March/April 2016 Issue

Page 48

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Special Focus MANUFACTURING & COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

The Ultimate Office Experience Effective workplace environments help employees balance focus and collaboration. By Mary MacDonell Belisle Here’s a laugh. Dilbert complains his cubicle is two inches smaller today than it was yesterday. Pointy Head Boss explains “real-time status adjusters” in cubicle walls adjust cubicle size in proportion to Dilbert’s value to the company. The final comic strip frame shows Dilbert and two other employees sitting in their individual cubicles, each cubicle barely big enough to accommodate their bodies. Not so funny is that from 2010 to 2012, the average square foot of workspace per person dropped from 225 to 176, with the number predicted to fall to 100 square feet by 2017, according to Gensler’s 2013 U.S. Workplace Survey. This employer trend

is counter-intuitive, however, because the U.S. unemployment rate is holding at five percent, making for a competitive employee market. And even though wages continue to remain flat, enhancements to the employee experience will entice individuals to leave companies where they don’t feel valued. Consider the following physical space recommendations that help improve an employee’s experience. 1. Evaluate work modes. Gensler speaks of four work modes: focus, collaborate, learn, and socialize. Plan for these when designing/remodeling your office.

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