The workplace, better than home…how Singapore is attracting people back to the office

MKDC recently toured Singapore to gain a firsthand insight into their workplace design trends. Here’s our top 5 insights:

1. Invest in social capital & culture

As the majority of people return to the workplace, rebuilding social capital and culture through investment in fitout is key. Looking beyond your own tenancy is an important consideration, including what is on offer in your building and the surrounding neighbourhood as an enticement to bring your employees back, particularly when pursuing a new lease.

We saw evidence of this style of investment with employee focused hospitality, inviting employees back to the office with a range of enticements. In one of Singapore’s most prominent banks, reflecting the technology park surrounds and with fewer city amenities to leverage off, this employee enticement included a free mini-market for 24/7 snacks on each floor, beverages on tap in the staff hub, a guru tech help bar and a recreation room for yoga and gaming.

Visiting another workplace sector in Singapore’s city centre, the new offices of a global corporate real estate leader, utilise the experience of their location and building as their social investment. Located at the top of the impressive CapitaSpring building, they are surrounded by a neighbourhood pulsing with activity, including restaurants, cafes, hawker’s markets and access to a shared rooftop garden. Their workplace tenancy welcomes visitors with breathtaking views of Singapore’s architectural icons. It is clear they have focussed their investment on the design of the welcome lounge and conferencing facilities, supporting both their clients and employees and encouraging face to face collaboration. 

Investment in hospitality in the workplace is key, with an authentic design narrative that speaks to a diverse and inclusive culture

2.  Investment in employee wellness & holistic health was also a key trend, beyond the expected fruit bowl. Fresh healthy foods were on offer in the staff hub, complete with a state-of-the-art and self-sustaining, compost powered greenhouse for fresh herbs. Mental wellness was also addressed, with a visit to the no tech sensory chill out lounge. Separated with heavy acoustic curtains and depriving the senses of sound and light, this calm environment featured a series of soft and inviting private spaces, focusing on comfort and safety.

3.  Focusing the employee experience through a wide lens to attract and retain the best and most diverse talent. Principles of diversity and inclusion were evident throughout, ranging from gender inclusive amenities to adjustable height shared meeting tables. This was supported by a strong and culturally significant design narrative, reflecting Singapore’s range of cultures and histories.

4.  Hybrid working is here to stay, for the moment – so let’s find the right balance

In 2022, with the continual evolution of hybrid working, it has become clear that a balance needs to be struck between employee interests and impactful work, in order for organisations to succeed.

Visiting one of Singapore’s leading banks new headquarters, we observed a range of engagement activities seeking employee feedback. Managing the ongoing curation and improvement to the workplace ensured employee interests are heard. Understanding where the most impactful work is occurring through these analytic tools, allows leadership to create informed workplace strategy and policy. The workplace strategy differs for every workplace visited. Common to all however, was some level of agility and hybrid working policy in place.

The workplace is looking more like home, but with the benefits of being together in beautiful flexible and functional tech supported space. This photo depicts a phone booth and collaboration lounge, allowing for different activities to occur in harmony within tight real estate.

5.  A visible investment in space & technology to bridge the physical & digital world

Visible investment in technology is everywhere in Singapore rom janitor robots cleaning the foyer and saying “Good morning”, to a Barista robot named Ella making your latte, it’s a marvel. 

Less visible is the use of technology gathering valuable data on productivity and daily spatial utilisation metrics in an effort to understand how space is impacting productivity. This aspect is increasingly important as hybrid working and agile new ways of working within the workplace is changing. To understand where and how people are using valuable real-estate is important. In Singapore, being 25 times more densely populated than Perth, real estate is expensive. Flexibility is thus key, to ensure underutilised spaces can be easily and quickly reshaped to suit the everchanging office.

Ella the one-armed barista robot ready to take your order online and have your coffee ready by the time you get there!

Our key advice for 2023

Forecasting workplace changes in 2023 will no doubt bring new challenges to every organisation. The fundamentals of an effective workplace strategy remain—focusing equally on People, Place and Technology. Our advice; listen to and know your people; have a technology strategy that provides the tools to both curate positive employee experience and collect data on post occupancy behaviours; and ensure your workplace design has inbuilt flexibility to navigate the only certainty… change!

MKDC Workplace Strategist Jacqui Williams chatting to the Janitor at CapitaSprings building