Fora is a Business Reporter client.
With employee productivity and well-being under the microscope, is your company doing enough to empower your team to create their best work in their own unique way? Enrico Sanna, CEO of Fora, maintains that respecting individual work styles is as important as respecting individual lifestyles.
“How was your day at work?”
It's a question many of us brush off with a quick “it was good” before kicking off our shoes and collapsing on the couch, exhausted. But was it really okay or just tolerable? As a leader at Fora, part of The Office Group and London's leading provider of premium workspaces, I am motivated to understand what defines a great day at work.
I have two roles to play as CEO: one, ensuring we deliver on our commitment to providing an extraordinary experience to our 29,000 members; the other as the leader of a company with more than 600 employees, where my priority is to drive success and at the same time foster a work environment where my teams feel inspired, committed and productive.
Hundreds of progressive companies across the UK and Germany, from Pangaia to GSK, see us as more than just a landlord – they partner with us as their workspace provider because they know we understand the needs of modern workers. We work with them to create customized work environments that meet their individual requirements so they can focus on what's important: the success of their business.
The common denominator is the clear belief that an office is not just a commodity, but a vital element to drive collaboration and connection, generate innovation and accelerate learning. We talk a lot about the office as a social benefit, which it certainly is, but there is much more value in a workspace that meets employees' individual work needs and gives people the autonomy to work in the way that best suits them. . .
To help us shape our workspaces, we recently commissioned research from the Institute for Employment Studies, the leading center for human resources and employment. Their study of 2,000 knowledge workers revealed that for almost half of British employees (44 per cent), their work environment hindered their performance, a figure which rises to 51 per cent for employees under 35 years of age.
I think expectations about what a workplace should offer have increased, and that's not a bad thing. There is no doubt that the pandemic highlighted the role of the workplace and reoriented the minds of employers and employees; However, this conversation began long before 2020. Workers have been demanding more from their workspaces for years.
For Fora, there is a clear opportunity to change things for the better. Since our inception, we have been shaping the workplace to meet the ever-evolving needs and demands of modern workers, and we have long held the belief that in doing so we are laying the foundation for a more productive and engaged workforce. . Our research shows that, while 59 per cent of respondents regularly use offices, less than half of them believe the facilities and spaces on offer have a positive impact on their output. To me, this highlights a real disconnect between employees' and employers' expectations for the facilities and services they need to thrive.
But let me be clear: creating an effective work experience for workers is about more than just offering amenities. At Fora, we've spent the last 20 years helping employers respect and support the diverse needs and work styles of their employees, and each of us requires a variety of different spaces in which to focus, collaborate, learn, socialize and rest throughout the work day and work week. The facilities and environment I'm looking for when I'm concentrating on financial figures at 10am on a Tuesday morning vary greatly from what I'm looking for at the end of the day on a Thursday, when I'm brainstorming new ideas and concepts in my broader scope. equipment.
By offering workspaces that empower and adapt to the needs of modern workers, we help lay the foundation for a more productive and engaged workforce. We have long recognized that one-size-fits-all approaches are no longer the best way to manage a workplace, and paying attention to individual work styles and preferences has a significant impact on productivity, engagement and well-being. That's why our newest workspaces, like our own Chancery House in London's Holborn, are designed with the employee experience in mind, with dedicated areas to meet different needs throughout the day, such as a fully-equipped gym. equipped and roof terraces to relax and spend time with colleagues away from the desk.
As employers we need to think beyond the conventional desk and office spaces, towards more dynamic workspaces that accommodate diverse work styles. By providing flexible, personalized and inclusive environments, we can redefine the workplace experience, making work not only good, but enjoyable.
Elevate your work with Fora's transformative workspace experience.
