The Generation Game

How the FM must transform the workplace to accommodate four generations of workers equally productive

by Kevin Stanley — Increasingly, as work life throws together at least three of Shakespeare’s ‘seven ages’, facilities managers will find themselves having to transform the workplace to make all employees equally productive, says Kevin Stanley.

With Generation Y coming in and baby boomers often obliged to stay put, there can be as many as four generations of workers in the one workplace.

The number of economically active over-65s will have risen by a third by 2030. Meanwhile, Generation Y is joining Generation X in the workplace — and their demands are fundamentally different. But what does this really mean for FMs? Is it more about a smorgasbord of different work zones or is the real issue managing different levels of physical capability?

As the landscape of the workplace changes and the workforce ages, organisations need to design and adapt workplaces for a wide generational range of employees as well as being completely inclusive of those employees who are disabled. It also needs to be a place where employees from different generations are able to work together effectively without clashing.

“The issue isn’t about pampering, it’s about getting the most from multi-generational teams that have grown up with different norms, attitudes, working practices and skills,” says Andrew Mawson, managing director of Advanced Workplace Associates. “A new or refurbished workplace can be used as a great unifier of the generations with an inclusive and engaging design approach that allows generations to learn from one another. A workplace designed to support its workers can enable an easy up-skilling of each generation — better technology and social media skills for the older workers and better interpersonal skills for the younger groups. The danger of failing to adapt the workplace to multi-generational use is potential ‘warfare’ between different generations.

“One organisation we dealt with had to employ external ‘marriage guidance counsellors’ to help each generation to understand each other so that they can get the best from them all together,” says Mawson.

In terms of disabled employees the argument is that if systems and buildings work well for disabled people, then they work well for anyone and that, in addition to this, well designed and managed buildings can actually prevent people from becoming disabled.

“Good FMs understand that the process of making a building work so that people find it easy to do their jobs requires FM, maintenance, training, IT, HR, occupational health and health and safety to all collaborate effectively and efficiently. FM cannot deliver best practice in isolation from these other business functions,” says Susan Scott-Parker, CEO and founder of Business Disability Forum.

One in three people aged 50 to 65 will have a disability. Statistics such as this highlight a genuine need to make buildings work for the extreme user — given that they then work better for everyone.

“Disability-competent FM ensures that the workplace adapts so that these valued employees can continue to contribute to business success. The question should be ‘what can we do, that would make it easier for everyone to do their jobs?’ It is counterproductive and needlessly expensive to require people to prove that they have a medical condition before you make it easier for them to be productive,” says Scott-Parker.

Lloyds Bank, since implementing a new system for delivering workplace adjustments has seen:

Talking ’bout my generation

Perhaps part of the answer to managing the challenge of the multi-generational workplace is to allow choice.

“By offering a high degree of flexibility in space and in ways of working — along with the autonomy to exercise that choice — all staff will benefit,” says Monica Parker, Workplace director at Morgan Lovell. “This creates a workplace that supports not just all generations, but all types of people — introverts and extroverts, creatives and actuaries, roamers and residents, visual and kinaesthetic.”

Parker believes that by failing to offer this type of flexibility employers “risk lower performance and higher attrition”. As for how to best achieve this type of work environment, Parker advocates the use of a “socially scientific and sound evidence-based programme” — in the belief that “asking people’s opinions is a great start, but not good enough” and that “FMs need to look more at the customer experience and less at the nuts and bolts of managing a building”.

One organisation that has undertaken some innovative research into the issues of multi-generational workplaces is Kinnarps. It has recently opened a “showroom” in Clerkenwell, examined the issues full on, and reflected on the research it had undertaken in partnership with Professor Jeremy Myerson over the previous 15 years.

“The space is designed as a living example of how the workplace might adapt to meet the demands of both the more agile employees of today and a multi-generational workforce,” says Marc Bird, head of marketing UK/marketing business manager central at Kinnarps. “The conclusion that Professor Myerson came to — which we have brought to life — is that FMs need to consider providing a more varied choice of work settings to suit individual needs. Those needs may be driven by the type of work being undertaken as well as the age and abilities of the person doing it. An older worker may prefer a comfortable seat in a quieter corner with brighter lighting, whereas a younger team member may prefer a buzzy environment, standing up with a headset and less harsh light,” says Bird.

“The typical workstation of the past was rather like a Swiss Army knife; it tried to support every need but was basically a compromise and not the optimal tool. By giving staff of all ages the ability to ‘choose the best tool for the job’ you are more likely to get the best from them and encourage them to fulfil their potential. So settings designed for specific tasks are more likely to deliver results,” says Bird.

Taking the whole idea to the final logical step, Kinnarps has used Professor Myerson’s summary concept of dividing work in its London office, providing settings in three specific modes: Collaboration, concentration and contemplation.

“Most work can be categorised into one of these three definitions, which simplifies the idea for employees to understand and adapt behaviour to,” says Bird.

Ageing, having accidents, being diagnosed with disabilities or health conditions — all are an inevitable part of the human condition. Organisations must understand this. There are real dangers involved in not adapting the workplace. Unnecessary absenteeism, long-term sickness, high staff turnover and unnecessary formal grievances, all of which have costs associated with them, will increase if workplaces are not inclusive.

“Senior managers will find it easier to work and contribute if the buildings are well designed and well managed. If FM can’t make changes to an office configuration, people may be forced to leave their jobs with the costs associated with unnecessary early retirement, loss of corporate memory and wisdom,” says Scott-Parker.

Organisations designing workspaces for multi-generational and disabled employees must involve them in the planning and design process. “Users need to test buildings. Can they find and open doors? Are those doors automatic or power-assisted? Can they get into and out of lifts? Is the signage legible? Can they get into the canteen? Can they reach across a counter? Are there inclusive toilet facilities? Do individuals with disabilities have their personalised evaluation plans? Ultimately, it is the building users who determine if the building really works,” says Scott-Parker.

Recurring opinions are that good design works for everyone, and that for organisations to prepare workplaces for a wide generational range they must simply treat people as individuals.

“The work is the same regardless of age, so employees need access to the same tools and to be surrounded by the same people. It’s their attitude to work or their outlook on life that might be different, but performing a task and delivering on what they are paid to do is no different,” say Colin Macgadie, creative director, and Phil Hutchinson, strategy director, at BDG Architecture + Design.

Macgadie and Hutchinson assert that segregating people by age “promotes typecasting or even worse — prejudice” and that “the essence of what we design for an increasing number of our clients is a choice for people to work in the most appropriate space for the activity they are doing. The issue of segregation goes further in missing the value of mixing youth with experience, which is the classic apprentice approach of learning.”

As for the dangers of not adapting the workplace for multi-generational use, Macgadie and Hutchinson suggest that perhaps specifically adapting the workplace for age could in itself be a problem.

“If we currently design to suit tasks and activity, making spaces more effective for organisations, to then make them more suitable for multiple generations just restricts use. Diversity of types of space and place, and choice over working environment should be at the heart of any workplace, regardless of age.”

Perhaps as long as they are thoughtful and inclusive from the beginning, good designers don’t need to change the way they design.

Lighting best practice – Illuminating experiences

Lighting is a vital factor governing whether or not a workplace is successful. Two top lighting experts give their opinions on best practice.

Shane P Cohen, international lighting manager at Humanscale, believes that FMs must not marginalise anyone within their workforce by ignoring their individual needs and allowing them to work in sub-standard conditions.

“Light is critical for everyone in the workspace; without it nothing else — seating, monitor arms, or height-adjustable desks — can be completely effective at helping employees to work comfortably and properly,” says Cohen.

“A single set level of light will never be right for everyone, or every task,” he says. “In order to enable a multi-generational and multi-disciplinary workforce of all ages, physical capabilities and work styles to collaborate together effectively in a single office environment we must provide individual, adjustable, customisable lighting to suit individual needs,” says Cohen.

David Clements, managing director at Future Designs, thinks that we can be in danger of over-complicating issues regarding the requirements of varying age groups.

“Correct lighting is a vital ingredient to the wellbeing of a workforce. The CIBSE lighting guide LG7 is intrinsically linked to the Health and Safety at Work Act. Non-compliant lighting can lead to legal action against employers, so the first and last requisite is compliance. There has been a drive toward localised task lighting, however, this comes at an additional cost plus increased power consumption.

“There are times when older people require slightly higher levels of light to work in, but then there are visually impaired younger people requiring the same higher levels. This is easily dealt with through lighting control systems that are installed within just about every new or refurbished office space using DALI control gear. This is now the industry norm,” says Clements. – See more at:http://www.fm-world.co.uk/features/feature-articles/the-generation-game/#sthash.EbJ9bu8Z.dpuf