Who's On First

Dating myself with an Abbot and Costello reference.  But the unnecessary confusion so many companies experience when trying to prioritize key factors that influence their real estate decisions reminds me of that famous skit.
 
Finance, HR and Workplace.  They don’t always communicate so well together.  Our view is that Workplace should be the place in which Finance and HR sing together in perfect harmony.  A successful workplace is the result of proper alignment between the two.  Most companies aren’t in the envious position of viewing workplace entirely through the lens of what’s best for employees (e.g., HR).  Cost constraints are a real thing.  However, it’s also true that myopic focus on cost will (mostly) result in a failure to properly address key employee drivers.  After all, one of the most important reasons for having an office is to enhance employee experience and productivity – a tangible way in which companies can make themselves more attractive to key talent.  And Workplace should never be out ahead of Finance and HR, acting independent of either.  Yet, too often, we see companies struggling to understand and prioritize the key drivers that define what their office should be. 
 
We’ve long advocated something we call a “Create – Get” approach to office solutions.  What does this mean?  It simply means that companies must first create their optimal office solution before going to the market to get it.  Unfortunately, real estate processes often begin at “get”, as in, “…let’s go get some office space”.  As we navigate our way out of the pandemic, with renewed focus on the value of the office (it’s about employees), it’s more important than ever for companies to step back and align the interests of Finance and HR to ensure they are maximizing the value of the custom employee experiences they create.