How often do we walk into work and take for granted that the lights are on, the heat is up, and that thing that falls under no one’s specific jurisdiction has been taken care of? If it hasn’t crossed your mind before, that is because your facilities team has already thought of it. Join two exceptional facilities managers as they share what it is like to look at buildings through a facilities lens.
Yorick de Tassigny
Yorick de Tassigny has been the Building Planning and Maintenance Manager at City of Boise for four years. He and his team of fourteen support at least thirty buildings, including City Hall West and public safety facilities.
Do you ever have a typical day?
“It is different all the time. That is the beauty of facilities. We have a robust preventive maintenance program that is routine work, but otherwise, different needs and repairs can pop up.”
What are some new challenges you are facing?
“Dealing with the growth of Boise has been a significant challenge. We have outdated furniture systems, and with limited budgets, we are trying to be more efficient with our existing space and replace what we can.”
What are some changes you have seen happening in your facilities?
“Asking ‘Do you feel safe in your building?’ has forced us to look at how we think about the physical space. That led us to hybrid work. From a facility standpoint, we are hoping this will help solve our space limitations. Meanwhile, we are piloting some projects with different seating elements and workstations to see what will work for other projects.”
What are some things you hope to change in the future?
“I have always been interested in having blank floors and using modular furniture or offices. Some rooms can move around, are cozy, and very quiet. I would like to introduce more of those elements into the workplace.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“I like the planning aspect of it. Looking at our buildings and finding ways to make them more efficient and build automation is really fun. We also collect data in our operations, like energy data, work orders, or labor hours, to make data-driven decisions.”
Rob Womble
Rob Womble is the Regional Manager for the Operations, Divisions, Facilities Department at Power Engineers. He directly manages twenty-four individuals on three separate teams maintaining fifty-five offices around the U.S. and Canada. One of the teams designs and implements new locations and expansions.
Do you ever have a typical day?
“No, I get phone calls at three in the morning that a door isn’t secure. We get involved in natural disasters dealing with locals, contractors, or insurance companies. There is hardly ever a typical day, and I think that has drawn my employees to work here.”
What are some new challenges you are facing?
“Prior to COVID, our biggest challenge was keeping up with our own internal growth. We have been expanding and taking on new locations, and trying to do that with a small crew is hard.”
What are some changes you have seen happening in your facilities?
“I have been here for fifteen years. Something that has changed in my role is the effort and drive behind sustainability. We have always been involved in our communities and recycling. Two of our buildings operate with solar power. We are working more towards documenting to understand our impact on the environment and how to mitigate that. We truly believe in being responsible and are proud of that effort.”
What are some things you hope to change in the future?
“We are looking at the future through the lens of the employee experience, and that is exciting for me. Our employees can work from home or in the office, so we are trying to utilize space to draw them into the office.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“The people I manage are absolutely phenomenal. I would put them up against anybody anywhere at any time, and they would blow the other folks out of the water. Beyond that, I have been very fortunate when it comes to the people who managed me in my career. I have never worked for a company that puts as much focus on the employee to develop their career and support them.”
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HUB International refreshes their Boise building by the Train Depot
In 2013, locally owned and operated insurance firm Premier Insurance was at a crossroads. There were a lot of changes happening in the healthcare world, and the successful firm knew they needed help providing their clients with the resources they deserved. So, they brought their four Idaho locations to the table to be acquired by Chicago-based insurance company HUB International. Since then, the newly minted Boise HUB office has doubled its staff from twenty-two employees to forty-five and is still growing. To accommodate this expansion, the company has completely redesigned the second floor of their two-story building on Rose Hill St., next to the Boise Train Depot.
Collaboration Space
The Second Story Renovation
HUB Commercial Broker and Regional Sales Lead Matt Azevedo has played a significant role in the second-story renovation. As manager of the Boise office, he knows how important it is to breathe new life into the previously outdated space. “Not too many exciting things happen in an insurance office, so the change has been fun. We have employees who have been here for fifteen plus years, and maybe never moved chairs within the office. We felt they should have first option to move upstairs. Every one of them took it.” The renovation is excellent not only for its view of Boise’s iconic Train Depot but also for its plethora of natural light and great flow.
HUB Culture
While getting into the space has felt like an eternity, it is already making a positive difference in the culture. “We stayed home for COVID and then were forced to be apart for a remodel, and that doesn’t help our culture and what we are trying to build here in the Boise office. This building is new, it’s fresh, it’s vibrant, and that makes us excited to come back.”
Working With OEC
What took Matt by surprise was the size of the OEC team it took to install everything. “Initially, I couldn’t believe there were twelve guys here installing. You just don’t realize the sheer amount of furniture that it takes to furnish a building of this size. Overall, they were extremely professional, and our Project Manager [Riley Weber] was very thorough. I appreciated that because we are all super busy this time of year, but I could tell that he really cared about the quality of the work he was doing.”
OEC Team Member During Installation
Seeing People Around The Office
Matt’s favorite part of the new office is how easy it is to connect with coworkers, especially after so much time in isolation. “No matter where you are in the new space, you see people. I feel like over the last year we have lost some of the continuity that comes along with simply seeing people and the expressions on their faces, their smiles. Around this office, you can always see people, so I’m excited about the fluidity of the building.
Coming Back To Work
As they settle into their new space, HUB Boise is looking forward to growth and is excited about the productivity that returning to the office will bring them. “We want to keep our clients happy while getting into the groove of coming back to work.”
New research finds key hybrid work issues to resolve before they put business at risk.
“The Great Resignation” is causing upheaval in organizations everywhere. Despite efforts to secure the best talent, people continue to seek new opportunities. Their departures leave leaders searching to find, hire and train new team members all while locking down employees with critical skills they can’t afford to lose. The numbers are startling — 41% of the global workforce is likely to consider leaving their current employer in the next year, according to Microsoft data.
In response, many companies are testing the waters with a hybrid work strategy. They want to see if they can satisfy employees’ desire for flexibility in how, when and where they work while still fulfilling customer needs, creating innovative solutions and maintaining company culture. After all, 78% of employees say they want some form of flexible, remote work options to continue (Steelcase global research, Fall 2021).
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures researchers identified key areas to watch as organizations implement these hybrid models. Their latest research conducted in Fall 2021 included in-depth interviews with North American global talent experts and human resources leaders responsible for driving workplace policy and defining hybrid work models, as well as a meta-analysis of literature about effective hybrid work structures.
Structured Flexibility
There are many ways to approach hybrid work which creates significant complexity when it comes to choosing a hybrid model. What works for one organization, may not work for another based on how they are able to balance a variety of business factors. There is not one clear best hybrid model for every organization, but Steelcase researchers did see several consistent approaches emerge.
Most organizations are implementing two or three days in the office and two or three days remote. While the number of days is defined at the company level, decisions around which days people will come into the office are being made by department or regional leaders. They are in a better position to understand their teams’ work and when they need to be together. The consistent insight among talent and human resource experts is that offering flexibility should not be totally open-ended. It helps employees to have some structure to let them know when other people are most likely to be in the office, so they can make connections and collaborate.
The 3-2 or 2-3 model offers more flexibility than a five-day in-office or five-day remote approach and lets organizations test new ways of working while minimizing risk to business continuity, talent strategy, overall costs and maintaining culture.
“These are complex challenges requiring leaders to meet varied criteria while considering multiple stakeholders in the context of a volatile, uncertain and complex environment.”
MARK MORTENSEN
Organizations are experimenting and measuring to understand the new patterns of behavior employees adopt over time.
Six Emerging Challenges with Hybrid
Within the range of new hybrid structures, Steelcase researchers noted six potential challenges organizations will likely face. Successful hybrid organizations will need to be proactive and transparent about how they are trying to address these new, critical issues.
#1 HYBRID IMPACTS CAREER VISIBILITY. ELIMINATE PRESENCE BIAS.
Historically, career advancement and growth opportunities are linked to time spent in-person, gaining exposure to leaders and growing internal networks. HR leaders are seeing hybrid work colliding with talent and DEI initiatives. Hybrid makes it difficult for entry-level employees and new hires to grow in their careers. At the same time, women and people of color are more likely to opt for greater flexibility and, as a result, are less likely to be in-person and visible to leaders.
Bottom line: HR leaders committed to talent development, engagement and DEI goals are developing new training for hybrid leaders to address biases before they become entrenched.
#2 EQUAL IS IMPOSSIBLE. AIM FOR EQUITY.
It’s inescapable that certain jobs are more apt for remote work. Yet, providing some workers with the option to work remotely and not others can result in unintentional inequalities. Additionally, by pushing down decision making, variations will likely exist across the company. Leading organizations are accepting that, while things may not be equal, they can strive for more equity by offering different pay structures, resources or benefits to create a greater balance.
Bottom line: Employees understand things cannot always be equal, but they value organizations seeking to level the playing field.
#3 AVOID KNOWLEDGE SILOS. FOCUS ON FLOW.
“Without intervention (to improve the flow of information), the effects we discovered (of siloed knowledge) have the potential to impact workers’ ability to acquire and share new information across groups, and as a result, affect productivity and innovation,” write Microsoft researchers in the journal Nature of Human Behavior.
Despite virtual collaboration tools, HR leaders continue to observe that in-person interactions remain ideal for transferring all sorts of knowledge, allowing people to learn faster and be more confident to use what they learned. This ability to share and build upon knowledge contributes to effective collaboration, reduces redundancies and improves resource efficiency. Without it, organizations risk losing the diversity of thought needed to innovate and solve complex problems. The ability for an organization to orchestrate how knowledge is made visible contributes significantly to its success. Hybrid makes this exceedingly more difficult and requires leaders to put a greater focus on building collective knowledge.
Bottom line: Organizations that have already undergone digital transformation, and have processes and tools in place to make it easier to access information, are better positioned to avoid knowledge silos. For those that have not, hybrid work will accelerate their need to restructure and invest in collective learning and broadening network connections.
#4 LESS PREDICTABLE WORK. MORE INTENTIONAL EXPERIENCES.
The days and times people go into the office will vary in a hybrid model. They will be less likely to bump into one another — especially people outside their immediate teams. And as people become more deliberate about when and why they come to the office, they will have new expectations about the space and tools they need. Leading organizations are responding by redesigning their spaces to better support hybrid work. They are also creating experiences that help build a culture of trust and a sense of community. These could otherwise erode when people spend less time together.
Bottom line: Less predictable daily work behaviors will require space and tools to be more adaptive and flexible to respond to what people need in the moment. Feedback will be critical to managing both the physical environment and workplace experience.
#5 DISTANCE WEAKENS BONDS. BUILD SOCIAL CAPITAL.
Hybrid models will result in less shared experiences that build social capital. “Even though everyone could connect, and we’ve got these technologies, the social connectedness scores were just horrible in our pulse surveys. We’re just not conditioned well to operate and stay connected with our employees that way,” says one Steelcase research participant.
People work for, and find motivation from other people which means to feel engaged and loyal to the organization, they need to feel connected to others. Laughing over a cup of coffee or discussing an issue over a meal creates the relationship glue that leads to trust — a key ingredient to engagement, retention and innovation.
Bottom line: HR leaders worry a distributed workforce will make it harder to build social capital and more difficult to onboard new employees into the existing culture. Leaders understand the need to rebuild weakened social bonds and are leveraging the power of the physical environment to strengthen culture.
#6 BASICS AREN’T ENOUGH. SUPPORT THE WHOLE PERSON.
People have greater expectations about the role their organization takes in supporting their overall sense of wellbeing. Flexibility — whether organizations adopt a formal hybrid policy or simply allow for more remote work or flexible work schedules — is becoming the new table stakes for attracting and retaining talent because people are not willing to give up their new sense of autonomy and greater work-life balance. People are also looking for more than the basic benefits package from their organization. A new social contract is emerging in which companies support their employees’ body, mind and spirit in totality.
Bottom line: HR leaders understand employee wellbeing is now an issue organizations will need to support in concrete and meaningful ways. A range of new benefits include sabbatical leave, mindfulness training, child care and rejuvenation experiences in the office.
Organizations that adopt hybrid work policies may see these and other challenges emerge. Anticipating and planning ahead for these issues before they arise will enable companies to be far better positioned to attract and retain talent, maintain business continuity and act quickly to achieve successful results for their people and their business.
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Anyone driving by the Scentsy Headquarters in Meridian, Idaho, knows how impressive and beautiful the campus is. They may not realize the work and planning that goes into maintaining the over one million square feet of buildings, green space, public events, and even farming that takes place there. In this article, we are pulling back the curtain to shine a light on the often-underappreciated people who keep the lights on and the toilets flushing: the Scentsy Facilities team.
Scentsy Facilities Manager Roger Gamble and his team of eleven have the enormous task of keeping the Scentsy Headquarters looking and feeling good. They know that it takes over 3,500 gallons of paint to freshen up their buildings every five years, over 7,000 light bulbs to change on a continuous cycle, 200 thermostats campus wide to control the heat and air conditioning, and more than 3,000 parking spots to re-stripe every five years. Their annual Rock-a-Thon firework show takes three days to set up, 22 minutes to light, uses 1,400 shells, and requires weeks of clean-up. They have almost 500 trees lit for Christmas this year, and the focal point is a five-story steel Christmas Tree. So how do they do it?
A Typical Day At Scentsy
To work on the facilities team at Scentsy, you must first understand that your day will seldom look the same. Some days you will be a painter, while others may require being an electrician, HVAC technician, plumber, farmer. In Roger’s case, the occasional space planner for new Steelcase furniture. “We have become more accommodating over time to make our employees happy. That includes ergonomic chairs, height-adjustable desks, and so on. We even have specific proprietary colors for Scentsy that go into our furniture too.” Fortunately for Roger, selecting and placing furniture is a fun part of his job.
The Golden Plunger
Less enticing are the other duties as required; items that require special attention, including restrooms. “We have a really diverse and humble team here. Every week we give out a golden plunger to recognize those who go above and beyond the call of duty.” This willingness to go the extra mile allows the team to manage the property like it is the Augusta National golf course. “That is the expectation that everybody on our team shares. If we see a gum wrapper on the ground, we pick it up. If we see geese on the property, we send out the dogs (a.k.a. employees) to chase them off so that the property stays impeccably clean.”
Unique Solutions
Some people may call this level of quality crazy. The facilities team has undoubtedly developed some unique solutions to the problems they face. However, you can’t help but admire the work they put into keeping the campus beautiful and functional. Especially when someone puts bubble-bath in their crystal-clear water fountains.
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Cascadia Healthcare in Eagle, ID makes a difference.
Nate Hosac is one of four friends who started Cascadia Healthcare, a skilled nursing company caring for those who don’t need to be in a hospital but require constant care. The company is a fantastic example of what can happen when real estate and skilled nursing experts, but more importantly, friends, decide to build a business together. Since its conception six years ago, Cascadia Healthcare has grown from a tiny office in Eagle, Idaho, to 26 different facilities, employing almost 2,300 people across six states. The most recent addition to the company’s facilities is a new administrative office in Eagle, Idaho.
Cascadia Grows
With a history in office and industrial development, Hosac was the perfect person to bring the new building online. He handled everything from building location and design to furniture and layout. “What this building means to us is the ability to grow.” After outgrowing their original building, creating a space where they could grow became of paramount importance. While there are currently forty-five people occupying the new space, there is room to double that.
Kitchen
Working With OEC
However, getting into the new building had its twists and turns, mainly the possibility of a new building. The layout and furniture designs were ready to go when Hosac called his OEC workplace consultant, Jill Miller, to halt the project. “I called Jill and said, ‘We’re looking at another deal, so we need to stop [the design] right now.’ She was really understanding and even helped us with a couple of conceptual floor plans in the new space.” In the end, Cascadia Healthcare stayed with the original building and has enjoyed some of the great new spaces. In one such space, they took what would have been a conference room and turned it into a casual, collaborative area. “It is receiving the most use of any of our rooms. People love going in there because they can sit and chat without having to feel like it’s really formal.”
Collaboration Space
Looking To The Future
After achieving so much in six short years, Cascadia Healthcare looks at the future differently from most. “When the four of us got together to start this company, we all had good careers. We didn’t need to start a company. But as we talked about it over several weeks and months, we asked ourselves, ‘Why are we doing this?’ At the core of it, we identified that we want to be a force for good. It sounds like a catchphrase, but it is the truth. We care a lot about all our employees and the residents in our care. We don’t look at growth and success at a financial level, how many states we are in, or the number of employees. Rather, we judge it by seeing our employees happy and our residents getting better. When they are smiling and receiving good care, that makes it a really rewarding industry to work in. In the future, I see us being a force for good.”
I worked from home the other day to keep an eye on my daughter, who had just had surgery. Sounds like paradise right? Wrong. I know some of you are like, “big deal, I’ve been working from home for 18 months now”. Well, I typically work in the office and haven’t actually worked a full day from home since before Covid. So, for me, this was kind of a new thing. Anyways, after I got my dual monitors set up, things were going pretty well. But then my dog started barking every time somebody walked by our house. Apparently, with his presumed role as head of house security, he feels the need to bark at anything that moves. I kept having to jump up and close the office door every time he started barking at the front window, which always nicely coincided with the online meetings I was having.
Work From Home Distractions
After a bit, I noticed it was super cold in the house, so I turned on the heater. “Hey, when was the last time I changed the filter?” I decided to go into the garage to check the filter, and yes, it needed to be replaced. So I spent some time purchasing new filters online. Then my daughter upstairs called down a request for Macaroni and cheese. But we were out of butter. So I ran over to Albertsons to get some butter. And of course, I had to do some additional shopping because we were out of milk and a few other things. But when did these milk prices get so expensive? I was almost home when my wife called and asked if I could run to the pharmacy and get some medicine for my daughter.
Paradise Lost
But the best part of the day was when I picked up my son from Kindergarten and got him started on some snacks before jumping on a Zoom call. In the middle of the zoom call, my son stormed the room and started pulling on my arm, “Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, come see the paper airplane I just made. Dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad.” So I wrapped up the call early so I could go see the airplane, which was amazing by the way. I raise my hat to all of those out there who are still working from home. It’s hard stuff and is certainly no peaceful paradise for those with kids or dogs. Looking forward to getting back in the office as soon as possible.
Scott Galloway
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How to create compelling destinations where everyone can contribute
How, when and where people work is evolving rapidly. There is a need for the workplace to merge the benefits of technology with the talents of people. This must be done in a manner that is adaptable, human-centered, and inclusive. Steelcase partnered with G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies, to conduct quantitative and qualitative research to release a Blueprint for Inclusive Workplaces of the Future.
“We wanted the blueprint to be both a vision of the future and a resource to establish a shared understanding of all the factors that shape workplaces around the world,” says Kim Dabbs, Steelcase vice president of social innovation. “We worked together with G3ict to engage a wide variety of stakeholders so we could offer some recommended actions we hope will lead to more inclusive, safe and compelling workplaces for everyone.”
ACCESS THE FULL REPORT
Dive deeper into our research, findings and insights around inclusive workplaces of the future.
The project focused on persons with disabilities to provide a focal point for what it means for workplaces to be inclusive, safe and compelling. For this Blueprint, disability is defined as “those who have long-term physical, mental intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”[i]
The disability community uniquely represents the intersection of every aspect of diversity with representation across demographics. They include age, disability type, economic situation, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender identity and race.[ii] In addition, research shows persons with disabilities have been hit harder than most during the pandemic. In the U.S., one in five workers with disabilities lost their jobs during the onset of the pandemic. These inequalities are expected to be exacerbated long-term.[iii][iv]
Research included a literature review, a global survey, a series of human-centered design roundtable sessions with a curated group of experts and individual qualitative interviews.
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
Only 49% say their industry has a clear and shared understanding of an inclusive workplace. That is compared to 64% for safe, and 53% for compelling.[v]
The top three elements essential to an inclusive workplace are identified as:
61% – Representation and diversity across all functions and levels
45% – Accessible products, technology and systems
45% – Accessible physical space
Respondents with disabilities ranked both accessible technology and space above representation.
The primary outcomes of an inclusive workplace are identified as:
80% – Increased employee satisfaction
65% – Increased innovation
53% – Increased productivity for individuals and teams
“We knew it was important in this initiative to meld the data with people’s lived experiences,” says James Thurston, G3ict vice president for global strategy and development. “We’re incredibly grateful to our roundtable and interview participants who dedicated so much time, passion and expertise to the project.”
In addition to data, the blueprint uses a concept map to identify opportunities and challenges within the workplace. It also uses stakeholder and ecosystem maps to identify critical groups that impact the workplace, their dependencies and connections. Finally, it offers a detailed analysis of 14 different stakeholder groups along with several recommended actions for each.
Steelcase and G3ict are making the blueprint publicly available. Their goal is advancing the conversation about how to create inclusive, safe and compelling workplaces in organizations around the world.
“Workplaces of the future must be compelling destinations where every team member can contribute, not despite their unique identities – but because of them.”
Kim Dabbs | Steelcase VP Social Innovation
“We know there is a lot more work to be done and we hope this blueprint helps to chart a positive path forward,” says Dabbs.
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How this woman-owned, women-led marketing firm is developing a culture of creativity and flexibility in the workplace.
If you have ever received a business card from Stoltz marketing firm in Boise, you know that their mantra, “We see your potential,” is prominently and ingeniously placed next to a photo of the individual as a child. This imagery will elicit a quick laugh when you see their former, gangly self smiling sheepishly up at you. The card is a perfect example of creativity, humor, and a great message all existing together in the same space. Clients who work with Stoltz will not only find a full-service marketing agency ready to help them with their every marketing need but a team of fun, authentic professionals as well.
(Left) Tracy Hitchcock: Director of Business Development | (Right) Jaime Ekman: President & CEO
So, what is it about a woman-owned, women-led team that sets Stoltz apart? As Tracy Hitchcock, Stoltz’s Director of Business Development, says,
“[As women] we can be true to talking about flexibility. Whether you have an aging parent, are working on adoption, or have young kids at home, [our employees] have a flexible schedule. So, we truly live and breathe flexibility.”
Tracy Hitchcock
This flexibility allows Stoltz’s diverse group of men and women to work when and where they can be the most creative and productive.
Leading The Way With EQ
Coupled with flexibility, the women leaders also rely heavily upon a high emotional quotient (EQ) to navigate how they can have open and authentic conversations with their employees. When everyone in the office can be themselves, it comes through in how they creatively solve problems for their clients.
Reinvention Of The Workspace
Recently, a big way the firm has sought to foster its flexible and creative culture is through a reinvention of their office workspaces. Located in the U.S. Bank building, the office has an incredible view of the city and the foothills, but the workspaces were lacking. On top of that, the staff of 13 sent to work from home in early 2020 has grown to 20 members today. So, in preparation for bringing everyone back into the office, the leadership team decided to freshen up the office with new workstations and a flexible, collaborative space. Now the team enjoys ergonomic chairs, height-adjustable desks, and a great collaborative environment in a once underutilized space in the office.
Steelcase Flex Collaborative Space
Maintaining A Culture
With this refresh, Stoltz is looking forward to another great year. With 49% growth over the last year, the firm is learning to redefine what it means to remain small. No matter what comes, they are dedicated to maintaining a culture of fun and authenticity while always seeing the potential in their clients and bringing that potential to fruition.
Washington Federal Bank has 10 regional buildings and 250 branches throughout the western states. At any given time, there can be seven branches undergoing remodels or improvements. Combine that with managing all the staff of each location and recovering from the last year’s unexpected shutdown has made working through change more important than ever. When it comes to managing the staff and remodels, Construction Manager, Dylan Cooper shared that the company has adopted a hybrid model with hoteling stations. “We are going to complete a hoteling model at our corporate headquarters in Seattle. Each employee will be able to reserve their spot for the day rather than having a dedicated workstation.”
While the hoteling model will coax employees back into the office, managing the construction of new branches is complicated. With permits in some areas taking close to a year to acquire, budget changes, and supply chain issues, the company has learned the importance of good communication. “We try to have weekly meetings where we invite all of our vendors, from the GC to the plumbing, so that if there are issues, everybody can hear them directly.” Along with communication, the company is trying to be flexible with timelines, contingencies, and what a bank means to people now compared to a couple years ago. “Stepping into a physical bank branch is going to change so we are going to adapt with those changes to figure out what that looks like for our future.”
Dylan Cooper: Construction Manager WaFd Bank
“We try to have weekly meetings where we invite all of our vendors, from the GC to the plumbing, so that if there are issues, everybody can hear them directly.”
Dylan Cooper
How Engineered Structures, Inc. (ESI) is Working Through Change
Idaho’s largest general contractor, ESI, has been in business for almost 50 years; during that time, they have learned what it means to be adaptable. With 625 employees working on projects in 15 different states at any given time, ESI has had to juggle varying levels of compliance requirements for years. When COVID arrived, the diversified company turned to its 3D values to weather the storm. The 3D values remind employees to be dedicated, dependable, and dynamic in every situation.
The Importance Of Values
To do this successfully, the company leadership decided to increase communication internally and externally. Internally, the president committed to weekly communication with all ESI employees to keep them out of the “Wonderland” of uncertainty. Externally, employees learned to be intentional about prioritizing and scheduling deliveries. In some cases, they even helped clients choose a product based on lead times rather than price. Through this process, ESI proved that they were dedicated to their projects, dependable amid uncertainty, and dynamic when solving problems.
Early on in COVID, ESI had a task force meeting every morning at seven am to discuss keeping employees safe. With decision-making fatigue setting in, the team chose, in good faith, to empower their people to make wise decisions for themselves. Rather than dictating policies, they created a framework for their employees to work within. That empowerment has continued throughout ESI’s culture, so much so that out-of-state job seekers are calling them for work. They have successfully created a place where employees are challenged to perform at a high level. Additionally, they also have the teams they need to support them. With a relentless pursuit of safety and their 3D values to guide them, ESI will be confidently working through change for years to come.
Dallis Fontenot: VP of Corporate Development Engineered Structures, Inc. (ESI)
“Instead of us trying to facilitate every single decision, we created a response plan that would empower our people to make wise decisions within the framework that we set up.”
Dallis Fontenot
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Throughout the pandemic people have changed how they shop, where they live, how they learn, and, for many, how they work. Hybrid work is familiar territory for some, but a seismic shift in how work happens for many organizations. Regardless of how your company defines its policies, this blend of on and off-line interactions means we have to think about the needs of people as they adopt a new way of working, and how the workplace and technology need to change to help them be successful within a hybrid culture.
Hybrid work may be challenging initially, but there’s never been a greater opportunity for organizations to reset their culture.
The flexibility — and the trust it requires — can be a catalyst for new ways of working. It can also redefine how the office can help people thrive. In a recent Steelcase webinar, Prototyping the Future of Work, 59% of nearly 1,000 attendees said the biggest benefit of hybrid work is the ability to attract and retain talent. The biggest threat is cultural erosion (54%).
Building a Culture
Everyone, everywhere struggled with a feeling of isolation while working from home. Combine that with the sense of whiplash many people feel from the ups and downs of Covid caseloads, return-to-office delays and conditions that seem to change daily, people’s wellbeing has suffered.
Organizations that have returned to the office found people need to be reenergized and rebuild their “muscle memory” for being in the workplace. They’ve also found that reshaping their culture is essential to create new norms for how people will work together going forward.
The workplace can become an infrastructure for fostering a resilient hybrid culture. It can be done by providing spaces which not only support increasing collaboration between in-person and remote workers, but also help people feel a sense of belonging and connection to their teams and the organization, regardless of location. Steelcase research shows that feeling part of a strong community actually helps people achieve more. It also boosts productivity, engagement, innovation and retention. Many leading organizations are making changes before team members return to the office. This way, people can see and feel their organization cares and is taking action to meet their needs in a new era of hybrid work.
5 Things People Need For Hybrid Work and Hybrid Culture
Safety
Physical safety continues to be paramount. People need to know their organization is doing everything possible to keep them safe and mitigate the spread of disease. Workers are particularly concerned about air quality. 62% of respondents to a recent McKinsey study said that improved air filtration could decrease the stress they experience from returning on-site.
Psychological safety is increasingly important at a time where work is changing. Employees need to know that it’s okay to speak up, share ideas, ask questions and make mistakes during this shift. This must happen regardless of where they work and without negative ramifications.
Steelcase Work Tents create a relaxed open collaboration space where people can reconnect in-person and virtually at the Steelcase Global Business Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Belonging
In a time where people are working from diverse locations, people need their workplace to help create community and “social glue”. That glue builds cooperation and team cohesion. Strong communities have a sense of shared purpose, as well as shared leadership. With high levels of trust and engagement, communities allow people to learn, adapt and demonstrate resilience in the face of changing circumstances.
Productivity
Hybrid work will require new spaces and technology to help people be effective. People need places for 1-on-1 or small group video calls, either enclosed or with greater acoustic privacy at their desk. Groups need places that support both in-office and remote participants equally. Places where everyone can see and be seen, hear and be heard. Spaces should be designed for a better virtual presence with important elements like cameras, acoustics, content and lighting.
Steelcase Flex Personal Spaces give hybrid workers at the Grand Rapids Steelcase Learning and Innovation Center a place to do sustained heads-down focus work or take a video call.
Comfort
Physical comfort is critical for hybrid workers, especially if they are spending a lot of time on video. People’s wellbeing has suffered, and they need places and experiences that help them rejuvenate and reset throughout the day. People also need to be comfortable with how work is changing. They need to know how to use new kinds of spaces and new technologies to collaborate with hybrid teams.
Control
Living through a crisis and changing ways of working, people crave more certainty. They want to be able to have more choice and control over:
Where they work within the office
When they work at the office or home
How they work, alone and with teammates
Although it will look different for everyone, hybrid work is, perhaps, the biggest opportunity organizations have to reinvent their culture. People and leaders need to adjust expectations about how work happens. They must adopt new behaviors and rethink the role of the office going forward. But thinking about a hybrid workplace as a community designed to support the needs of the people as they embrace new ways of working and interacting can be a dramatic and positive change that emerges from the pandemic.
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