Colorado Real Estate Journal - May 4, 2016
Imagine waking up in the morning with no smart phone, a missing laptop and no connection to the internet. Most people today would have a difficult time simply figuring out how to do their job that day. It’s hard to believe that just 20 years ago, we didn’t have access to these tools. In a relatively short amount of time, technology has completely transformed the way people work. At CBRE, technology plays a key role in our global initiative called “Workplace360,” which is our innovative approach to workplace strategy designed to promote flexibility, mobility and productivity. We believe so strongly in Workplace360, CBRE is rolling it out in its own offices around the world, including, most recently, here in downtown Denver. While many people believe technology simply serves to drive efficiency, leading workplace strategy experts at CBRE have realized that emerging technology is having a profound impact on the workplace in many more advantageous ways. Within this article we’ll review how technology is supporting health and wellness initiatives, driving mobility, and maximizing productivity and collaboration. Technology is supporting health and wellness initiatives. Health and wellness is a major priority for today’s workforce, and many companies are discovering wellness programs’ potential to influence corporate culture and attract talent. In a 2014 survey by Workforce magazine and VirginPulse, 87.4 percent of employees stated that wellness positively impacted work culture, and 88 percent said access to health and wellness programs was an important factor in defining an employer of choice (The Business of Healthy Employees: A Survey of Workplace Health Priorities, 2014). Technology can play a significant role in influencing employee behavior and contributing to a company’s health and wellness efforts. In our new Denver Workplace360 office, CBRE has introduced a number of tech-driven wellness initiatives including sit-stand adjustable desks, a digital step-tracker competition and a healthy food micro market within the space. “The sit-stand adjustable desks break up the monotony of the day and help employees feel more alert and energized,” said Carson Erard, senior associate with CBRE’s Workplace Strategy Group. “Fitness trackers on employees’ phones and wearable devices can also be leveraged for an optional health initiative, while the information those devices provide can be used to create some friendly competition within the office, promoting both wellness and culture.” CBRE has incorporated healthy food options into employees’ daily routines through a service called HUMAN, which provides access to healthy foods via self-service, touch-screen kiosk technology. According to HUMAN, healthy employees are happier employees, which contributes to overall company success. “We provide technology and accessibility to the nutrition employees need to be happy and at the top of their game – with energy all day long,” said Barbara Hankins, owner of HUMAN Denver. “The simple fact is that happy employees are more motivated, more likely to be engaged and more likely to accomplish the things that businesses need to get to the next level.” Technology is driving mobility. Compared to the desktop computers, dial-up modems and corded telephones of decades past, today’s technology means employees are no longer chained to their desks. In CBRE’s new downtown Denver office, all employees have access to cutting-edge technology that promotes their ability to freely move throughout the space. Universal plug-and-play technology allows employees to connect wherever they are and access everything they need to complete the task at hand. Each employee simply needs his or her personalized wireless earpiece and laptop to work anywhere in the office and take advantage of the multiple work environments. Employees can freely move from workstations to huddle rooms to private focus rooms – all without dropping their call. CBRE has also introduced free addressing – a system where assigned desks and assigned offices no longer exist. Each day employees are empowered to choose where to work based on the specific tasks they need to accomplish that day. To help address the various tasks, CBRE has incorporated 15 different ways to work throughout the space, from focus rooms to conference rooms and even a café area CBRE calls the “Heart” of the office. This free address environment is only made possible when every employee has access to personal technology that allows him or her to seamlessly move throughout the office. "The next evolution of workplace is all about flexibility and choice,” said Erard. “Companies today are realizing the value in offering flexibility and choice to all employees and empowering employees through technology to decide what the best environment is for them as an individual.” Technology is maximizing collaboration and productivity. Two heads are better than one. This old adage speaks to another benefit of the high-tech Workplace360 approach – increased collaboration and productivity. Within a CBRE Workplace360 office, collaborative technology is pervasive in shared spaces – from multiple monitor set-ups with one-click screen sharing to single power plug-ins designed to accommodate everything from laptops to smart phones and tablets. These investments in technology foster productivity and make collaborating quicker and easier than ever before. In fact, in a survey of CBRE Workplace360 employees around the globe, 94 percent indicated they agree or strongly agree that they are more easily able to collaborate in the new Workplace360 environment, and 79 percent reported that they feel more productive compared to their previous office space. “The stats are convincing, but it’s also important to experience a Workplace360 environment for yourself,” added Erard. “The excitement created by this new approach to workspace is palpable – you can feel it as soon as you step off the elevator. Over and over we hear CBRE employees say they feel like they are working for a tech or start-up company instead of a commercial real estate firm.” By leveraging technology to transform the work experience, CBRE has been able to create an environment that supports health and wellness, drives mobility and maximizes employee collaboration and productivity. And by taking the lead and “walking the walk” with our office here in Denver, we can now invite others into our space so they can experience the next evolution of the workplace first hand and spark conversation around how to rejuvenate their own work environment.