{"id":1662,"date":"2025-12-08T13:18:41","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=1662"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:18:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T13:18:41","slug":"if-you-want-your-employees-back-in-the-office-try-feeding-them-says-gensler-executive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=1662","title":{"rendered":"If you want your employees back in the office, try feeding them, says Gensler executive"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What do both employees and employers really<\/em> want in a workplace of the future? It\u2019s a topic that came up last week in my conversations with CEOs, designers, and thought leaders at Fortune<\/em>\u2019s Brainstorm Design conference in Macau.<\/p>\n

If you ask Ray Yuen, office managing director at the design and architecture firm Gensler, the answer is food. A recent Gensler survey asked employees to rank the office spaces that were most important to them. The top three? The office food hall, cafe, or lounge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really about food and wellness,\u201d Yuen said onstage. \u201cThey didn\u2019t even mention anything about work. Everybody just picked the stuff that we really want as human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth listening to these human desires as companies try to bring people back into the office, Yuen said. He described a project he worked on recently for a large company\u2019s new Tokyo headquarters, where 50% of the company\u2019s employees were working remotely and he was tasked with finding a way to bring them back. One of the biggest successes was a lo-fi vinyl listening bar, where no tech or talking was allowed, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Flexibility is also key. In the past, Yuen said he used to heavily design about 80% of a company\u2019s headquarters with built in furniture and modules like cubicles, and leave about 20% as \u201cflexible space.\u201d Now, the balance is more 50\/50, so companies can transform their office spaces easily when needs arise, such as an office happy hour, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re no longer just designing workplaces. We\u2019re actually designing experiences. Because [employees may] think, \u2018Well, if I can work anywhere, why do I want to go to work? I can do it at home,\u2019\u201d Yuen said. \u201cYou\u2019ve really got to make the campus or the workplace be more than work, and that\u2019s the fun part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kristin Stoller<\/strong>
Editorial Director, Fortune Live Media
kristin.stoller@fortune.com<\/p>\n

Around the Table<\/h3>\n

A round-up of the most important HR headlines.<\/em><\/p>\n

Employers used to frown on social media posting during work hours, but now employees at companies including Starbucks and Delta are being asked to post on-the-job social media content. <\/span>Wall Street Journal<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, is reportedly blocking or stalling claims brought by transgender workers. <\/span>Bloomberg<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As automated systems come under fire for potentially allowing discriminating hiring practices, many states are expanding bans on discrimination to AI. <\/span>Washington Post<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Watercooler<\/h3>\n

Everything you need to know from <\/em>Fortune.<\/em><\/p>\n

Meeting shakeup<\/b>. Instagram\u2019s CEO is calling employees back to the office five days a week, but is <\/span>canceling all<\/span> unnecessary recurring meetings <\/span>\u2014Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Earnings report<\/b>. In the U.K., Gen Z college graduates are earning <\/span>30% less<\/span> than Millennials did at the same stage of life. <\/span>\u2014Preston Fore<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Trade troubles<\/b>. As Gen Zers opt for trade schools and blue-collar jobs, there is <\/span>one sector<\/span> they are hesitant to get involved in: manufacturing. <\/span>\u2014Emma Burleigh\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#employees #office #feeding #Gensler #executive<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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