Helping people feel good on the job is more than a “box-ticking” exercise in trying to achieve work-life balance, according to JLL’s most recent study on the workplace.
Companies stand to benefit in measurable ways once they realise that the experience they create for their people in the workplace goes to the heart of employees’ levels of engagement, sense of empowerment, and feelings of fulfillment at work.
“Human Experience is about how the work environment ultimately impacts company performance, not just its culture,” said Marie Puybaraud, Global Head of Corporate Research at JLL. “Our study shows that work places and work spaces have a key role to play, both strategically and operationally, in fostering engagement, empowerment, and fulfillment at work.”
According to the report:
- Nearly 70 percent of participants agreed that happiness at work is the best ingredient to guarantee a unique work experience. What’s more, almost 90 percent of all respondents support the idea of having a Chief Happiness Officer at work, dedicated to employee wellbeing.
- While large corporations continue to attract more talent (61 percent) than the smaller ones, almost half (46 percent) of respondents said they aspire to work in a start-up environment and that they crave an entrepreneurial culture.
- Only 40 percent of respondents on average feel very engaged at work. They consider trust and kindness — which can be fostered through agile workspaces — the biggest positive impacts on their engagement at work.
- Only 52 percent of employees admitted being entirely satisfied with their current work environment. In addition, 42 percent revealed feeling completely ready to move from their personal desk to open-plan offices or unallocated seats in order to access new innovative workspaces.
- Almost half of respondents (47 percent) think that being able to concentrate in the workplace is a top priority, calling for a stronger focus from companies on giving employees a choice about how, when, and where they work.
“In a world increasingly driven by data and digital innovation, the future of work is actually more about people than you might think,” said Neil Murray, EMEA CEO of Corporate Solutions at JLL. “Organizations 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.”
The report is based on consultations with 40 companies around the world and the results of a survey of more than 7,000 employees across 12 countries: Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S. Respondents were between 18 and 65 years of age and worked at companies with more than 100 employees.
From: Facility Executive
