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Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace Performance

A CBRE Thought Series

Part Two

DESIGNINGTHE WORKPLACE EXPERIENCEAsia Pacific edition

2 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.

Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace ExperienceEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE EVOLVING WORKPLACE

WHY CHANGE YOUR WORKPLACE?

WHAT MAKES FOR A GREAT WORK EXPERIENCE?

FOUR STEPS TO CREATING A WORK DESTINATION

TOWARD A BETTER WORKPLACE

Work is constantly changing. Consider how differently you perform your daily tasks today as

compared to even five years ago. But modern workplaces have not adapted at a pace equal

to technology, and the inability of real estate to keep pace is prompting many occupiers to

think differently about how they plan and allocate their space.

Attracting and retaining talent, driving greater collaboration and productivity, and improving

business agility are all top drivers of workplace change. Once the right market for talent is

identified, the focus must turn to creating an environment where that talent can feel engaged

and thrive.

Many things go into making “the office” so much more than the physical space one sits in.

These include everything from the conference room technology to the services available to

employees to help balance personal and professional demands. The extent to which such

factors are considered in workplace design can help create a great work experience.

Creating an optimal workplace is a four-step process: Know your users and what they need to

be effective; see your office as the center of a network of places where work gets done; meet

your people’s basic functional needs first; and, design for delight. When you are committed to

designing a workplace that creates competitive advantage for your organization, you need to

challenge the status quo.

It is essential to analyze the path to an informed workplace strategy. Lead with your vision.

Gain commitment from key stakeholders. Take a user-centered approach to understanding

what your people need. Address the experience, not just the place. Accelerate your cycle of

investments. Finally, experiment, adapt, repeat. This process is most successful when it is led

from the top and recognized for what it is: a tremendous organizational transformation effort.

As we discuss in the first paper in this thought series, the starting point for any discussion around workplace performance is labor and

location selection. In addition to being a core element of any organization’s business strategy, talent needs to be a keystone in an

occupier’s overall real estate portfolio strategy.

With that established, an occupier can focus on the design of the workplace and reimagining how the office functions. The

technological and social changes that have redefined how work gets done demand a rethinking of how we accommodate our

employees and design an optimal workplace experience.

3 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.

Better Business Performance Through Better Workplace PerformancePart Two: Designing the Workplace Experience

Work is constantly changing. Consider how

differently you perform your daily tasks

today as compared to even five years ago.

Driven largely by the rapid advancement

of technologies that seamlessly integrate

into our lives and enable us to do things

smarter and faster, each new breakthrough

redefines how we communicate and

share information, changes the hours

we work, and expands the number of

places from which work can be done.

Compared to other regions, Asia Pacific

has much higher space density levels,

yet faces the same pressure to drive

down the cost of real estate. Further

increasing density per desk is not the

answer, but increasing density per

person offers interesting potential.

Lease terms in Asia Pacific are much

shorter than Europe and North America

and within that lies the opportunity to

experiment more: if it doesn’t work it

can be easily changed in a few years.

Implementing an alternative workplace

strategy, that involves sharing, presents

a challenge: lower levels of awareness;

cultural differences; and a shortage of skills

to communicate, create, and execute well-

conceived alternative workplace solutions.

The smartest organisations are

exploring the ability of workplaces

to drive real business performance

benefits: increasing diversity of settings

in workplaces and empowering

workforces to make choices about how,

where, and with whom they work.

A recent millennial survey in Asia

Pacific indicated that 60 percent

would like to work this way.

The Pacific region now leads the world

in creating world class workplaces and

also inspiring workforces to embrace

the opportunities that these workplaces

present. Increasingly the same can be

seen in Asia, proving that initial leadership

and staff concerns can be overcome to

implement high performance solutions

that also create underlying cost savings.

Today they are asking: “What will happen

when employees no longer need laptops?”

“How will the cloud affect our business

model?” “What resources will people

need as service becomes more app-

driven, and on-demand?” “What will

the role of the office be in the future?”

THE EVOLVING WORKPLACE

4 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


The smartest organizations are no longer thinking of their real estate as a “necessary evil,” but

instead as a dynamic and flexible asset capable of driving

business performance.

5 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


“You don’t change your workplace to

follow a trend or mimic a competitor,”

says Peter Andrew, who leads CBRE’s

Workplace practice in Asia Pacific. “There

needs to be a clear purpose entrenched in

business performance.

You drive change to support a new

business direction, to establish greater

connections across teams, better reach

and serve your customers, attract and

retain talent, or to speed up decision

making. Whatever the driver, sophisticated

companies leverage their workplace

transformation as a catalyst for change,

accelerating the shift by disrupting the

status quo.”

In Asia Pacific, more companies look to

strike a balance between reducing costs,

improving productivity, and enhancing the

overall work experience for employees.

Cost saving is no longer the main

consideration.

Today, the desire to drive better

collaboration with customers, colleagues

and coworkers ranks higher than cost

savings on the agendas of corporate real

estate executives.1

WHY CHANGE YOUR WORKPLACE?

6 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


“You don’t change your workplace to follow a trend or

mimic a competitor. There must be a clear purpose entrenched in

business performance. Sophisticated companies leverage

their workplace transformation as a catalyst for change, accelerating the shift by

disrupting the status quo.” —Peter Andrew, Senior Director, Workplace Strategies Asia Pacific, CBRE

7 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


MAIN DRIVERS OF WORKPLACE STRATEGYReflects the main drivers of workplace strategy globally in green bars, and top three in EMEA and Americas in multi-color markings

Source: CBRE Global Occupier Survey, 2015/16, Asia Pacific Office Occupiers Survey 2015/16.

Productivity Agility Employee Attraction

and Retention49%

Better Collaboration

55%

60

50

70

40

30

20

10

0

Global Americas EMEAAsia Pacific

Cost Savings49%

Increased Employee

43%

Business

35%

8 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


As we discuss in the first paper in our thought series, finding the

right market for talent is critical—along with other strategic factors

such as client reach, supply chain proximity, and cost. But once

you have found it, the focus shifts to creating an environment

where that talent can thrive. And in this regard, employers often

look to employee engagement as a benchmark. There is good

reason for that focus: Gallup2 reports that companies with highly

engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147 percent.

But driving engagement is not easy. Even though most executives

rate engagement as a top priority, engagement scores across the

globe are relatively low. In a study of the global workforce, Towers

Watson found that while a slightly higher 40 percent of employees

are highly engaged, a full 60 percent of them lack the elements

required to be highly engaged. Of that 60 percent, close to a

quarter are disengaged and another 46 percent can be described

as either unsupported or detached.3

While there are many factors that impact employee engagement—

clear expectations, company culture, connectivity to managers

and leaders, mentorship and training—there are many instances

where real estate decisions can and should have an impact, such

as on productivity.

“We know now that the elements that impact our people’s

productivity are numerous and far reaching,” says Phil Rowland,

CEO Global Workplace Solutions Asia Pacific at CBRE. For

instance, “How long and stressful is an employee’s commute?

How much time is wasted in a meeting resolving technology

issues? What is the availability of a person’s preferred focus

space? How far does an employee have to travel to get a healthy

lunch? We already have the insight to identify known barriers to

productivity. Forward thinking businesses recognize the return on

investment and are starting to see real, tangible benefits.”

36%Percentage that feels unsupported or detached

from workplace engagement

24%Percentage that feels fully disengaged

Is the global workforce disengaged?

Source: 2012 Global Workforce Study, Towers Watson, 2012.

9 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


“We already have the insight to identify known barriers to

productivity. Forward thinking businesses

recognize the return on investment and are starting

to see real, tangible benefits.”

—Phil Rowland, CEO Global Workplace Solutions, APAC, CBRE

10 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


IS SMALLER BETTER? IN PURSUIT OF GREATER EFFICIENCIES

“Given the uncertain economy and tighter budget constraints, the workplace is actually viewed as an opportunity by most organizations to optimize space and costs,” says Singapore-based Arpan Barua, a director in CBRE’s Advisory & Transaction Services business. “In Asia, where workplaces are usually high density already, the ability to leverage activity-based working has enabled companies to optimize space.”

These cost savings are often the result of driving investments out of the things people no longer need— larger offices and cubicles, inflexible policies, antiquated conferencing technology—and into the things they place higher value on, including better services, agile work environments and policies, and user- centric technologies.

“Cost reduction is not typically the prime reason for clients to begin rethinking their workplace approach,” says Chinatsu Kaneko, head of Workplace Strategy, North Asia at CBRE. “Our latest annual survey showed that increasing collaboration and productivity are the key metrics sought. When the focus shifts to a performance outcome, as opposed to simply reducing physical space for the sake of efficiency, that’s when the real workplace strategy conversation can begin.”

“When the focus shifts to a performance outcome, as opposed to simply reducing physical space for the sake of efficiency, that’s when the real workplace strategy

conversation can begin.”—— Chinatsu Kaneko, Head of Workplace Strategy North Asia, CBRE

11 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


Consider your typical workday: What

separates a good day from a bad one?

Is your commute easy or painful? How long

does it take to get through security? Are you

greeted by name when you walk through the

door? When you have a meeting, how long

does it take to get connected? When you

need to speak to someone, can you easily

find her? When it is time for lunch, is it easy

to quickly grab a good meal? When your

computer malfunctions, is it easily fixed? Do

you have time to think between meetings?

While many of these things may seem minor

and inconsequential alone, when

aggregated they can make, or break, how

you feel about work on a daily basis. This is

why “the office” is so much more than the

physical space you sit in.

WHAT MAKES FOR A GREAT WORK EXPERIENCE?

12 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


“The concept of a total work experience is still evolving,” says Rhys

Harvey, who leads CBRE’s Global Workplace Solutions business

in Pacific, “It’s not about furniture choices or the size of a desk.

It’s about the things that influence our people when they are

performing their roles – work related and otherwise – and how

much control they have to change these influences for the better.

Where and how people focus and the ‘permission’ to disconnect

to make this effective, the ability to form relationships and extend

networks in non-confronting scenarios, how they balance the

personal and professional demands on their time when the

allocated times for each often overlap. Only once these type of

attributes are clear can we truly create an environment that helps

people be their best.”

“In our recent millennial survey, young people in Asia Pacific

demonstrated a strong desire to embrace flexible workplaces:

60 percent preferring a workplace where they can choose where,

when and who to work with” says Dr. Henry Chin, head of

Research Asia Pacific for CBRE.

“In our recent millennial survey,

60% of young people in Asia

Pacific preferred a workplace where they can choose where, when and

who to work with.”—Dr. Henry Chin, Head of Research,

Asia Pacific, CBRE

“The office” is so much more than

the physical space you sit in.

13 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


THE GIFT OF TIME (AND WHY HAVING AN OFFICE DOESN’T GUARANTEE THAT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FOCUS)

“A common justification for having an office is that it allows for focus and concentration, but in practice “open door” policies mean this is rarely the case,” says Andrew. “Sometimes it is finding the time and headspace to focus that is the problem.”

In a 2014 Harvard Business Review article,4 researchers Michael Mankins, Chris Brahm and Greg Caimi argued that organizations waste tens of thousands of hours on email, instant messaging applications and ineffective meetings annually. “It’s hard to know exactly how much of this squandered time could be rescued,” they wrote. “But our data suggest that most companies have an opportunity to liberate at least 20 percent of their collective hours by bringing greater discipline to time management.”

This research lends strong credibility to Andrew’s argument that helping people manage their time more effectively, and encouraging them to disconnect from distracting information channels for a period, might be the best route to increasing productivity. But that doesn’t mean you should do away with all of your enclosed space and switch to 100 percent open plan.

“Having space that allows people to disconnect and focus, and signals to others that they prefer to be undisturbed, will benefit all levels of employees, not just senior executives ,” says Shobhit Choubey, director of CBRE’s Workplace Strategy team in Singapore.. “We need to recognise the benefits from all perspectives, providing the space, time and permission for people to focus.”

“Having space that allows people to disconnect and focus, and signals to others

they prefer to be undisturbed, will benefit all levels of employees, not just senior executives.”

—Shobhit Choubey, Director Workplace Strategy, Singapore, CBRE

14 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


So, what goes into creating an optimal

workplace experience—making the office

a destination that people prefer over

other alternatives? We believe it is a four-

step process:

1. Know your users and what they

need to be effective.

Fundamental to the idea of creating

workplaces that attract people is

understanding the people themselves.

Today, that often equates to understanding

the millennials, who, according to a recent

CBRE study5, account for approximately

25 percent of the working age population

in Asia Pacific. The study also suggested

that 73 percent of Asia Pacific millennials

agreed that good employers place a lot

of thought into the working environment,

and that 72 percent feel that a good office

design or layout had a positive impact on

the employees that work there.

However, a 2014 CBRE study6 that looked at

more than 5,500 professionals found that

“variety, choice, access and transparency—

preferences typically associated with

millennials—are equally important to

Generation Xers and Baby Boomers.”

CBRE delved into this question further, in

its global millennial study, surveying nearly

7,000 of our own staff across the globe to

understand life and work preferences.7 The

results reaffirmed the previous finding that

FOUR STEPS TO CREATING A WORK DESTINATION

15 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


generational preferences vary minimally, but also showed that

compensation, business ethics, HR policy, learning opportunities

and organizational culture were the most important workplace

variables in driving new job selection across all generations.

A life-stage indicator drove the one significant variance:

Respondents with younger children placed higher value on flexible

work policies. In fact, the presence of children in the household

was a consistent differentiator for both work and lifestyle

preferences, reinforcing the importance of considering

life stages when defining a work experience that supports

employee engagement.

As more organizations begin to track performance measures

such as engagement, social networks and employee happiness,

corporate real estate leaders are being asked to develop solutions

to improve culture and connectivity, well-being and flexibility in

the workplace. Of note: In a recent CBRE well-being report,8

91 percent of commercial real estate leaders surveyed said

they expect the level of CRE engagement in health and wellness

initiatives in organizations to increase.

2.Seeyourofficeasthecenterofanetworkofplaces

where work gets done.

As technology increases our ability to work from anywhere, many

organizations are embracing the idea that the office is just one in

a network of places where work can be done effectively.

Effective flexibility programs give employees greater control of

their time and signal that their employers trust them to make good

decisions—a signature element of engagement.9 They also offer

organizations a means of reducing the amount of underutilized

space in the office. Instead of designing for peak demand, many

are targeting average demand.

But that doesn’t mean you should plan for fewer people in the

office. A Harvard Business Review report on managing across

distances10 finds that 95 percent of people surveyed see in-person

meetings as key to building long-term relationships, and that

only 20 percent believe you can achieve the same results through

virtual connections as you would in person.

As more organizations are

tracking performance

measures such as engagement, social

networks and employee

happiness, corporate real

estate leaders are being asked to

develop solutions to improve culture and connectivity,

well-being and flexibility in the

workplace.

16 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


“We encourage leaders to view their workplace as more than

just an office, but an impactful tool that showcases the brand, empowers employees, and is a visual manifestation of their

culture.”—Chinatsu Kaneko, Head of Workplace Strategy North Asia, CBRE

17 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


Connections are easier to forge and maintain face-to-face.

The office can accelerate, or inhibit, establishing and maintaining

these relationships.

“The importance of face-to-face interaction is especially prevalent

in Asia, which means that there are not as many telecommuting

programs,” says Andrew. “Homes are also smaller, and the quality

of work-from-home arrangements isn’t as good as in other parts

of the world. That puts even greater pressure on making the office

a great destination.”

“We encourage leaders to view their workplace as more than

just an office, but an impactful tool that showcases the brand,

empowers employees, and is a visual manifestation of their

culture,” says Kaneko.

3.Meetyourpeople’sbasicfunctionalneedsfirst.

A workplace has to meet your people’s basic functional

demands before any higher-order benefits can be achieved.

Many organizations jump to implementing an all open-plan

environment in an attempt to foster communication, but fail

to meet the need for focus. The result is often an environment

that neither meets the aspirational goal of collaboration nor the

practical goal of helping employees be productive.

As per Maslow’s hierarchy,11 a workplace must address the

foundational elements we all need to be productive at work,

though what previously was considered foundational is changing.

For example, the application of psychology principles to design

a wide variety of spaces that appeal to different personal styles,

work patterns and preferences. CBRE, for instance, offers up to 15

distinctly different work choices through its Workplace360 work

environment—compared to three to four work settings in a more

traditional environment.

The case for choice

In the last 40 to 50 years, most offices were designed with private

offices for managers, cubicles for everyone else and a smattering

of conference rooms. While this allocation of space may reflect

the hierarchy of the organization, it does little to address the

functional requirements of those in it.

Most knowledge workers, regardless of function or seniority, spend

roughly half of their time working autonomously, and the other

half working with others face-to-face or remotely. An office that

acknowledges this reality should offer a greater variety of space

types—both enclosed and open—and give everyone access to

both, so that people have easy make use of both collaborative

and private, quiet spaces.

Technology with purpose

People can take advantage of the variety of spaces a more

progressive workplace offers, only if they have the technology

to seamlessly move between them. They are also more likely to

communicate virtually if it doesn’t take the first 10 minutes of

each meeting to connect. When provisioning a workspace for

functionality, technology should be consistent (Does this docking

station or conference room monitor work like the others do?),

relevant (Does this technology help me do my job better or faster?)

and intuitive to use (Can I connect without assistance?).

Looks good, feels good

In a 2007 Harvard Business Review article, Tony Schwartz and

Catherine McCarthy argued that “the core problem with working

longer hours is that time is a finite resource. Energy is a different

story … [it] can be systematically expanded and regularly renewed

by establishing specific rituals—behaviors that are intentionally

practiced.” It is no surprise then that health and well-being in the

workplace has become a hot topic in corporate real estate circles

in recent years.

As reported in a recent CBRE survey, eight out of 10 employees

agreed that a company’s wellness offering would be crucial to

recruiting and retaining them in the next 10 years. Furthermore,

47 percent of organizations surveyed by CBRE, report12 that

wellness initiatives improved employee engagement, and 25

percent reported an increase in employee retention.

A place where everyone knows your name

“Having a sense of belonging in a work environment is a

significant step towards motivated and engaged employees. In

high performing workplaces, if you ask what is the best feature, by

and large the first answer is, ‘the people’,” says Andrew. “While

that doesn’t mean that people spend their entire work day talking

18 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


and collaborating, it does mean that having physical proximity to

others who can contribute to improving their own performance by

providing feedback, direction and perspective is hugely valuable.

This reality puts pressure on the office to be a social place where

people can get to know one another, build their internal network,

and easily find the people they need, when they need them. It

translates to workspaces that promote transparency (read:

more glass, lower panels), connectivity (internal stairways and

centralized support services) and community (spaces and events

that promote socialization and knowledge exchange).

4. Design for delight: building on the foundation.

Leading organizations recognize that their workplace investment is an

opportunity to differentiate – to go beyond the common and expected,

and use their space in a way to create competitive advantage.

By connecting closely to the culture and brand of the organization,

the work experience goes beyond meeting the fundamental

needs of employees, and begins to facilitate an experience

that is unique to the company. “This is more than posted

slogans or walls painted in corporate colors. This has little to

no impact towards inspiring staff to genuinely connect to the

purpose of the organization,” says Andrew. “Rather, by more

intrinsically reflecting the brand essence and values through

design, services and policies, you create an environment that

motivates and inspires employee on a daily basis, reminding

them why their role is important and how they contribute to the

greater purpose.” And, you help build a sense of pride among

your employees for their organization and their workplace.

When it comes to creating a comprehensive workplace

experience, the key consideration is how an organization

can drive the specific behaviors and connectivity that

allow its greatest asset, its people, to thrive at work.

Take, for example, the young professional balancing family and

career. Today, there are more dual-income-earning households

than in any previous decade. In many households, this means that

more of the household responsibilities are shared by both parents.

19%reduction in absenteeism

25%increase in employee retention

47%jump in employee engagement

Benefits of wellness

Source: What’s Trending in Health and Wellness Best Practices in the Corporate Workplace?, CBRE Research, May 2016.

19 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


“As organizations look toattract and retain high

performers, they will be well served to consider how they help

those struggling to balanceprofessional and personal

demands. What can theworkplace offer that helps tostrip more of the mundane

tasks out of their work day andtheir personal time?”

—Peter Andrew, Senior Director, Workplace Strategies Asia Pacific, CBRE

20 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


.

“The workplace is the battleground in the war for talent, and

the high performers— women and men both—know that

it is in their best interest, and their employers, to be in an

environment which helps remove challenges when trying

to balance professional and personal demands,” says

Andrew. “By identifying and servicing the key decisions or

mundane tasks out of their work day and their personal time,

employees will respond with loyalty and commitment.”

In a world of endless possibilities, how can we make a real,

intangible, culture of worth? Ashley Branca, experience services

lead within CBRE’s Workplace practice, advocates a forward-

thinking hospitality approach to tackle the challenges of daily work

and “to aid in the personal needs of employees struggling with the

blurred lines between work and life.”

In CBRE’s own Workplace360 offices, a concierge’s responsibilities

go beyond the expected reception services to include support that

tackles the real-life responsibilities of employees. This may range

from managing groceries and dry-cleaning, to arranging car

detailing, to picking up a gift for a friend—all things that would

otherwise have taken employees away either from work or from

spending quality time outside of the office.

“Hospitality does not boil down to perks,” says Branca. “Instead,

it’s about creating a positive connection to the experience of

coming to the office by making it easier for your people to do the

work you hired them to do. Hospitality-driven services that

support both business and employee needs are the most flexible

resource an organization can invest in to signal the value it places

in its people.”

“Hospitality does not boil down to

perks. Instead, it’s about creating a

positive connection to the experience of coming to the office by making it easier for your people to do the work you

hired them to do.”—Ashley Branca, Experience Services Lead,

Workplace Practice, CBRE

21 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


WELCOME TO THE FUTURE. HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?You are committed to building a workplace that makes your employees happy, creates competitive advantage for your organization, and “manages” (read: reduces) your net real estate cost of service. To do so successfully, you’ll need to challenge the status quo.

Providing a compelling workplace means making informed bets on the future experience you want to create, not asking everyone for buy-in. Managing to consensus often means meeting in the middle, where you are not likely to exceed anyone’s expectations.

Here are a few steps to avoid that common space-planning trap:

Let data drive space allocations.

An increasing array of tools and technology are available for gathering data about how your

people work, how they communicate and what they value. Use that information to make a case

for greater efficiency while giving people more choice.

Engage your people in problem-solving outcomes, not collectively setting strategy.

Most space planning relies on asking people what they want, but few can envision something

different from what they have. Instead, base your strategy on your organizational vision for the

future, and then include your people in problem-solving aspects of how that can be achieved.

Change the rules for how you use space.

The policies that govern how space is used have as much or more to do with someone’s

workplace experience as the physical space itself. Change how you ask people to use the space

and you may find that work processes and expectations change as a result.

Introduce new and delightful services.

Redefine roles to be truly user centric. Upskill your receptionist to function more like a concierge,

responsible for problem-solving for employees and visitors. For IT, a five-star hospitality

approach might include core training, a physical IT helpdesk and a resident expert for individual

and group training.

Get into the event business.

People come to work to connect with each other. Simple things like an educational series, Friday

socials or a food truck day are all things that require little capital but make a big difference in

fostering community.

22 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


Where to begin? This paper identifies

many of the opportunities available in

today’s workplace and envisions what a

truly productive and connected office and

office worker may look like in the future.

What are practical steps to help prepare

your organization for these realities, and

more immediately, inform your next

workplace strategy?

Here are a few tips for getting started:

• Lead with your vision. Highlight

areas where your current workplace

accelerates or inhibits your

organizational vision and objectives.

Galvanize support for change, making

the status quo unacceptable.

• Gain commitment from key

stakeholders and influential leaders

from across the organization who will

“walk the talk.” Your real estate and

facilities team can create the space and

conditions for change, but successful

transformation ultimately lies with your

business leaders who must change

themselves and model the desired

culture and work patterns for others.

• Take a user-centric approach to

understanding what your people need.

Do not fall victim to broad stereotypes

about generational preferences or

TOWARD A BETTER WORKPLACE

23 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


get lulled into believing that all engineers, lawyers, sales

professionals or accountants have the same needs. Instead,

seek to understand your people and what they need to be

truly effective.

• Address the experience, not just the place. A sports stadium

has a completely different feel when it is empty. Going to a

game is energizing not just because of what is happening

on the field. The food and drink, the big screen and on-field

entertainment, the home-team customs and, yes, the people

you are there with—all play a part in creating the experience.

All are deliberate decisions made by someone about what it

means to go to a game. What should it mean to go to work for

your organization?

• Adaptability is key. With rapid change of technology and

a breadth of different needs from different teams design

solutions to need to factor in the ability to easily adapt over

time rather than create rigid solutions.

• Experiment, adapt, repeat. The best workplace strategies

are never complete. Instead, they should regularly evolve

in response to new business and user requirements, lessons

learned from previous implementations, and advances in

building, enterprise and personal technology, furniture and

space design.

The precise steps that organizations should take to optimize the

appeal of their offices to the talent they seek will vary based

on each individual company’s strategy, brand aspirations and

recruiting priorities—as well as their practical implications at a

local level.

Keep in mind that many people are naturally resistant to change.

But according to Choubey, “when organizations lead the change

with a clear vision and strong sponsorship from the top, it sets the

foundation for sustainable long-term change towards delivering

for the corporate strategy.”

CBRE embraces the concept of decision-makers as change leaders,

not just change managers—and real estate executives as master

collaborators, with a seat at the decision-making table.

In the third paper in our thought series, we explore a holistic

approach to managing a real estate portfolio within the broader

business context to create competitive advantage for occupiers.

24 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


At CBRE, we believe that the key to better business performance is better real estate performance. Real estate and people are the two

highest costs any occupier faces. But cost is only half the story. Our most strategic clients recognize that when properly approached, these

two critical pieces of the corporate structure can also have a transformative impact on the overall performance of their organization.

This thought series brings to life CBRE’s decades-long record of workplace-transformation experience to demonstrate how organizations

of all types and sizes can realize those goals. We bring market-leading qualifications and capabilities, including analytical expertise that

spans markets, industries and asset types; a relentless focus on superior execution; and, a high-touch, client-centric approach.

Most of all, these papers tap into the thinking of some of the sharpest minds practicing in the industry today—professionals with the ability

to drive world-class productivity and operational excellence for every client they serve.

We encourage you to connect with us to discover how we can help unlock the value of your real estate portfolio.

A CBRE THOUGHT SERIES This thought series on Workplace Performance gives consideration to optimizing an organization’s strategic goals through the proper application of its real estate portfolio. Each paper provides perspectives and insights on how to achieve this objective through labor market selection, space design and workplace experience, and portfolio optimization and workplace program development.

Part One: ALIGNING THE WORKFORCE AND THE WORKPLACEReal estate can be a significant competitive differentiator for occupiers in the race for talent. In this first paper, we outline the steps organizations need to take to identify the optimal locations for their operations and find, attract and retain the right talent to enhance their competitiveness and improve their bottom line.

Part Two: DESIGNING THE WORKPLACE EXPERIENCEThe way we work continues to evolve, driving companies of all types to rethink their approach to space and the workplace experience. In this second paper, we consider the trends shaping the physical workplace and best practices in workplace design.

Part Three: BUILDING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGEReal estate is a critical, tangible expression of the strategic decisions a company makes. In this final paper in our thought series, we focus on the total real estate management approach that organizations take within the broader business context to create competitive advantage for occupiers.

ABOUT OUR THOUGHT SERIES

25 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


ENDNOTES

1. Source:2015/16AsiaPacificGlobalOccupierSurveys,CBREResearch,April2016.

2. Source:HowEmployeeEngagementDrivesGrowth,GallupBusinessJournal,June20,2013.

3. Source:2012GlobalWorkforceStudy,TowersWatson,2012.

4. Source:YourScarcestResource,HarvardBusinessReview,May2014.

5. Source:AsiaPacificMillennials:ShapingtheFutureofRealEstate,CBREResearch,October2016

6. Source:DesigningtheOfficeoftheFuture,CBREResearch,November2014.

7. Source:LiveWorkPlay,Millennials:MythsandRealities,CBREResearch,October2016.

8. Source:What’sTrendinginHealthandWellnessBestPracticesintheCorporateWorkplace,CBREResearch,May2016.

9. Source:GreatPlacestoWorkInstitute.

10.Source:ManagingAcrossDistanceinToday’sEconomicClimate,HarvardBusinessReview,2009.

11.Source:Maslow’sHierarchyofNeeds,SimplyPsychology,2016.

12.Source:What’sTrendinginHealthandWellnessBestPracticesintheCorporateWorkplace?,CBREResearch,May2016.

PHOTOGRAPHS

1. Page4:CBREWorkplace360office:Tokyo,Japan

2. Page6:CBREWorkplace360office:MexicoCity,MexicoPhotocredit:RobertoLazos

3. Page7:CBREWorkplace360office:Madrid,Spain

4. Page9:CBREWorkplace360office:Chicago,IllinoisPhotocredit:BobBuyle



7. Page13:CBREWorkplace360office:Madrid,Spain

8. Page16:CBREWorkplace360office:HongKong,China

9. Page19:CBREWorkplace360office:Glendale,CaliforniaPhotocredit:RMAPhotographyInc.

10.Page20:CBREWorkplace360office:Chicago,IllinoisPhotocredit:ErichSchrempp

11.Page23:CBREWorkplace360office:Orlando,FloridaPhotocredit:JasperSanidad

12.Page26:CBREWorkplace360office:Orlando,FloridaPhotocredit:JasperSanidad

26 © 2016 CBRE, Inc.


CONTACTS

To learn more about how to drive better business performance through better workplace performance, connect with CBRE.

Peter Andrew Senior Director, Workplace Strategies Asia Pacific [email protected]

Chinatsu Kaneko Head of Workplace Strategy North Asia [email protected]

CBRE’s experience in counseling global occupiers on the redefinition and optimization of their business and real estate portfolio strategies positions us uniquely to drive the

changes shaping the physical workplace and best practices in

workplace design.

About CBRE Group, Inc.CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (in terms of 2015 revenue). The Company has more than 70,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 400 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

Disclaimer: Information contained herein, including projections, has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. While we do not doubt its accuracy, we have not verified it and make no guarantee, warranty or representation about it. It is your responsibility to confirm independently its accuracy and completeness. This information is presented exclusively for use by CBRE clients and professionals and all rights to the material are reserved and cannot be reproduced without prior written permission of CBRE.

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