Fancy offices — nice, but only part of the answer to engaging staff

The talent war is real, but nice offices are only part of what goes into attracting and retaining staff, says human relations expert Clare Parkes, who consults on organisation design and employee experience at Auckland-based Beyond Performance.

She sees the trend for companies to try to provide modern, funky and collaborative spaces for staff.

These initiatives appear to be an attempt to force certain behaviour through the design of the office, says Parkes. And when you try to force humans to behave in a certain way, things might not always go according to plan.

“There’s going to be a balance. In some workplaces, it will be the best thing they have ever done; in others they will see staff behaviour returning to normal,” says Parkes.

For example, in a work environment where there are not enough desks for everyone, those who want a desk will just get to work earlier, so they can be sure of having one.

“Having a very flexible workspace, with no set seating, people are unable to personalise their workspace, and for some people that’s really important,” says Parkes.

The HR consultant says something she doesn’t see employers doing is asking staff what they would like, because flexibility means different things to different people. And companies might not want to hear the answers.

“The key to all of this not is about the environment — I think, can we talk to each individual about what they prefer or need,” she says.

Meanwhile, she asks, is this agile working doing the trick with today’s workforce?

Whether it’s collaborative spaces, huddle areas, stand-up desk areas, walking meetings — there’s not enough research yet to show those things are working, says Parkes.

Environment is important, but it’s only part of the answer, she says, and there are many other things that promote staff engagement.