Understand current use and expected workforce changes
Keep data on your current headcount, ideally broken down to groups, as well as utilisation and occupancy data. Ideally, use a space management tool which can provide reporting and a real-time view. Manual walk-arounds to gather this data can be done, but these are also time consuming and likely to be inaccurate.
Maintain a holistic property and workplace strategy
Include short and medium-term actions in your strategy that will support and contribute to the long-term changes required.
Senior leadership should take ownership of workplace initiatives, leading and taking accountability for the quality of strategic thinking and decision-making that underpins workplace strategy.
Take the time to identify any processes, procedures and guides that may need to be developed or reviewed. To inform the property strategy and where sites should be located, you should gather data in staff surveys on where workers live, how they commute, and who is working flexibly and how. Always be mindful of employee privacy during this process.
Property planning
All levels of leaders should model change
Keep your workplace principles visible and aligned with the changing of organisation priorities and vision. Work to develop a leader engagement programme to prepare people leaders in managing their own change journey and supporting their people.
Get people involved early in change initiatives
Involving people early in initiatives that impact the way they work will give time for them to engage, understand and get excited about workplace change.
Your change engagement plan should include a programme of work to raise awareness and detail the changes being made, and the expectations of staff and leaders.
Create floor or neighbourhood working groups
Working groups should be given responsibility for ensuring that policies and behaviours are followed and understood, and identifying any changes that could improve the workplace experience.
We recommend these groups are established before the change is implemented, and initial membership should include change leads or steering group members. The groups should report to senior leadership, and identify issues, opportunities for improvement and success stories.
Gather staff insights about workplace satisfaction
Including workplace questions as part of your regular engagement survey can reduce survey fatigue, as well as reinforcing the intention that this is the way people work in your space.
