It’s no secret that beautiful office spaces can impress clients and investors. However, innovative workspaces also play another important role in corporations — they attract top talent. Employees spend more awake hours in the office than they do at home, so it makes sense that a candidate assesses how the office looks and if the business is relevant in the current marketplace. A prospective employee interviews a business as much as the business interviews the individual. First impressions count, and a well-designed office will inspire and excite prospective employees to want to accept positions offered.
A study from Hassell Studio found that while salary and benefits are an influence on an individual’s choice of employer, 23% of job seekers were willing to accept a lower salary if the employer had appealing facilities.
To make your workplace more attractive to your potential employees, here are a few things to consider:
collaboration
When recruiting candidates, you want someone that will work well with the current team, but also someone who will bring a variety of innovative ideas to the table. To encourage and stimulate this, collaboration is essential. Design your office using a mixture of spaces with collaborative work in mind. Create work zones that promote collaboration by offering informal huddle tables and breakout areas that encourage spontaneous conversations and impromptu meetings.
There is increasing value placed on offices designed with collaborative work in mind, especially among millennial workers. Designate collaborative, quiet, and relaxation spaces around the office to attract potential employees.
Versatility
Top talent across all industries wants to feel supported and encouraged by their employers. This support starts by designing an office space that fosters individualized experiences and promotes productivity and wellness. Creating a diverse work environment that allows employees to have flexibility in where they work, think, create, and engage with colleagues is key to an attractive office design.
According to a survey by the General Services Administration, versatile workspaces are proven to help companies hire and retain a world-class workforce—while also boosting employee productivity and performance.
To attract candidates, design a space that encompasses different workstations for all needs. In order to make your workspace versatile, determine which kind of work environments will work best for your employees and business. To encourage innovative thinking among employees, design office spaces to move and change in response to the needs of your creative employees. To promote focus and productivity, give every employee their own desk and offer private meeting rooms.
Because top talent highly prioritizes versatile facilities, consider turning that old, unnecessary spare conference room or storage area into something that provides value to your target candidates.
Color
According to the Hassell Studio study, job seekers of all industries find colorful offices more attractive than grey, formal workspaces. Incorporate colors and textures throughout your space to attract talent and boost employee creativity.
- Add a bold accent wall to a collaborative space
- Hang colorful artwork
- Incorporate colorful accent pillows into break spaces
- Use bright tack board fabric throughout the open office
Here is a color guide to help you choose the right color for your space.
In a competitive and globalized world, companies of all industries need to attract the best employees in order to be successful. Creating a colorful workplace that fosters innovation and gives employees a versatile environment is crucial for attracting the best in the business.