The working environment is vital for employee happiness and productivity.
Recent news told of the success for co-working spaces in Vietnam. An industry that is growing at a fast rate thanks to the growing economy and the changing way that we now work. This has been backed up by a recent report by JLL. The real estate firm conducted research in order to understand the what role the working environment has its employees.
Dr Marie Puybaraud, global head of research at JLL Corporate Solutions, has commented, “A workplace that is powered by the human experience goes beyond a work-life balance. It drives how people feel about their place of work. How empowered, engaged and fulfilled they are, it’s the purposeful fusion of life and work based on authentic human experiences”.
The report, ‘Workplace powered by Human Experience’, focuses on how businesses succeed due to their workplace experience they give to their employees. JLL concluded that helping people feel good on the job is more than a ‘box-ticking’ exercise in trying to achieve work-life balance.
Report findings
Having surveyed companies around the world in 12 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Americas, JLL were able to draw on a number of points.
- According to 70 percent of employees ‘Happiness at work’ is a vital factor.
- Nearly 90 percent of participants liked the idea of someone at work whose role it is to ensure employee well-being is well looked after.
- The entrepreneurial culture of start-ups appeals to many employees despite not working in this environment.
- Less than 50 percent feel engaged at work citing trust and kindness as contributing factors to promoting feeling engaged.
- Only 52 percent of employees felt entirely satisfied with their current work environment.
- 42 percent stated that they would prefer open-plan offices as opposed to the traditional set up of personal desks.
- Employees strive for flexibility. Nearly half of employees want companies to give them a choice on how, when and where they work to in order to help concentration at work.
Neil Murray, EMEA CEO of corporate solutions at JLL, said, “In a world increasingly driven by data and digital innovation, the future of work is actually more about people than you might think. Organisations can no longer focus only on providing space to work; they need to create places that enable people to achieve their ambitions. Appealing to what people want can have transformational benefits to businesses.”
