Before the Covid pandemic, 4.7% of UK employees worked from home. 

By April 2020, 46.6% of employees were working from home. 

As of June 2023, 29% of UK workers report working from home some of the time. 

This change in the way that we work is unparalleled, but are we likely to see a full return to in-office work any time soon? 

With 92% of companies enforcing some form of in-office policy, and 40% of companies calling staff back into the office five days a week, the answer is a tentative maybe. 

However, hybrid working is incredibly popular with employees, so a full 5-day mandated return may not go down especially well if your organisation does not both listen to and prepare for pushback. 

Today, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of 5-day return-to-office mandates, as well as running through some of the most important steps that you should take if you are considering mandating a return to the office (as well as how to decide what balance between WFH and on-site work is right for you and your people). 

The pros and cons of returning to the office

Before we move onto the specifics of how you should approach encouraging employees back into the office, it’s important to understand the pros and cons. Let’s start with the pros:

The pros:

Build stronger employee and inter-departmental connections

There is no doubt that we, as humans, build better, stronger connections when face-to-face. 

For building relationships, there is no substitute for in-person interaction. Sure, video calling is great for most day-to-day meetings, but if you want your employees to build critical bonds, break down silos and form truly meaningful connections, then being in the office is the way to go. 

Workplace culture evolves naturally when working together in person. If you’re mostly remote, culture needs to be purposefully built in and worked on; it won’t evolve in the same way it does when teams are in person. 

For many people, these stronger connections help to mitigate against loneliness and a sense of disconnectedness that some report feeling when working predominantly from home. 

Help to onboard new employees faster

Working remotely is fantastic for experienced, independent employees who know what’s needed of them on a day-to-day basis. 

However, for new employees, joining a remote-first company can be incredibly difficult (especially if management aren’t entirely sure how to properly onboard someone while remote). 

Generally speaking, Gen Z prefer to be in the workplace so that they can listen and learn from their peers. Just being involved in the atmosphere helps them develop their skills and advance their career. However, for in-office development to be successful, it requires senior personnel to be around, meaning that a mandated return to office ensures young team members have the in-person support they require. 

When face-to-face, knowledge is organically transferred; questions can be answered quickly and strong bonds between new employees and existing staff can build. This face-to-face time is especially important for young people who may be taking their first job, or are still early in their career. It can be easy for them to feel lost or to struggle to adjust to working from home. 

More opportunities for collaboration and innovation

When working in the office, there are far more opportunities for spontaneous collaboration, or for discussions to take place organically (especially if your workplace is built around having dedicated spaces specifically for collaboration). 

In-person interactions are often more nuanced, and communication is richer than, say, a video call. While there is still debate on the topic, there is no doubt in our minds that the best collaborative work will always be best done in person. 

Separate work and home

Some remote workers struggle with the fact that work and home are the same place. Remote work blurs the line between our personal and professional lives.

For some, this can have a negative mental impact, an inability to switch off, even once the laptop is closed and the TV is on. 

Returning to the office provides a clear separation of work and home. This can help to reduce burnout and improve mental wellbeing for many. 

Access to specialised tech and resources

Any great workplace will provide a workstation that is superior to the home offices many of us have in our spare rooms. 

If your office is equipped with specialist tools and top-of-the-line technology, it can be hard to argue with the fact that it is the best place for your employees to be in order to be productive.  

The cons:

The commute

The daily commute can be a serious hassle for many people (a hassle that is entirely mitigated when working from home). 

Traffic, congestion, busy trains (which are often disrupted by strike action!)  – all of these frustrations are compounded by the fact that it’s expensive to commute, with the average daily commute costing employees £2,685.60 a year.  

Not only this, but we all enjoy an extra hour or so of sleep when working from home, which is fantastic for both our focus levels and mental health. 

A lack of flexibility

Remote work offers a degree of flexibility. 

Being bound to office schedules makes it harder for people to manage personal commitments (such as doctors’ appointments, school runs or popping to the shops). During the pandemic, we had to adapt our lives around lockdowns. Taking care of relatives, childcare, pets, et cetera. This means that a reluctance to return to the office isn’t necessarily about being selfish; life changes have happened in the last few years that aren’t easily re-arranged. 

As a result of these changes, many of us really appreciate a flexible working schedule and are reluctant (or unable) to give it up.  

Broken promises and stolen liberties

In organisations where remote working and flexibility has been the norm for 4 years or more, some people can feel as if their employers are backtracking on a system that has clearly been functional, restricting their working options for what seems to be no reason. 

For employees, if WFH is delivering results, why should things change? If you plan on a return-to-office mandate, you need to carefully consider WHY you’re asking people to return. If you can’t adequately justify your decision, then you may end up damaging trust with your employees.

You have an unwritten social contract with your employees. If this contract is breached, it is often impossible to restore. Staff may choose to leave rather than working under what they perceive to be a shadow of distrust.

While the labour market is still hungry for skills, a clumsy return-to-office exercise could turn into a very costly recruitment project further down the line. 

Negative environmental impact

Studies show that one day of working from home a week cuts an individual’s emissions by 2%, whereas 2-4 days of WFH can lower your emissions by up to 29%. 

This is due to a combination of factors, such as there being no need for a commute (less traffic on the roads) and a reduced energy requirement at work. 

However, it’s worth mentioning that simply working from home doesn’t guarantee a reduction in emissions, as authors of the aforementioned study note that, “The net benefit for working remotely is positive but a key question is ‘how positive’. When people work remotely, they tend to spend more emissions on social activities.”

If your green policy mandates that you need to find ways to reduce organisational emissions, then perhaps a hybrid model is more suitable for you. 

A potential loss in productivity

We are all productive in different environments, and it’s important that, as a leader in your organisation, that you take into account that not all people will thrive in the office environment. 

For some, the office is a hive of distractions, a place where they cannot readily focus on the task at hand (one of the biggest complaints reported by employees is noise). 

While it’s easy to consider the home office as unproductive, the opposite is actually true in many instances.

As a result, if you want to encourage people back into the office, you need to ensure that they have everything they need to succeed, including both collaborative and focus spaces. 

This means that, if your organisation is considering a return-to-office mandate, be that 5-days or fewer, it’s essential that you truly understand what it is that your people want from your workplace. 

Fail to take the time to learn about your employees’ needs and you risk a mass exodus of talent; something we’re sure you’d like to avoid. 

Want employees back in the office? Learn what they need from the workspace

Imagine you sent an email out today. 

This email let everyone know that, from Monday, they are required to return to the office 5 days a week. 

How would people react? 

People’s lives have changed around working from home. We often talk about the cost of living, but increasingly there is talk about the cost of working – work clothes, commute costs, resources; it can be expensive to work outside of the home now.

Get your mandate wrong, and you’ll be panic-hiring replacement staff in no time. 

Implementing any changes to your current WFH arrangement without the impartial guidance and mediation of Workplace Consultants, such as Rhino, is a significant risk. 

If you’re considering mandating a return to the office, we highly recommend sourcing objective, anonymous feedback from your employees about how exactly they work best and what they need from your workplace. 

Remember: a decision that’s right for you today may not be right for you in 24 months’ time. Here are some of the ways that our Workplace Consultancy service will help you to better understand your employees, their requirements and their thoughts on a return to the office:

We uniquely tailor our consultancy around your objectives

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to consulting with your workforce. 

We will take your objectives into account, helping you glean essential insights into your existing workspace and the mentalities of your people. 

We help you understand the geographical spread of your team

Over the last few years, many organisations have started recruiting from further afield. 

Remote working has allowed for this, but how will people who live far away from your site react to being told that they need to head into the office?

People have changed their social habits around remote work – you need to understand this

Remote workers are caring for pets/wider family members; they are more grounded at home than ever before, so requesting that they come back to the office might be difficult if you cannot adequately justify why. 

We canvass the team for their sentiment

This situation is a negotiation between employer and employee. 

The employee is sacrificing something – flexible working. What are you, as the employer, willing to give in compensation? 

In short – you need to ensure that the workplace you’re asking people to return to has all the comforts of home coupled with the significant benefits of coming into the office. An investment in your workplace shows that you’re taking your employees’ needs seriously. 

As independent mediators, your employees will be far more honest and comfortable talking to us

No matter how good your relationship with your wider team is, as a business/team leader, it’s unlikely that employees are ever fully honest when providing feedback. 

We act as independent mediators. By keeping all feedback anonymous, and holding workshops without leadership present, we allow your people to truly open up about their concerns and what they really want from their workspace. 

Our team act as mediators to work out the cost/benefit contract needed

By carefully surveying sentiment, we can accurately provide a cost/benefit breakdown of returning to the office. 

Say, for example, you’re gunning for a 5-day return-to-office mandate. Our consultancy determines that this will cost you 30% of your workforce – the ones who are not willing to accept a 5 day in house week. 

Does the cost of recruitment, training and development of replacement staff outweigh the benefits of bringing everyone back together in the office? 

We will help you quantify this and come to an accurate decision.

We help your organisation to right size

If you are mandating 5 days back in the office, does your current office space accommodate both your existing workforce and prospective growth?

We’ll work closely with you to determine whether your existing office space is future proof, and what you can do with it to make it more efficient. 

Understand what your people are thinking with Workplace Consultancy

At the end of the day, if you don’t fully understand what your people are thinking, it’s incredibly difficult to find the perfect balance between remote and in-office work. 

No matter the number of days you’re considering mandating, if your people are used to the freedom of remote work, you may well have mutiny on your hands. 

Don’t take the risk – get in touch with our Workplace Consultancy experts, learn what your people are willing to compromise on and make a decision that’s right for your business and right for your people. 

Let’s talk

The post 5-Day Return-to-Office Mandates – Logical or Lunacy? appeared first on Rhino.

With most employees now coming into the office 2-3 days per week, gone are the days of the office being a permanent fixture. 

However, this does not mean that the workplace is any less important than it was several years ago. On the contrary, it is now more important than ever that your workplace meets the mental and physical needs of your people. 

When at home, employees have comforts that are often unavailable in the workplace. There is no commute and there are fewer distractions; it’s no wonder that many prefer the work-from-home lifestyle. 

But working from home isn’t all sunshine and roses. In fact, a 2023 study showed that ‘23% of remote workers struggle with loneliness because they thrive on the energy of others to feel motivated and productive.’

There is a balance that needs to be struck, which is in your hands as an employer. Wellbeing initiatives deliver benefits to both the individual and the organisation. Here’s why it’s so important to invest in your employees’ wellbeing: 

The importance of wellbeing initiatives at work

We could talk infinitely about the myriad benefits of wellbeing initiatives to the employee:

• Improved mental health
• Better work-life balance
• Increased overall productivity
• Enhanced job satisfaction
• Bolstered organisational loyalty
• Better inter-team relationships

The list goes on and on. This is all incredibly positive, of course, but as a for-profit organisation, it’s essential that you understand how this impacts your bottom line. 

In short, Deloitte research shows us that employers see an average £5 return for every £1 spent on wellbeing support.

Not only this, but other studies show that “firms that have received awards for their health, safety and well-being initiatives had a 115% growth in earnings per share compared with the 27% earnings per share seen in their competitors.”

Investing in wellbeing support is a boon for your business and your people. Investing in support is one of the best things you can do as an organisation.

Here are some proactive steps you can take to bolster wellbeing in the workplace:

Proactive steps to take enhance workplace wellbeing

Appoint mental health first aiders

“Mental ill-health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK when accounting for direct costs of services, lost productivity at work and reduced quality of life.” 

Mental health first aider (MHFA) training is the mental health equivalent to physical first aid. 

MHFAs play a vital role in reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health in the workplace. They provide initial support, encouragement, and signposting of a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other support. 

By having individuals who are ready to respond to everything, from a potential mental health crisis through to someone having a particularly bad day, organisations have reported up to an 80% reduction in work-related illness absence cases. 

Train managers in handling wellbeing issues

Line managers will often be experienced in dealing with physical health issues, but may find it a little uncomfortable tackling wellbeing concerns, or may not know the best ways to handle them. 

Organising wellbeing awareness training for your management team can help them better address ongoing wellbeing concerns in your organisation. Couple this with insights from Workplace Consultancy (more on this later), and your managers will be better equipped to understand issues before they spiral out of control. 

Build a good team and encourage everyone to look out for one another

Creating a “caring culture” is essential in any modern workplace. 

At the end of the day, we’re all working together towards a common goal. By creating an environment that encourages your people to check in with one another, you’re helping to build bonds that strengthen your team and boosts productivity. 

Traditional workplaces often don’t factor in communal or relaxation space. It may seem counterproductive to dedicate office space to socialisation, but it can contribute to better productivity across the board. The stronger inter-departmental and interpersonal relationships your employees can build between one another, the better they’ll be able to work together to grow your organisation and meet its goals. 

Understanding your people – workplace consultancy

Wellbeing initiatives are all well and good, and are an essential part of any modern business’ ongoing success, but without a concrete understanding of your people’s wants and needs, you’re unlikely to maximise your return on investment.

That is why Workplace Consultancy is so important – it provides unique insights into exactly what your employees are thinking and what they’d change if they had the opportunity. 

How does Workplace Consultancy work?

Workplace Consultancy is made up of two main components:

• Individual questionnaire – By individually (and anonymously) questioning employees, you provide them with multiple opportunities to open up about how they feel and what they want from their workspace. 

This provides us with a large quantity of qualitative data which can be analysed in terms of sentiment. This tells us how productive individuals feel at work and how susceptible they are to improvements to the environment in which they are working. 

• Group workshops – These provide us with a huge amount of insight into where internal friction is and how the interplay between people functions. 

Group workshops are ideal for employees from across the organisation to get together and discuss, free of judgement, what they’d improve at work. 

Why is Workplace Consultancy important?

If you don’t understand what your people want, how can you provide wellbeing support that truly makes a difference?

Workplace Consultancy provides us with qualitative data points that can be used to quantitatively calculate a tangible ROI on your investment into both your environment and your employees’ wellbeing. 

We consider how your physical workplace can work to reduce any stress or friction for your employees. After all, your workplace is competing with the comfortable environment at home. If you want your employees to be happy coming into the office, you need to provide them with a space at work that truly delivers.

Need inspiration on how your environment can change to prioritise employee wellbeing? Click here. 

Fundamentally, your workplace is designed to help get the best out of your team

Throughout this process, you need to be willing to ask important, often relatively difficult-to-answer questions, including:

• What makes your workplace work for you?
• Why do you have an office?
• Why are you asking your staff to come into the office?
• What do you expect from people while they’re in your workplace?
• Are you providing the best space/tools for your people to excel in their role?
• Have you got the facilities to allow for successful remote working?

If you can’t justify why you want people to come into the office, then you’re going to have a hard time on your wellbeing mission. 

For many people, being encouraged to come into the office can prove a boon to their mental health. It provides a social outlet and an opportunity to destress and build on relationships. However, if your environment isn’t suitable, it can have an adverse effect. 

When you’re ready, our workplace consultants are here to talk. We can answer any questions you have, or can get the ball rolling on your Workplace Consultancy journey. 

Speak to a workplace consultant

The post Workplaces, Wellbeing, Productivity – What’s the Connection? appeared first on Rhino.

We believe in the power of collaboration to generate ideas and solutions. The Knowledge + Insights Collective brings together diverse professionals from a wide range of sectors, providing a dynamic platform where every voice can contribute and learn from each other in the discussion of key issues and current trends, as well as providing a great networking opportunity.

Who should attend?

These roundtables are crafted for open-minded professionals keen to share and gain knowledge. Whether you’re looking to influence your industry or find innovative solutions to common challenges, these sessions promise to offer valuable insights and an enjoyable and lively discussion. However, these are not sales pitches nor platforms for closed-minded agendas.

What’s on the agenda?

Discussions explore topics such as workplace culture, the impact of economic changes on office spaces, and emerging trends in workplace design and technology. Sessions begin with predefined themes, but often the most valuable insights come from spontaneous debates that veer ‘off-script’. This open format ensures a variety of perspectives, creating richer conversations and unexpected solutions.

Other topics include:

• Navigating 2024’s biggest challenges: What hurdles are we anticipating in the coming year, and how can we overcome them?
• Return to work dynamics: Is it all about incentives, or do we need to look deeper to get our teams back in the office?
• Trust and culture in the workplace: Does a push for in-office presence hide trust issues? Let’s uncover what’s really at play.
• The multigenerational workforce: From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, how do we cater to the diverse needs of all five generations now in our workforces?
• Rethinking space in the face of rising costs: How inflation is reshaping our decisions on office space and build costs.
• Sustainability in retrofit projects: Integrating ESG and Net Zero goals into older buildings — what are the challenges and solutions?

Why participate?

Participants not only gain from the shared knowledge but also have the opportunity to influence the discussion and bring new issues to the table. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of a multi-generational workforce or discussing the future of office spaces post-pandemic, every session is a chance to connect with peers and experts, deepening understanding and expanding professional networks.

Rhino is dedicated to creating spaces that reflect the dynamism and innovation of the companies we serve. Through the Knowledge & Insights Collective, we extend this commitment into the very conversations that shape our industry.

Interested in taking part?

We believe everyone has something unique to contribute. If the topics discussed resonate with you, or you have ideas you wish to explore with like-minded professionals, we would love to hear from you.

Join us to be part of a community that’s driving the future of workspaces. Let’s build environments that inspire, together.

To express your interest in attending one of our future events, or for more information, please email hattie.haycock@rhinooffice.co.uk.

The post Rhino Launch New Roundtable Initiative: Knowledge + Insights Collective appeared first on Rhino.

“As of 2023, there are five generations in the workplace: traditionalists, baby boomers, Generation X (Gen X), millennials, and Generation Z (Gen Z).”

That covers everyone between the ages of 16 to 75.

Economic pressures and extended lifespans are resulting in people working longer than ever. Never before have we had such a broad spectrum of people, experience and beliefs working together in one place. 

This inter-generational melting pot can have a significant impact on your company’s ongoing culture, recruitment and retention, with studies revealing that more than 90% of employees reported culture impacts their decision to stay with their company. 

So, this poses a salient question: What changes can organisations make in their workplace to improve the attraction and retention of talent in a five-generation workplace?

Is it possible to appeal to everyone; to create an environment that allows people from all generations to thrive?

In this article, we’ll explore the real-life impact that the five-generation workplace is having on the attraction and retention of exceptional talent. 

Know and understand what your people are thinking

The first step any organisation needs to take when looking to improve workplace experience, recruitment and retention is to better understand what your existing employees are thinking. 

You need to know:

• What people would like to improve
• What people want to remain the same
• How people use your workspace
• Why people enjoy coming to work
• Are there any barriers between teams/individuals?
• Are older/younger people struggling to build rapport with others?

The best way to source this data is through an anonymous People & Place study. Encourage your people to be genuine and honest, to reveal the good, the bad and the ugly.

Without this data, you’re shooting in the dark. It’ll be almost impossible for you to make the required improvements to your workplace experience if you have no idea what needs to improve!

Once you understand what your people are thinking, you can better adjust your workplace to suit. Making your organisation a place where employees are reluctant to leave, and prospects are desperate to join!

Take proactive measures to improve your workplace experience & organisational reputation

Improving your retention is down to workplace experience. 

Improving your attraction is down to organisational reputation. 

By improving the former, you bolster the latter. Here are 9 proactive measures you need to take to help build a better environment and make your organisation a more desirable place to work. 

1. Measure your Employee NPS (Net Promoter Score)

Your Net Promoter Score is a really important metric and a relatively simple process. 

While NPS is usually used to gauge how happy your customers or clients are, the same principle can just as easily be applied to your employees, often known as an Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS). 

If you’re unaware, the premise is simple – every employee is (anonymously) asked a question:

How likely is it that you would recommend [Organisation Name] to a friend or colleague?

Respondents are asked to answer on a scale of 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely). 

Promoters will respond with a score of 9 or 10 – these are employees who are loyal and enthusiastic; they love working at your organisation. 

Passives respond with a score of 7 or 8. They’re satisfied working for you, but are not happy enough to be considered promoters. 

Detractors are those who respond with a score from 0-6. These are unhappy employees who may even discourage people from working for you. 

By taking an average of these anonymous scores, you get your Net Promoter Score. If it averages lower, you have some work to do. If you enjoy a higher average, there are still things you may look to tweak to demonstrate your commitment to ongoing improvement. 

2. Upskill managers to better work in a changing world

We’re living in a hybrid world. There’s no escaping it; it’s here to stay. 

However, this change happened unusually rapidly, making it incredibly difficult for middle managers and line managers to keep up. 

Not only this, but, as mentioned, people are working for longer. Managers are unlikely trained on how to best work with both Millennials and Gen Zers, or how to manage inter-age relationships.

Your managers need leadership training, and not through any fault of their own. They may have been perfectly competent leaders 10 years ago, but the workplace landscape has changed dramatically. They need to be confident:

• Managing a broad spread of ages
• Building rapport with hybrid and remote workers
• Ensuring that processes remain efficient without in-person contact

It’s not easy helping wildly different parties relate to one another, but it’s an important skill that modern managers need. 

3. Build a hybrid-friendly environment

In addition to training, it’s important that your environment is suitable to accommodate the hybrid worker. 

Workspaces need to be comfortable and have a sense of community around them. Employees must not feel as if they would be performing better at home; the environment you build should be conducive to high-quality work and meet their needs at all times. Consider:

• Comfort – Most employees now have a comfortable working environment at home, one which they’ve designed around their needs and works perfectly for them. If your workplace cannot emulate this, it cannot compete.
• Community –  One thing that a home workspace cannot build is a strong sense of community. This is your key differentiator; your workplace needs to feel like an exclusive members’ club. Build spaces for collaboration, create channels of natural communication, incorporate mindfulness sessions, if your staff would enjoy that. You know your people best.
• Connectivity – In a hybrid workplace, it’s unlikely that you’ll often have all members of staff in at once, making connectivity key. Of course, great infrastructure is required to ensure fast internet speeds, but your workplace should also include quiet spaces where people can conduct individual/group video calls, meetings, training and interviews.
• Ease of use – Friction is the workplace killer. You’re competing with zero commute, home comforts and a loungewear-friendly dresscode, you’re going to need to up your game. Consider comfortable furniture, fluid, open spaces and easy-to-use social spaces. 
• Flexibility – People like choice, and we’re increasingly seeing people rebelling against being told where they can and cannot sit. Many successful workplaces don’t feel like working environments at all. People need the flexibility to work in a way that’s right for them. 

4. Develop unique, fruitful training programmes

From a recruitment and retention perspective, training is paramount. 

If your existing team can see that you’re investing in their skills and their future, they’re less likely to want to leave.

If prospective employees know that your organisation is the place to be if they want to develop their careers, they’re far more likely to apply. 

Your training needs to be unique, fruitful and regular. Everyone, both internally and externally, needs to see the impact that your training is having on the careers of your people. Investing in your employees is investing in your organisational future. This is an essential step for any business wanting to secure the brightest talent and secure their long-term future. 

Not only do you need to consider your training programmes, but also the environment(s) in which they are delivered. 

While older generations may be more accustomed to formal training in a meeting room, Gen X or Millennials may prefer less formal seating arrangements that allow for more organic training sessions. 

5. Address concerns around AI in your industry

Pandora’s Box has been opened – AI has irrevocably changed the world. 

But the question many people are asking is: do we trust AI?*

Employers need to understand that they are a source of trust. The communications you broadcast can and will impact how you are perceived. 

As a result of this, you need to address AI – talk to your team about how AI is a tool, not a replacement. Reassure both your people and prospective employees that yes, AI is a part of our lives, but it’ll never replace them at your organisation. 

Ensure that your training keeps pace with AI development. This is especially important for older individuals who may fear being made obsolete by AI as they struggle to adapt. 

*This is a huge topic and we are only touching the surface. 

6. Create spaces that allow for organic knowledge transfer

Having a broad generational range in your workforce is a huge boon for any employer. 

Older generations carry with them vast workplace experiences, while younger generations offer new and unique perspectives. As a result, you need to create a space that allows for multi-directional knowledge transfer. 

Knowledge transfer is stifled in environments that keep people separated (think traditional office booths). 

This is one of the reasons why collaborative spaces are so important. They’re natural environments where people of all ages, experiences and seniority levels can come together to work, share knowledge and develop. 

7. Face mental health issues head-on

One in three 18- to 24-year-olds report symptoms of mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, compared to one in four in 2000. 

Not only this, but one in four adults experiences at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any given year. 

We are facing a turbulent, ever-changing world. People are more disaffected and more worried about the future than ever before; employee wellbeing has never been as important as it is right now. 

If you want all people in your employ to thrive, you need to address mental health issues head on. Create wellbeing initiatives, consult with individuals to learn exactly what they need, and make sure that suggestions are acted upon in a timely manner. 

8. Have a rock-solid set of values (and demonstrate them!)

Organisational values are often decided on by the board, popped on a website, then promptly forgotten about. 

You need to ensure that your organisation lives and breathes its values. 

Your values aren’t what’s on your sales PowerPoint, it’s about what happens in your office, how your people feel and how your business is perceived. 

How are you currently instilling your values? Is it working? Put thought into how your values are actively lived, seek feedback on your values and how well they fit into your organisation.

9. Create an environment that people want to work in

Leesman Index (an index that measures the employee workplace experience by surveying the people who use it each day) stats show that offices at home score higher than even the highest quality global offices. 

This means that before your workplace can compete with working from home, it will need to be commute worthy; it needs to be worth the costs of transport, parking, childcare, pet care, et cetera. Your workplace needs to offer the magical ingredients of purpose + place. 

In short, an employee will be happier if they have the tools to do their job. If it’s easier for them to work from home, then they’re not going to be happy at work. 

The same principle applies to prospective employees. Your workspace needs a “wow” factor – it needs to create that “I really want to work here” vibe.

This means that the workspace you provide needs to cater to the emotional, social and environmental needs of your people, needs that are often changeable depending on a person’s age, background and skillset. 

If you want high-personality individuals, you need to create a space that attracts them.

At the end of the day, your workplace needs to reflect your values and make them clear. Not every workspace needs to be bright colours and astroturf; it needs to be right for your people, which brings us full circle back to…

Workplace consultancy – the only way to understand your organisation’s unique DNA

Without a People & Place study, you’ll have no idea where to start when looking to improve your organisation’s recruitment & retention strategies. 

Chances are you have a broad spectrum of people working for your organisation. It is incredibly difficult to get a solid understanding of their wants and needs. 

This is the core of our Workplace Consultancy service. It’s our job to map your route to successful workplace outcomes with clarity and precision, helping you build a holistic understanding of the relationship between your people, place and processes. 

It’s time to rise to modern challenges facing your organisation. When you’re ready, talk to our specialist consultants. 

[Let’s talk]

The post How to Unlock the Energy of 5 Generations in 1 Workplace appeared first on Rhino.

Sure, free pizza on a Friday can contribute to your culture, but it’s not going to fix a culture that is ailing.

Culture is purposeful; it needs to be created and nurtured over time. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ cure to poor culture, but there are some key considerations that people-centric leaders are taking into account, starting with the psychology behind workplace culture. 

Humans are social creatures

“Humans are inherently social” writes Dr Simon N. Young, with Nick Morgan adding that “we share mirror neurons that allow us to match each other’s emotions unconsciously and immediately. We leak emotions to each other. We anticipate and mirror each other’s movements when we’re in sympathy or agreement with one another”. 

Fundamentally, the office is a lens on human behaviour; a group of people making things work and working together towards a common goal.

Consider your workplace as a tribe. Every person is involved in the tribe, contributes to the tribe’s ongoing success and wants to be involved in (and accepted by) the tribe. 

In order for a tribe to thrive, it needs every individual performing at their best. 

Now relate that back to the workplace. You need your people to perform at their best, but if our social needs are not met while at work, we become disinterested. People need to have their opinions heard, they need to be involved and they need to be appreciated. 

This is why free pizza alone won’t fix your company culture. Instead, you need to consider the many contributing factors to your ongoing culture, which can be boiled down to the following:

• Internal culture – How your people interact with and support one another. The shared values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that characterise your organisation. 
• Environment – The environment your people work in has a tremendous impact on the culture that forms. Ill-optimised environments often form exclusionary cliques, or don’t allow for natural relationship building between teams. 
• Leadership – Your leadership is what ties everything together. Culture change usually comes from the top down. Leaders establish a workplace culture through communication, employee treatment, benefits and more. This then filters down – positively or negatively.  

How the workplace impacts company culture

With the above in mind, let’s delve into how the workplace impacts overall company culture. 

Now, it’s worth mentioning that the development of culture varies substantially depending on a business’ size, scale and industry. 

An SME with 10-15 employees can have its culture impacted substantially by a single person leaving or joining.  An international enterprise will not. 

As a result, getting company culture right requires careful consideration by business leaders. Here’s an example of a business that brought together their people and place to create a single unified culture:

Jerroms’ workplace culture journey

Jerroms are a professional and ambitious financial services company based in Solihull. 

Their current workplace was spread over three floors, creating a physical divide between teams.

As a result of our workplace consultancy, we rationalised their staff around one floor, whilst allowing for their projected five-year plan for growth in headcount.

We also put a strong emphasis on tailoring the design to support Jerroms’ long-term growth plans: to attract a new range of clients, as well as helping to attract and retain the best talent in the region. 

The outcome is a great space which attracts great talent as a result of a strong culture and fantastic working environment.

“We chose Rhino as they are a long-trusted partner – we had worked with them on a previous office fit-out and they share our same ethos and professionalism.

Throughout the consultancy process, Rhino worked with the directors to thoroughly understand what their objectives were and how they want to maximise and best use the space. They then created the entire office layout around the directors’ objectives, providing impressive visuals and VR to enhance the proposed design.”

• Kathryn Jerrom, Jerroms

By bringing Jerroms’ people together in a beautifully fitted building with fabulous on-site facilities, we helped the team create a neutral environment where staff can organically meet together and gel with new colleagues. 

It was then down to leadership to tie the culture together, which they successfully did in the following months. Culture, environment and leadership – all equally as important.

People-centric leaders understand the importance of culture

In almost every instance, staff have a very good understanding of what they want and need. It’s up to people-centric leaders to take note of what their people are saying.

It’s almost impossible for upper management to make the right decisions on culture without consulting with their people. After all, our people make up our tribe, and we should always make it our goal to do what’s right by our tribe. 

So, it stands to reason that, if you’re looking to bolster your workplace culture, don’t expect Free Pizza Fridays to carry you through. Instead, become a people-centric leader: listen to what your employees are saying about their environmental needs and take proactive action to ensure that desired change actually happens. 

People-centric leaders understand the importance of culture as an organisational growth facilitator. Better culture = better individual performance. Better individual performance = better organisational performance. 

With culture being such a key part of your organisation’s success, why don’t you speak to our workplace consultants when it’s time for you to make a growth decision? 

Looking for more examples of how environment impacts culture? 

Click here to learn about how we brought OBEX’s vision to life. 

Click here to see how brand and culture closely align at Domino’s.

The post Free Pizza Won’t Fix Your Company Culture appeared first on Rhino.

2024’s list shines a light on the ongoing generational workplace shift and the rise of Gen Z, with their unique expectations of what a workplace should be. Many workplaces are already ahead of the curve, meaning that they’re attracting the brightest young talent and retaining their existing workforce.

So, what exactly are employees saying about their employers, and what are businesses doing in order to be featured in Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work? In this article, we’ll run through some of the common themes, as well as 11 top tips on nurturing a great workplace culture to help you on your way to becoming one of Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 

What are employees saying about top-rated workplaces?

Bain & Company – “People-centric. Cares about individuals, developing them and giving them what they need through the highs and lows of life.”

Employees want to feel wanted; to know that they are important to both the company and to individual leaders. Organisations that put their people first feature heavily in 2024’s list. 

Sure, money is important, but knowing that your employer cares about you and your development seems more important to modern employees, especially those featured in this list. 

As Richard Branson once said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, but treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

Mastercard – “Good benefits. Lovely people. Huge organisation but you don’t feel like a number.”

An astonishing bit of feedback here for Mastercard, “Huge organisation but you don’t feel like a number.”

Again, we see that individual care, genuine benefits and a happy, thriving workplace are all key to building workplace culture. 

If your employees all reviewed your organisation today, what would they say?

Equal Experts – “They really do care about employee wellbeing, it’s not just a tick box exercise. The flexibility is like nothing I have ever had before, and my work-life balance is excellent.”

Two key things to note here:

• Employee wellbeing
• Flexibility

People are looking for a workplace that puts their mental and physical health first, and flexibility is often key to this. 

Organisations are, now more than ever, incentivised to build workplaces that facilitate hybrid and flexible working. We recommend:

• Empowering employees to select their working location & enabling them to work from home
• Creating collaborative spaces for employees to use when they’re in the office
• Balancing the above with individual focus spaces, so employees don’t wish they were at home, away from distractions
• Build comfortable, hyper-functional workstations (we often find that employees prefer coming into work when workstations are a pleasure to work on!)

Netcompany – “Inclusive and supportive culture. Flexible, family-friendly work patterns.”

Two-thirds of UK workers say that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a key consideration when searching for jobs. 

People want to feel welcomed into an environment. Many top companies on the list prioritise DEI, according to their reviews. 

Housing 21 – “Pay is very good, and the team I work in look out for each other. I really enjoy my job, and I do believe that Housing 21 care about their employees.”

Naturally, fair compensation is another reason employees rate their employers highly; However, it is less prevalent than you may expect!

People want to be paid well, yes, but they also want to enjoy their time at work, surrounded by people who care about them and genuinely want to see them succeed. 

The overall themes we’re seeing from 2024’s Best Places to Work list

Having looked through the list, we noticed a few key themes popping up over and over again, here are a few that we’ve noticed:

People-centric

This phrase, or similar variations of it, comes up a lot in the Best Places to Work list. 

When organisations invest in making sure their people are happy, healthy and rewarded, employees are, unsurprisingly, proud to work there. 

Having looked through previous years’ lists, it’s clear that ‘people-centricity’ has been, and always will be, essential; getting it right is the difference between the organisations on Glassdoor’s list, and the ones that are not. 

However, ‘getting it right’ is different for every organisation and culture. Where individuals are welcomed and properly onboarded, they realise their inherent value to you and are far more likely to stay. Every company needs to identify exactly how they will become people-centric. If they don’t, their top talent may well feel that they would be better appreciated elsewhere. 

Inclusive and supportive

Another very important theme, DEI is becoming an expectation, not a nice-to-have. 

Organisations that are behind on DEI are perceived as relative dinosaurs. If you want to be considered a fantastic place to work, you need to prioritise diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Lovely environment

Many reviews talk about just how nice it is to be at work – great people, great spaces, great experiences. 

It’s no longer acceptable to herd people into bare offices with zero comfort or personality. People expect a dynamic workplace, one that is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and, most importantly, functional. 

Your office/workplace should never hinder someone’s efficiency.

Flexible (work-life balance)

As mentioned in a few of the above examples, flexible working is incredibly important to modern workers. 

Whether that’s flexible start times or the option of hybrid or remote work, employees seem much more content when they know that you trust them to get their work done, wherever or whenever they work. 

Great benefits

From healthcare to gym memberships, development opportunities to better coffee, the more benefits you can offer to your people, the better. 

Many of the top orgs on Glassdoor’s list are cited as having incredible development opportunities, as well as fantastic environments adapted to perfectly suit every aspect of working life. 

Recognised for our accomplishments

Even fantastic pay and benefits can only get you so far. Recognition from leadership is critical when looking to build a great workplace culture; it’s amazing how far a simple ‘congratulations’ can go!

Many of the reviews featured on this list mention that leadership truly care, and they feel that their work is valued. 

Collaborative team

Last, but by no means least, many of the reviews mention how great their team is, and how good it is to work in an environment that encourages collaboration.

There’s nothing quite like working together towards a collective goal. You need to ensure that your people have the facilities and resources required to collaborate properly and achieve their potential. 

11 Tips to nurture a great workplace culture

There are no shortcuts when looking to nurture a great workplace culture; it’s a leadership thing, but it’s also a spatial thing. Time and time again we’ve seen businesses struggling to build on their existing culture for various reasons. 

We’ve learned that, without both committed leadership and a comfortable, productive and inclusive working environment, culture will never mature and issues will continue to persist. 

Your company culture is part of your organisational DNA:

To help you build on the above, here are our 11 tips to nurturing a great workplace culture:

1. Set clear, achievable goals

Employees can often feel a little lost or unmotivated if their goals are unclear or unrealistic. 

As mentioned, culture often builds around working towards a collective goal. Set goals on an individual, team and company level. 

Individuals might be looking to grow a specific skillset, or to break last year’s targets.

Teams could look to improve efficiencies, working together to find unique solutions. 

Companies should be clear what organisational goals look like, and provide everything needed to achieve them. 

Make sure there is room for feedback to adjust KPIs as the year progresses.

2. Promote DEI

Positive workplace cultures are created with diversity, equity and inclusion at their core. 

Welcome individuals from all backgrounds and celebrate their differences; encourage people to share their thoughts and beliefs and encourage inclusive language. 

DEI should be a part of your recruitment strategy, especially as your organisation grows, as a diverse workforce is key to a strong workplace culture. 

For larger organisations, a DEI committee may be required to help keep things on track.

3. Allow for camaraderie and light-heartedness

Work is stressful, and for many, can become a slog if there is no reprise. 

A little camaraderie goes a very long way in the workplace, and is a cornerstone of any strong workplace culture. After all, what else bonds a team better than working through a difficult situation together?

People perform better when they’re having fun. Sometimes, a short break for a game, or a few minutes spent laughing together can make for a significantly more productive day overall. Occasional procrastination may well not be a bad thing – allow your teams to bond over laughter and light-heartedness, and don’t hesitate to get involved with the fun!

4. Build a workplace that caters to individual needs

Coming into work can be difficult if you’re not comfortable, happy, or able to work while you’re there. 

Some people love working in vibrant environments, others struggle with overly noisy spaces. Your workspace should take this into account, including:

• Quiet spaces for focus
• Community spaces for relaxation
• Collaboration spaces for teamwork
• Accessible thoroughfares
• Catering facilities

Ask your employees what they feel should change in your building – you may be surprised what they say!

5. Allow employees to speak openly

You never know where the next fantastic idea will come from. 

By building a culture that encourages people to speak openly and freely, you empower everyone, at every level of the company. Empowered employees will naturally grow and thrive in your organisation.

6. Recognise employees for fantastic work

Again, a little recognition goes a long way. 

Whether that’s an employee-of-the-month scheme, a congratulatory reward or a handshake and a ‘well done’, recognition can come in many forms. 

It does not need to be extravagant, it’s just important that it happens, and it happens regularly. Telling your people that they’re doing a good job is essential in building a positive, merit-driven culture, one that encourages everyone to up their game. 

7. Take on feedback and demonstrate change

Don’t consider feedback as indicative of something you’ve done wrong, instead, feedback demonstrates that your employees truly care about the success of your business and they’re actively trying to make it better. 

They’re choosing to talk to you about issues they’re having rather than letting them fester and potentially lead to them leaving the company. 

When you make changes based on feedback, make sure it’s overt and clear, so employees can see that you’re willing to change things up when required. 

8. Be transparent and open with employees at every level

Open communication from leadership is very important. Keep everyone across the business in the loop and people will be more invested in your success.

Share critical information with your team, perhaps via an internal newsletter. Solicit feedback and ensure that everyone has a say in steering the business.

9. Plan accessible social activities

We are, for the most part, social animals. Many of us crave interaction, and accessible social activities are a great way to build friendships and internal culture. 

Either keep it simple with an early-finish Friday, a few drinks or a bring-your-dog-to-work day, or plan a more elaborate company trip or night out. 

Team-building exercises can also be a great way to grow a culture. It all depends on your individuals and their personality types. 

We recommend asking your employees what kinds of activities they’d prefer.

Great culture is perpetuated by great people – build a workplace that reflects this

Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list is a unique and valuable insight for employers into the minds of employees across the UK. If you’re worried that your workplace is holding your culture back, don’t worry – you’re in the right place!

Many businesses work hard to create a great culture, but find that the building they work in is out of date, lacks facilities or doesn’t have adequate space to truly build a great culture. 

Rhino are the workplace experts. We build workplaces that people want to work in, engage with and generally enjoy. We build people-centric workplaces. 

Our workplace consultants can identify precisely where your environment is falling short. Speak to our friendly interior office design team today if you have any questions about how Rhino can help you drive your workplace culture forward. 

The post How to Feature on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work appeared first on Rhino.

Despite the uncertainty of the global outlook, one thing remains constant: the undeniable need for human connection and collaboration. In this article, we delve into the key workplace trends of 2024, exploring the relationship between physical spaces, efficiency, hybrid working, and how these align with human goals of purpose, fulfillment, equality, and skills development. Our aim is to inspire you to create an innovative, people-centric workplace.

A mixed message, reports of rationalising / right-sizing.

Plenty of evidence of multi-nationals consolidating their estate as they move permanently to a hybrid working pattern:

“Bank of England to sell off eight of its 17 buildings in London” (September 20, 2023) – The Bank of England is planning to sell off eight of its 17 buildings in London, as it moves to a more hybrid working model. The central bank says that the sale will save it £10 million a year, and will allow it to invest in its digital infrastructure.

“NatWest consolidates offices in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow” (November 15, 2023) – NatWest is consolidating its office space in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as it reduces its physical footprint. The bank will close 13 branches and relocate staff to other offices. The move is expected to save the bank £170 million a year.

“BT to move out of Canary Wharf office and into smaller space” (November 17, 2023) – BT is to move out of its Canary Wharf office and into a smaller space in central London. The telecoms giant says that the move will save it £100 million a year, and will allow it to create a more collaborative and flexible working environment.

“Unilever to reduce office space by 20% by end of 2023” (August 23, 2023) – Unilever is to reduce its office space by 20% by the end of 2023, as it moves to a more hybrid working model. The consumer goods giant says that the move will save it £100 million a year, and will allow it to invest in its sustainability initiatives.

“Shell to reduce office space by 40% by 2025” (October 12, 2023) – Shell is to reduce its office space by 40% by 2025, as it moves to a more hybrid working model. The energy giant says that the move will save it £300 million a year, and will allow it to invest in its renewable energy projects.

“PwC to close 10 offices in the UK and reduce its office space by 30%” (November 12, 2023) – PwC is to close 10 offices in the UK and reduce its office space by 30%, as it moves to a more hybrid working model. The accountancy firm says that the move will save it £200 million a year, and will allow it to invest in its digital transformation initiatives.

But then there are cranes on the horizon…
London office project starts roar back | Construction Enquirer News
5.1 million sq ft of new build projects have recently started – a record for London.

Could this be an exceptional spike due to pent up demand following the Covid period? Or perhaps new build activity ahead of pending planning changes on a possible ban on the demolition of existing buildings (or at least a stinging ‘demolition tax’).

However, despite a rather gloomy global aspect, one thing is very clear; we need human contact and peer-to-peer feedback and support more than ever. It sounds a bit of a paradox when you consider how habituated most of us have become to WFH (and we don’t see that changing anytime soon), but with talk of redundancies, and discussions about how AI will replace the need for human input in some tasks, 2024 could be a pivotal year.

These are the key trends we see shaping the next 12 months:

While we’ve categorised the following key trends into sections for clarity, they are all interconnected, and should be seen as one comprehensive narrative with multiple sub-texts.

1. The workplace is more than just a workspace

The key place to watch in 2024 is the workplace. Winning organisations will understand the power of their team – how to tap into their needs, aspirations, sense of purpose and tribal instinct (who doesn’t like to be in a winning team?).

Where do you see the evidence of all those visceral, raw components of ‘Maslows Hiearchy of Needs’? In a physical space.

And so, despite all the blue-sky predictions of the office heading for extinction, it continues to serve a fundamental purpose. Not only does it fulfil basic needs, it also drives efficiency, innovation, creativity and structure in a way that nothing else does.

For support with planning your workspace needs, talk to our office space specialists at Rhino. 

2. Less is more… more is more

And so, continuing the narrative of the previous point… the office went through a process in which ‘efficiency’ was measured by reducing the area per person to the smallest possible size.  You can probably picture the office I mean; main walkways significantly narrowed, getting to your desk involving an awkward squeeze past your colleagues. The tiny galley kitchen feeling more like going through a pasta maker – with the entire space enclosed by a too-bright LED lighting panel ceiling above with an unpleasant too-blue carpet below.

Stop!

Winning teams don’t work like that.  Respect them as individuals, or watch the skills you pay them for turn up at your competition.

Understand why your people come to the workplace. They come for the experience.  They generally have excellent focus space at home, so they are making the effort to travel to the office for human interactions; scheduled meetings, cross-departmental conversations and chance meetings. Make sure you create spaces where these can take place, either formally (with different types of meeting rooms and spaces) or informally with break-out spaces or coffee-stops.

And include the things that celebrate who you are as winners – your team’s achievements and identity. These will vary from team to team, or even within departments of the same organisation, By doing so, you can make your team’s effort to come into the office worthwhile – because it is still easier not to.

3. Hybrid working will be baked-in this year

If you check back for a moment to the high-level notes at the start of this article, it’s clear that the organisations with very large estates of offices to manage have done their sums on rental/services/energy/water and fixed their position on hybrid. What’s interesting is that they are some of the most regulated and security conscious industries in the world; if there was a compelling reason to keep all staff within a more secure cyber security ring of a physical office it would be them. Interestingly not everyone sees things the same way – a clutch of banks HSBC, Barclays and Deutsche Bank to name a few, have just reacted in the opposite way; ordering all staff back to the office 5 days a week.

So if you haven’t already, embrace it. Support your team in working out what is best for them – do they have a good working set up at home, or do they prefer to head out to a local co-working centre (it may be a healthier option). Get it right for them, make sure they feel the love which, practically, will cost very little (and which you can reclaim the VAT on anyway), and you will find it pays handsomely in goodwill. A well-designed People+Place Study may prove invaluable at this point to gather insight into the feeling and general sentiment of the staff in their attitudes towards working patterns and the different work settings.

There is merit in clearly structuring your hybrid patterns so you don’t inadvertently promote bad habits or isolate a particular team. Tell the team what you expect to happen where and when. Focus work and solo video-conference meeting are better out of the office. But if you want to plug into people then come along in – chat, good vibes, food and drinks, meetings in meeting rooms, meetings in sofas, hanging out, bumping into staff you haven’t seen in a while, general distraction, after-work drinks, the list goes on!

4. Purpose, Fulfilment, EDI, Training & Skills

An overarching trend across all points is personalisation. The mass-produced cubicle farm office landscape of the not-so-recent past is dead, and what has replaced it is a more tailored provision for the individual. The reason for this shift is that we are more aware than ever of individual needs, rights and choices. People are also personally looking for a sense of purpose and fulfilment, and this extends to our employment choices.

As an employer we have an obligation for meeting the basic needs of employees, including the provision of a faith or contemplation space, a well-being space (particularly important for those with neurodiversity considerations). You may also need to provide cycle parking and shower facilities.

Then there are opportunities to create places where staff can find their sense of purpose and have a sense of pride in being part of what is happening. These could be a larger-than-expected cooking and eating space (if that’s a big part of your workplace culture), or a big screen and a load of sofas for a film night.
And with rapid changes in tech and the potential disruption from AI technology, knowledge transfer and retraining will be on the agenda for a few years to come.

And of course, designing with EDI requires more than just changes to the physical space. It’s about creating an environment that’s welcoming and energising for everyone. This includes generous wheelchair access, consideration for the partially sighted, and those with hearing difficulties. An intelligent people-centric workplace is one where every individual feels valued and supported.

If your lease is due to expire soon, contact our interior design specialists to find out how you can futureproof your business using our unique data-driven approach.

For your office design & build project

Office design & build is an art that’s difficult to get right. 

Our friendly team at Rhino Interiors are experienced in creating quality workspaces.

We draw on over 45 years’ of workspace design and implementation experience. We deliver workspaces that meet your employee and business needs. This will boost productivity, attract the best talent and improve communication in your business.

If you have any questions, or would like some tailored advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. 

The post The Workplace of 2024 appeared first on Rhino.

As the gaming industry continues its meteoric rise (experts predict that the global gaming market should reach $256bn by 2025), it stands to reason that studios, both big and small, are looking for ways to differentiate their brand.

One key way to do this is to invest intelligently in your workplace.

Think about it: a workplace does so much for your business. Aesthetics, functionality, performance – all key for a successful gaming studio workspace.

A great workplace helps with talent acquisition, drives investor interest and builds customer affinity. 

“The supply of top talent isn’t keeping pace with demand, an imbalance that is set to worsen as gaming studios lose developers to big technology firms.” – Andre James of Bain & Company

It stands to reason, then, that in order to be competitive, attract the best talent and build the value of your studio, you need to invest in an aesthetic, highly functional and fully tailored workspace, designed with your people and any future talent in mind. 

The future is now and the explosive industry growth is showing no signs of slowing down. Fail to adapt and you’ll quickly fall behind rival studios – you must not let your workplace slow you down.

To help you become a leader in the industry, here are Rhino’s 7 expert tips to help you level up your gaming industry workplace.

1. Create an experience

First and foremost – consider what your workspace is. 

Yes, it’s a place for experimentation, productivity, imagination, growth and creativity, but it’s so much more than just this. 

The best gaming studios in the world create different experiences for their varied audiences. Consider the:

Experience for players – Whether you’re sharing development logs on social or showing select groups of players around, your studio should be as striking as your games. From characters to colours, your building should appear exactly as players expect; this helps to complete your brand – it will make sense to players that your building looks that good. 

Experience for employees – Not only do top talent want to work somewhere beautiful, but they also need areas for both focus and collaboration. Their experience should be varied, as no two days are the same in game development, as you well know. 

Experience for investors – When you bring a potential investor/buyer into your studio, what do you want them to experience? Your workspace should meet their expectations and provide an incredible first impression. They need to see a thriving workforce, equipped with everything they need to nail their roles, and a relevant aesthetic that’s on-brand and stunning to look at. 

A vanilla workplace isn’t going to do your kerb appeal any favours. Your workplace is the physical embodiment of your brand, it must look and feel the part! 

2. Design in workplace flexibility

Gaming workplaces, from our experience, are places of extremes. 

From intense focus time to raucous playtests, loud collaborative sessions to quiet deliberation and relaxation; your workspace needs to accommodate all types of working. 

Couple this with the rapid development of VR, and it’s clear why having a flexible workspace is of the utmost importance. If you want to be at the cutting edge of VR development, then your workspace needs to have VR built into its DNA. 

Some options include:

Mobile furniture that can be easily repositioned to suit your employees’ needs; agile studios need to be able to adapt to employee needs in the moment

Flexible desking areas that can be personalised to individual tastes (quiet, low light is perfect for this)

Comfortable meeting spaces (non-traditional sofas work great here, or go a little wild and grab some beanbags!)

Playtesting zones (for VR, this requires a significant amount of space to accommodate player and observers)

Multiplayer zones (areas where multiple employees can sit and enjoy a game or two to blow off steam, or to test a new in-development feature)

Light rich areas for employees who prefer to work soaked in daylight

If you don’t provide this level of flexibility to your people, another studio will. Don’t lose your talent to a better workplace – invest and demonstrate just how effective an incredible gaming workplace can be. 

3. The power of neurodivergence 

Individuals who are neurodivergent, encompassing conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome possess remarkable qualities that can significantly enrich your culture and output as a gaming studio. They bring diverse perspectives and valuable skills to your business.

It’s essential that you consider this when designing your new workplace. Many organisations fail to do so, which, in turn, makes working in your building less appealing to neurodivergent people. 

Failing to consider the above can dramatically reduce the pool of top talent that will be willing to work with you. 

As a result, it’s important to have spaces with varied light & noise levels. You should also reduce long-distance views (potential sight distractions), and build decompression zones, focus spaces, and social areas for rapport building.

Of course, every neurodivergent person has their own unique needs that should be catered for. We highly recommend conducting anonymous surveys, allowing your existing workforce the opportunity to safely voice their needs and how the workspace could better suit them. 

4. Let your personality shine through the aesthetic

People play video games to connect with others. Matt Schmidt, CEO of Alpha Esports Tech Inc considers the gaming industry to be “The new social media”, as millions of people across the world choose to connect with others via gaming over traditional social media platforms.

Your business can and should take advantage of this, and nailing your aesthetic is one of the most important steps you must take before doing so. 

Players connect with the characters in your games. They can also grow familiar with your people through social events (in-game or otherwise), livestreams and more. Having an on-brand space to film helps bring your business to life. 

You want to think about:

How are you going to tell the story of your studio?

What are your backgrounds, and how does the aesthetic convery this?

If you’re constantly using social media, what do you want your audience to see?

Conversely, is there anything you don’t want your audience to see? 

Choose on-brand colours, feature murals or statues of your most prominent characters and create a little magic in your workspace. This can help connect players, employees and investors with your games, as you’re now manifesting them in the real world, even if it’s just in a small area of your greater workspace. 

5. Keep your space comfortable

Comfort is king – gamers and game devs really know their chairs! 

Many of your employees will have created a comfortable, ergonomic home studio during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you can’t create a similarly (or more) comfortable space for them to work, they’re simply not going to enjoy coming into the office. 

Game development requires long periods of sustained focus. This focus is broken when uncomfortable. The more comfortable your people are, the more productive they’ll be. Ergonomics plays a significant role in productivity, as happier, healthier and more comfortable employees have higher energy levels and significantly better focus, leading naturally to enhanced productivity.  

6. Ensure your workplace accommodates future growth

If you’re looking to grow, you need to ensure that your workplace accommodates this growth. 

Perhaps you’ll acquire another, smaller studio in the near future – do you have the space required to house an expanding team?

Your design should carefully consider how your space will comfortably accommodate more people. You should consider noise and light levels, physical constraints and size of workstations – how are you going to keep existing employees comfortable while finding adequate space for new people?

7. Make individual spaces fully customisable

A customisable space is incredibly important in the gaming industry.

As mentioned, your workplace needs to suit a wide variety of working styles. Individuals will need to be able to jump between extreme focus and raucous group work. When in the former, your employees should be able to adjust their space, including:

Localised lighting, customisable to suit

A comfortable, ergonomic chair

Monitors on rotor arms (especially important if using non-assigned desking)

Spaces at the desk for storage (especially useful for hiding sensitive IP material during a livestream!)

Hidden cables (both for aesthetics and safety)

Lockers for individual storage

The more comfortable being in work is, the harder you make the choice to work from home. 

Gaming industry workplace specialists – introducing Rhino

As the gaming growth surge continues, it’s essential that you consider what the next few years look like for your studio – are you going to lead the race to thrive, or are you going to become yet another ‘could have been’? 

The industry is moving faster than most. It’s time to seize the opportunity to build an incredible workplace that your employees and potential investors will love. 

Better optics, better productivity, better wellbeing. What’s not to like? 

Get in touch with our workplace consultants today to discuss your upcoming project. We rely on data and research over guesswork. We’ll get to know your business, people and geography, ensuring that the workplace we design and build delivers tangible results and boosts employee performance.

It’s time to level up your workplace. 

Talk to our interior office designers

The post Level Up Your Workplace: 7 Expert Tips for Gaming Industry Office Fit-Outs appeared first on Rhino.

Banking apps, trading platforms, blockchain; gone are the days of lengthy queues at high-street banks; it’s no wonder that fintech is growing at such an incredible pace. 

In fact, the UK has emerged as one of the leading fintech hubs, with over 2,500 fintech companies establishing in Britain (mostly in London), making London the ‘third biggest fintech hub in the world’. 

However, it’s not just happening in London, with research suggesting that growth hubs or ‘clusters of fintechs’ are establishing all across the UK, with established clusters existing in Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham. 

There are also ‘emerging clusters’ established in Bristol, Bath, Cambridge, Newcastle, Durham, Northern Ireland, Reading and Wales. 

Following impressive growth in the last two years, UK fintech hit an investment speedbump in 2023. However, Judd Caplain, Global Head of Financial Services at KPMG International believes that ‘the long-term business case for many subsectors within fintech remains very strong—particularly for sectors like payments, insurtech, and wealthtech.’ 

It stands to reason, then, that in such a competitive space, attracting bright talent and the right investors is imperative. 

That’s where the Power of Place comes into play. A workspace/office holds a huge amount of sway in ongoing fintech success – if you’re looking to grow your business and attract the best talent, you need to carefully consider your office environment and create a space where people want to work and thrive in. 

As both flexible and remote working are the top two measures fintech decision makers use to attract and retain staff, it’s now more important than ever to ensure your office environment is somewhere that top talent wants to work. There’s a lot of pressure on fintechs, as you’re not just competing with local businesses for the best talent, you’re competing with businesses all over the world. 

Here’s what you need to do:

Consider the Power of Place

Where you base your business is an incredibly important decision. 

For example, many co-working spaces have been established near universities in recent years, both to establish a nice communal working space for students, and to attract businesses that regularly hire university graduates. 

When you’re choosing where to establish your physical presence, consider the big-picture geographical (the clusters listed above), but also consider your locale. Are you looking to attract students? Set up near a university. Need to attract industrial minds? Set up near an industrial area. 

Many businesses fail to consider the local geography, don’t fall into the same trap. 

Identify what success looks like to you

Are you looking to grow? Are you seeking investment? Perhaps you’re planning your exit strategy?

Regardless of your goals, a quality workplace helps in every way. 

• Attract the best talent and create a space in which they can do their best work.
• Impress investors by demonstrating both your success and care for your people. 
• A great workplace is a strong and tangible asset, perfect for your upcoming sale. 

At the end of the day, your people sit at the core of your business. The better talent in your employ, the higher quality your output and the higher value of your business.

It’s important to understand your goals and what you want to get out of your business, as this is the only way that you’ll make the most out of your workplace and people.

Map out your employee demographic

Finding the right employees can be difficult, but having a workplace optimised for them makes both recruitment and retention substantially easier.

Your employee demographic will vary dramatically depending on your product and industry specialism. 

Fintech is inherently fast-paced – you can’t sit at the cutting edge without being so!

As a result, you’ll likely be looking for people who are:

• Young and ambitious
• Curious and willing to learn
• Looking for the right culture fit
• Highly intelligent (in the right way!)

Once you’ve mapped out what your perfect employee looks like, it’s time to shape the perfect office environment. 

Create a workplace that suits your demographic – both aesthetically and functionally

Chances are, your perfect employee breaks traditions, rejects the norm and wants more from a workplace in order to be content. 

These are the types of people that allow fintechs to thrive, so it’s important that you create the right aesthetic at work, all while providing the functionality that they’ll enjoy. 

Here are some ideas for how you can create a great office environment to help boost your success. 

Create an aspirational, ‘Insta-worthy’ look

Looks aren’t everything, but if you’re looking to attract a star team, your aesthetic has to match. 

A bold, modern look creates a striking first impression. Remember: you are working at the cutting edge of tech, it’s time you looked the part!

Create a look that people are proud of and want to show off. Remember – if you’re expecting people to spend a significant amount of time in your workplace, it needs to be easy on the eyes. 

Here’s some examples to help spark some ideas:

For Origen Financial Services, we integrated finishes and accents such as brushed gold, polished wood and textured matt black, as well as a tonal, muted colour palette, creating a striking and luxurious space that reinvigorated their brand identity. Click here to see more.

For CSA Catapult, we used an opulent purple palette paired with uplifting neutrals, while metallics, glass, and statement lighting brought light into the space, giving a sleek premium finish. Click here to see more.

Balance comfort, focus and collaboration

Modern workplaces are for so much more than just work. 

Sure, you need people to focus and knuckle down for periods of the day, but a great fintech workplace balances comfort spaces (for relaxation), focus spaces and collaboration hubs. 

Many fintechs are factoring in outdoor spaces, contemplative spaces and other wellbeing-centric elements to their offices, providing their employees with a place to go to relax, destress and (in some instances) sleep!

In addition to this, natural collaboration is a must for any successful fintech. Classic meeting rooms still have their place, but chances are your people want informal social spaces that allow them to come together in a more relaxed way. Your workplace should naturally encourage an atmosphere of discussion and teamwork – it’s the best way forward for any successful fintech business.

Executive Network Group’s gorgeous new space demonstrates exactly how great office design encourages natural collaboration. The sensitive palette of colours and textures, together with flourishes of modern boldness have blended the building’s original features with modern design elements. Click here to see more.

Incorporate unique attractions

Younger professionals expect more from their workplace. 

Bring your pet days, inclusive breakfast and food, places to relax or nap, parties and social events; the modern fintech is far more than your regular 9-5; your office should reflect this. 

These small details help both attract talent and better retain those you’ve already employed. 

Create the perfect fintech office environment with Rhino

Rhino specialise in creating stunning workplaces that deliver, both aesthetically and functionally. 

We’ll take the time to understand your goals and what makes your business unique. Every workspace we design and build keeps the client organisation at the core. You can see some of our work by browsing our commercial interior design portfolio.

Whether you’d like to speak to our workplace consultants for preliminary advice, or you’re ready to take your first steps towards realising your workspace dreams, click the link below to speak to a member of our specialist team. 

Talk to interior office design specialists

The post The Power of Place – How Office Environment Impacts Fintech Success appeared first on Rhino.

As of April 2023, the national average office occupancy rate sits at around 44.9%. For reference, pre-pandemic estimates suggest a range of 60-80% average office occupancy rates. 

It is clear, then, that working habits have changed. Employees are spending less time in the office, but still expect a quality workspace to persuade them to attend.

This means that UK businesses are now being faced with new questions surrounding how their business operates, what their workplace is, and whether a traditional office rental solution is right for them. 

Couple the above with rising rental costs, and we find that UK businesses are increasingly switching to a coworking model to help reduce their spend and delegate the responsibility of managing a building to building managers. 

So much so, that research shows that the number of serviced offices in the UK is forecast to reach 6,218 in 2027, representing cumulative growth of 52% compared to 2022.

This makes the coworking sector a lucrative one to invest in. However, if you want to attract the best businesses, you’ll need a comprehensive strategy in place to ensure your coworking space is productive, successful and well-designed. 

Here’s how you can create a best-in-class facility that will help you to accommodate the widest range of profitable clients. 

How to create a successful coworking design

Successful coworking designs:

• Get their brand right
• Are well suited to users’ requirements
• Help create a sense of community

Here are five keys to success:

1. Nail your aesthetic

First impressions are incredibly important. You need to ensure that your coworking space has as much ‘kerb appeal’ as possible.

You need to consider two things:

• Does the coworking space add value to my clients?
• Does the aesthetic reflect our brand?

It’s almost impossible to please everyone, so we recommend choosing an aesthetic that suits your local market and sticking to it throughout your building. The best coworking facilities also have unique features or bespoke elements that help to elevate your brand and its personality. 

You might achieve this by using a specific colour palette, and by using specific materials. Whatever you choose, you need to nail every step of the customer journey. Your building must:

• Look great from the outside
• Feel great when you walk in
• Sound great as you move about

Engaging all the senses is essential in making a lasting first impression. Our brand team have worked with businesses just like yours. We’ll help you to craft the personality of your franchise, ensuring that your coworking spaces are uniquely you, while still meeting the needs of the people using it day in, day out. 

2. Have you ironed out your USP?

Your USP (unique selling point) is what makes your space special. 

This will vary depending on the types of business/people you’re targeting. 

You may choose to:

• Organise niche social events tailored to your tenants
• Organise networking opportunities, both inside your building, and externally
• Outfit rooms with advanced technologies suited to your tenants

It’s important that your coworking space is suitable for the broadest range of tenants, but you can add further interest for specific parties by finding your unique differentiator. 

3. Ensure your space is accessible

When optimising your space, you may need to change aspects of your facility to help improve accessibility.

Coworking spaces need to offer disabled access to all areas. Remember: you’re offering a broad-spectrum service, not a private office. This means that you need the space to cater to mobility needs if you want to make the space successful. 

In addition to the above, you’ll also need to consider your fire escape accessibility. The number of people you have per square metre will impact your fire strategies. You will need to consider:

• The width of your corridors
• Where to position your fire escape stairwells
• Evacuation routes – have you considered all possibilities? 

4. Make the most of your space

The space you have is finite, but the possibilities within that space are infinite. 

It’s your job to provide state-of-the-art workspaces for the people and businesses operating in your coworking space. As you earn more revenue per desk rented/per business, it’s essential that you balance density and comfort. 

Average London offices offer roughly 8 square metres per person, although many successful coworking spaces are looking to reduce this down to 5 square metres per person. 

Whether this will work for you or not depends on your building. If you’re unsure, we highly recommend partnering with specialist workplace consultants who will be able to advise on exactly how you can make the most of your space. 

5. Embrace the evolving coworking model

Historically, coworking was reserved almost exclusively for young businesses. This is changing. Larger organisations are now looking to coworking to provide hubs for their people, especially those working remotely or on a hybrid basis. 

Spaces are getting larger to help fit more desks, and breakout spaces are growing proportionally. You need to understand your local market and design your coworking offering to appeal to that demographic. 

Is your building next to a strong marketing quarter? A more modern look and layout might be preferred. 

Perhaps it sits in a quarter filled with professional services/architects/surveyors? As mentioned before, you need to nail both the aesthetic your target audience prefers, and the functionality they require.  

Not only this, but many coworking spaces are starting to offer ‘shared touchdown areas’, where sole traders and individual workers can rent a desk or meeting space as and when they require it. This helps you ensure no space is wasted. 

Elevate your coworking space with Rhino

Rhino have worked with many businesses in the coworking sector, helping to ensure that our clients’ buildings cater to the masses, while maintaining their unique design and feel. 

Our specialists are here to help you reimagine your coworking space, taking into consideration the overall look and feel of the building. It’s our job to:

• Help you maximise ROI on available space, getting you the biggest bang for your buck
• Make sure all communal spaces are functional and robust
• Help map out thoroughfares to guarantee natural movement through the building
• Optimise seating areas using efficient partitioning, making the space a pleasure to use
• If sustainability is of crucial importance, we can support you in that, too

Check out our work with The Mailbox, and how we helped them create a thriving coworking community in their building. 

By taking the time to learn about your brand and your needs, we’ll help create the perfect coworking space for your tenants. We’re here to balance the amount of rental space with the premium experience that your brand deserves.

When you’re ready to elevate your coworking space, we’re here to talk. Click the link below for a no-obligation chat with a Rhino specialist. 

Get specialist advice

The post 5 Tips to Building a Successful Coworking Space appeared first on Rhino.