The importance of a work-life balance is critical to the new working generation. To help attract top talent and educated young workers, employers need to have a good work environment which includes a range of new amenities. We are seeing the responsibility of providing these amenities being pushed to building owners and property managers. As companies are selecting their location or whether to renew a lease, the satisfaction of their employees with a space can be a considered factor. Offering a rich menu of services and amenities (with MOBLZ’s help, of course) will help your property stand out in the crowd.
"Roughly 70% of employees between the age of 16-44 would like to be more mobile at work".
"37% of job candidates will accept a job with a lower salary if the company offers appealing culture, workplace facilities and technology".
With the rise of live, work, play communities we are seeing more and more drive for amenities that simplify the tenants' life. The workforce no longer wants to waste time driving to and from work. People are looking for ease throughout their day. They are looking to save time by multitasking during their workday to give themselves more time once they get home. This is why we also see a steady rise in the desire to work remotely, but we all know that sometimes face to face communication is necessary.
How do you make your office park or property desirable, especially on a tight budget and with limited staff? What will fill up your vacancies? In short, amenities will help you bring more tenants. Some properties are converting stuffy conference rooms into coffee areas and brainstorming spots. No budget for construction or renovation? Working with MOBLZ can be a cost-effective strategy. Here are our recommendations for the top 3 amenities that you can introduce to your park that will let your park stand out.
Property Activities
In 2020, we had a series of articles about adding a wide variety of games and amenities to your property and how easy it can be. While we recommend focusing on the outdoor common areas (described next) some activities might be easier to implement on a small scale or with limited funds. Check out our articles on
disc-golf,
chess & checkers,
fire pits,
cornhole, and
meditation gardens. We have noticed that many office parks have walking trails. While that can be nice for nature walks, the young workforce is more active. They enjoy having activities with some competitiveness. This is why something like disc golf can be an affordable option for your property. Other opportunities include a multi-purpose area to hold a variety of different events. Transforming an outside area into an amphitheater-like area will give you the perfect venue for events.
Outdoor Common Areas
Now we don't mean just a few picnic tables and some proper shade. We mean a whole area with plenty of cozy seating, shade, even a fire pit, electrical outlets, and some lush landscape for people to explore. This area needs to be designed and located where the occupants would feel comfortable and relaxed spending time. Try to keep this area feeling like a mini getaway. For those who love the outdoors, an easy and comfortable place to work outdoors for an hour or more is ideal. But something more active is also possible. Next week, we will highlight mobile fitness training that comes to your site in more detail as another way to use existing outdoor space.
Easy Access to Food
Americans love our food and there is nothing greater than being able to try all different types of food with ease. While there are other options, our favorite is food trucks. Having a food truck schedule can light up your office park by providing opportunities to network and entice hybrid workers to campus. You can build food truck events around other activities you have planned or schedule them individually. Don’t miss this key tool to build networking, mentorship, and attract new talent. Strategically, setting up your food truck schedule will not only give the occupants the variety they love but it will also increase the number of visitors and therefore eyes on your property. When it comes to planning out your food truck schedule there is a lot to consider. Things like surrounding restaurants, tenant occupants, the type of companies in your buildings, and so much more come into play. If you want or already have food trucks, it's best to have a shaded area near the trucks where occupants can sit and enjoy their meal before having to go back into the office. Installing power hookups for the food trucks will make this space nice and quiet as well. MOBLZ has developed a
checklist if you are just getting started, so you can reach out for a
free consultation about what MOBLZ can do for you! We’ll be back next week with a case study about mobile fitness options to make use of existing parking or greenspaces.