the United States. While this is great for the economy, it can make it difficult for business owners and managers to attract and retain talent in such a competitive environment. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) believes unemployment will continue to drop over the next several years, which makes it increasingly important to keep a healthy and steady workforce through every available means.

Recently, Continental Office conducted research to determine exactly what it is prospective employees are looking for to attract them and keep them at a company or organization. The results of the study are based 262 currently employed workers at all levels – from associate to corporate.

Following are the top four discoveries in this new, groundbreaking report:

  1. Nearly 25 percent of workers stated that the physical workspace affects decisions to leave or stay at their workplace.
  2. Eighty-seven percent prefer flexible settings, such as workshops, meeting rooms, private areas and social spaces.
  3. On a scale of one to 10, the physical working space affecting overall happiness ranks at eight.
  4. Discrepancies are apparent between how associates and corporate-level employees perceive what is important in a workplace.

“To attract today’s top talent, you need to provide choice and flexibility in workplace settings. You have to give people permission not to be tethered to their desks. We know from our research and from speaking with our clients that the physical workspace affects workers’ overall happiness,” said Ira Sharfin, CEO of Continental Office.

“People want the freedom to move around and find the space that best fits the work they need to do at that time. What’s really striking is we’ve found that nearly a quarter of today’s workforce says the physical workplace affects their decision to stay/leave, which is very costly both financially and talent-wise,” Sharfin continued. “As leaders, it’s important for us to disrupt and take risks. The old ways of working aren’t helping any of us attract today’s top talent.”

For owners, managers and other business leaders, these findings present both new challenges and opportunities. Many are now reexamining the employee experience to better understand what truly matters.

Read the full report from Continental Office here.