Culture is key in the ‘return to work’ era

Management21 Nov 2024

Sponsored by Smart Spaces

Dan Drogman, CEO & Founder, Smart Spaces; Phillip Shalless - Senior Asset Manager, AXA IM Alts; Simon Robinson, Head of UK & ROW Services, Beazley

Buildings today have to be places where people want to come and work. And the key word is “want”. During the Covid years, we all became accustomed to the comfort and convenience of working from home. If we wanted to, we could wake up later, run errands, do chores, collect deliveries and save ourselves the time we’d otherwise spend on our commute.

Now, a rising chorus of voices are proclaiming a great “return to work”. But many companies are struggling to convince their teams to return to the days of early rises, lengthy commutes and errands taking up precious time at the weekend.

The solution is to build a great culture. Culture refers to the aspects of work that give an organisation its distinct character. Values and beliefs, working environment, communication channels, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, how people interact – all of these combine to shape a company.

That shape is massively important to employees, especially the younger ones. For Gen Z, for example, culture is all-important. Previous generations might have been drawn to a company because of the salaries it offered. Younger people care just as much about ethics and work-life balance. And with every year that passes, more of this group reach working age. That’s making the “war for talent” more competitive.

Smart buildings enable great cultures to be built. Buildings such as these – buildings that learn from the data they gather – can collect information via IoT sensors fitted throughout the building and provide data and insights to occupiers. They can also make automatic adjustments in real time. Every room in the building can be optimised for temperature, lighting, humidity and air quality. That increases both comfort and accessibility, which fosters inclusion and a richer cultural landscape. It also massively reduces waste, which puts money in the owner’s pocket but also shrinks the building’s carbon footprint.

But that barely scratches the surface of what a smart building can do for culture. Staff members can gain access to the building through their phone. That means more security, less plastic used on physical passes, and none of the wasted time and effort that accompanies lost ones. Employees can open and close a secure locker, park and track their bike, book desks or meeting rooms, sign in visitors and book classes or activities. All of this comes together to create a culture where individuals feel empowered, in control and comfortable. When the lift arrives on time, when the toilets are clean and when the fridge is full, everyone is calmer and happier.

This is why the biggest companies in the world use Smart Spaces. Across 26 countries, enterprise companies have turned to us to bring knowledge, comfort and efficiency to their buildings through a single platform. Workers at iconic buildings such as 22 Bishopsgate in the heart of London are developing a greater sense of community thanks to the kind of environment our platform creates. Safety, comfort, convenience and sustainability come together to create the kind of culture that people want to be a part of. And when you’re part of a great culture, you realise what you’re missing at home. Yes, you can get up later, skip the commute and get a few things done around the house. But you don’t have the experience of being part of a group, working hard together towards a shared goal, and doing it in a space that takes care of you.

Smart Spaces is a global smart building platform that powers 85 million square feet of commercial real estate across 26 countries. Smart Spaces optimises environments for people and the planet by bringing efficiency to enterprise companies, knowledge to commercial real estate owners and convenience to employees. Having worked with some of the UK’s most iconic buildings, including 22 Bishopsgate in the City of London, Smart Spaces has become the go-to building management platform for companies looking to make buildings leaner, greener, cheaper to run and more comfortable.

Discover more about Smart Spaces here.