Using digital technology to manage wellbeing in the hybrid workplace

WORKPLACE CONSULTANT’S VIEW
SIMONE FENTON-JARVIS,
DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS, RELOGIX

The last few years have really turned things upside down and back to front, and with the ongoing macro conditions at play, organisations are very much at different stages of their evolution. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the workplace is no longer about the physical office, and this means FM needs to evolve in line with the new remit.

The global digital transformation that has taken place over the last few years in relation to collaboration platforms, video conferencing, cyber security and employee experience tools has confirmed to those who always placed faith in it, and convinced those who didn’t, that technology is a lifeblood for the functioning of an organisation.

The PropTech market, technology specifically for properties, is booming and at an all-time high. Just last week I saw a quote from Trustek (a smart building consultancy based in the UK) which stated if an occupier gave just one hour to each PropTech solution on the market right now, that process itself would take 21 years.

Technology is now a key driver and workplaces fight to keep up. Yet employees head into an office, and are met with slower Wi-Fi than their homes, too many cables, no control over lighting, sound, airflow or temperature, cumbersome apps that simply don’t talk to each other and all being surveyed by tools which are only asking half the right questions and as such getting only half the story.

The workplace now is a destination that people choose to go to; because of the purpose they are working towards together, the people they will be working with and the space(s) used to achieve the output required, all of which is underpinned by technology.

There are a few hurdles for FM in this evolution. Firstly, the data shows FM are an ageing population, with that comes the digital immigrant’s vs digital natives challenge regarding the adoption of technology. The market research to-date is highlighting that FM is behind the curve when it comes to knowledge of technology and the consequent data which follows. There is also a trend of workplace technology being left to IT to procure and manage from a technical aspect.

So, Workplace Technology, does it sit with IT or FM? Both. But there’s more. Before IT and FM scope and procure we need to understand the problems, challenges, pain points and opportunities within the employee experience. FM should be playing a crucial part. Note I said ‘part’; siloed thinking and power grapples have no place here which is why HR, IT and FM must be not just aligned, but be ‘BFF’s.’

The technology is not only the bridge between an office and the remote or hybrid worker, but also the bridge to the human experience; our productivity, our sense of inclusion and belonging, our wellbeing – how we connect, avoid loneliness, and retain work-life alignment. Technology can also drive why we feel we need to commute, the potential impact that has on our planet and how we collate data to make informed decisions going forward.

Nobody has all the answers right now. We must test, measure, and keep using the data at our fingertips. FM are in the perfect position to be the curators of the space which enables human-centricity and seamless technology which enables connection while ensuring privacy, all achieved through data driven design. But with so much noise, so many choices, so many siloes, where should we start?

There are no one-size-fits-all solution to creating a world class employee experience, but organisations can optimise their chances of thriving by listening to their employees, working in collaboration, collecting data and creating a human-centric culture. 

WORKPLACE RESEARCH EXPERT’S VIEW
HANNAH DWYER,
EMEA HEAD OF WORK DYNAMICS RESEARCH AND STRATEGY, JLL

Hybrid working is here to stay, and corporates are still navigating the complexities of what this means for their workforces and workplaces. With a focus on ‘organisationalising’ hybrid into their corporate agenda and real estate strategies, the office is gaining a richer purpose. For FMs, the changing role of the office has heighted the complexity of managing facilities and from this, advanced technology tools are emerging to track performance and changing metrics.

In the hybrid model, the office remains critical. Three-quarters of business leaders believe the office will remain central to their organisation’s ecosystems, serving as a hub for fostering employee wellbeing and productivity. The employee voice mirrors this, with 59 per cent of employees now expecting to be part of a company that supports their health and wellbeing. If wellbeing is important to employees and leaders, it has to rise up the agenda for FMs.

As a first step, simple measures such as providing free meals, drinks and health amenities aim to support wellbeing and tempt workers back into the office. At a more transformational level, corporates can also look at reimagining their office design, creating good quality, flexible spaces that allow employees to collaborate, do focused work and socialise / collaborate. Importantly there is also a growing emphasis on real estates’ role in aligning corporate agendas and employee expectations around ESG, with sustainability, WELL and DEI being key areas of focus.

Nearly 80 per cent of companies have or are currently investing in technology to optimise facility management and/or real estate portfolio and data management. From these investments, companies expect to see improved efficiency of facilities operations, increased employee productivity, increased employee satisfaction and/or decreased employee attrition, solution scalability, and improved transparency.

The quality of the working environment has always correlated closely with wellbeing, and FMs will not be new to assessing the ‘health’ of a building. But, the range of technology tools now available to FMs means they are able to measure, adapt and provide a productive space to work, quicker than ever before. Advancements such as sophisticated smart building technology, integrating Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors, data analytics tools, maintenance scheduling software and building management systems (BMS), are all accelerating live intel available to FMs on the buildings they manage.

Indeed, IoT sensors and analytics platforms are already helping manage the employee experience. Connected sensors can monitor and regulate those key building elements such as air quality, light, water, temperature and humidity, providing real-time information for analytics platforms and reporting dashboards. Armed with these insights, engineering teams can make speedy adjustments. For example, lighting and temperature may be turned up or down depending on external conditions.

FMs are now equipped with more data than ever to drive efficiencies in the buildings that they manage. This intel also loops back to corporates who can use this to guide their future strategies. It is no wonder that corporates are investing in FM technologies to create a productive in-office work environment for their employees, and will continue to do so over the next year.