Enhancing The Employee Workplace Experience And The Role Of Facility Management

The world is slowly recovering from the grip of COVID 19 as vaccinations and preventive care mechanisms have reduced the threat of the spread of infectious disease. For much of the corporate world, COVID 19 rendered the year 2020 very different physically as nearly all of their offices remained shut or worked with minimum staff while the rest from home. As offices gradually open and employees start returning, companies do realize that the workplace needs a massive change in operating principles in the new age of hybrid working.

Earlier, employee engagement was solely focused on the career dynamics an employee experienced within the organization such as salary, recognition amongst peers, benefits, and perks, etc. The new normal of work calls for improved workplace experience as a key driver of employee engagement as well.

On this note, the role of Facility Managers also has to change drastically to accommodate these new paradigms of workplace engagement. Facility Managers are transitioning from their traditional role of service providers or enablers to more strategic roles that propel them into the realm of experience creators. The Facility Managers of today must take on the responsibility of building an engaging workplace that reflects a brand’s commitment to fostering employee wellbeing.

So how can Facility Managers grow into a critical component of today’s workplace culture? Let us examine 4 key areas where employee experience can be enhanced by Facility Managers:

Enablers of Work Experience:

Facility Managers are no longer just the folks who ensure compliance with operational norms or provide services to employees. Today, they are involved in developing a workplace that inspires productivity and seamless collaboration driven by ease of use. From working with architects to finalize great office ideas to planning for recreational areas and bringing on-board innovative facility infrastructures like intelligent hardware sensors and machines, there is a host of areas where Facility Managers can become key drivers of work experience rather than just being a responsive provider of employee service requests. They need to work with employees, leaders, clients, and partner vendors to identify the most convenient operational infrastructure configuration for the new workplace.

Assuring a Safe Environment for Work

In the wake of healthcare emergencies like the COVID 19 pandemic, Facility Managers need to step up and ensure that the workplace is better equipped to adapt to sudden disruptions in workplace policies. At one level, they need to reconfigure workplaces to allow for social distancing norms to be adhered to and that safe operations are possible. With the use of advanced technology, they can also create digital tracking and monitoring mechanisms to seamlessly manage visitor and employee traffic to the office facility. Facility Managers can design smart systems that engage in the agile deployment of maintenance and security staff based on the volume of employees present. They ensure strict adherence to protocols and policies laid down by the organization or by government bodies to ensure the safety of employees.

Empowering Business Continuity in a Hybrid Workplace

The pandemic was an eye-opener in the corporate world as nearly all companies had to shift to a remote work mode. Such disruptive events may very well become common in workplace scenarios. They also drive new working models, like the hybrid workplace that is emerging today with some employees working from home most of the time and others doing so from the office. Hence it is important for the Facility Manager to ensure that employees can quickly adapt to flexible modes of working like fully remote, hotdesking, and limited working hours to name a few. Facility Managers can use innovative technology to ensure that assets such as computers, laptops, etc. as well as other critical office hardware are seamlessly transferred to employees to help them work better. Through innovative technology, Facility Managers can prompt, and schedule employee returns to the office once events like the pandemic have subsided. Technology can help the modern Facility Manager provide a unified experience to the employee with the same level of support irrespective of the work location.

Positive Employer Branding

A lot of investment goes into workplace positivity as it influences employees and motivates them to work more productively. There is a great deal of corporate branding and motivational themes that workplaces can accommodate in their design layout or in the hardware assets they utilize. Obviously, this goes beyond the merely superficial. Facets like lighting, ventilation, noise management, employee seating, and meeting room facilities have all been known to impact employee perception and real feeling. That apart, how the company responds to employee service requests and support demands also helps prove the value placed on that employee. These are all areas where the modern Facility Manager can play a crucial enabling role. Facility Managers can thus become leaders of change and powerful brand storytellers for motivating employees with fluidic workplace ideas and themes.

With businesses racing to compete in highly demanding market conditions, they need to keep their employees as engaged as possible. By leveraging technology combined with a passion for employee wellbeing, Facility Managers can facilitate a better working experience at any workplace. This will fuel loyalty and engagement and ultimately enable businesses to retain their most valuable staff. Get in touch with us to see how SeQure can empower your Facility Managers to bring a fresh new lease of employee engagement into your office spaces.