As we’ve seen, the dynamics of commercial office space have undergone profound transformation since 2020. Remote work has become the norm and the expectation for many employees. Push-back against return-to-office mandates is an ongoing problem for employers. As property owners and managers endeavor to bring tenants and their employees back to the office, they are looking at enhanced building amenities to attract workers back into their buildings and gain competitive marketplace advantage.
Concurrent to this, wide-reaching societal change has impacted all of us over the past several years and consequently flipped traditional corporate culture sideways. Today’s multi-generational workforce is made up of four distinct populations, each experiencing the workplace with different expectations. The challenge is to offer a building amenity plan that can satisfy a wide range of employees with varied needs and expectations.
I appreciate that each CRE property is unique, and not every property has the financial resources to afford a Class A amenity package. However, modern amenities play a crucial role in attracting and retaining tenants and fostering a return-to-work trend. So how do you decide where to invest?
Employee convenience
Surveys and social media trends reveal that employees perceive work/life balance tilted heavily toward work with management demonstrating a lack of recognition of the importance of private life and time away from the workplace. Time saving amenities like laundry service drop-off, vehicle maintenance services and mail/package service drop-offs can be offered for relatively little cost. If you have the tenant population to support it, EV charging stations, on-site bodegas, food/beverage service and banking ATMs are also great time saving amenities for people.
Some of the post-Covid solutions are dependent on the strategic integration of modern amenities within commercial office buildings.
Safety
Let’s first start with the decidedly less sexy but necessary issue of hygiene safety. For many employees returning to the office, they expect added safety measures like upgraded air filtration systems, touchless technology, enhanced common area cleaning and spacious layouts that continue to honor social distancing while still engaging with co-workers.
Health and wellness
Another key aspect driving the demand for modern amenities is the emphasis on employee well-being. Survey data identify mental and physical health as vital issues that merit attention by property managers and owners. Enhancing common areas with designated quiet spaces, outdoor green spaces and inventive work areas can often be accomplished for relatively little cost.
Flex office
For companies who are adopting hybrid work models, where employees split their time between remote work and the office, they need adaptable spaces such as co-working areas and advanced meeting rooms with high-speed internet connectivity and advanced workplace technology.
These are just a few ideas but the importance of modern amenities in commercial office buildings cannot be overstated, especially now. As businesses navigate the transition back to the office, modern amenities will be instrumental for you to attract and keep tenants, foster employee engagement and drive long-term success in the evolving landscape of commercial real estate.
Comments