Every good business leader knows that their enterprise’s success hinges on the talent level they have on board. They are also aware that the more driven and motivated their people, the more productive they’ll be. But finding and retaining the best talent is one of the biggest challenges faced by employers. There are some fairly straightforward tips you can follow when it comes to winning the war for talent. But should we not be thinking outside the proverbial box if we’re going to scoop the edge over our competitors?
How to win the war for talent is a popular internet search. And it’s no wonder, as swathes of business leaders all battle to find and keep the best people. According to McKinsey, almost a third of senior leaders cite finding talent as their most significant managerial challenge.
Yes, you can hone your hiring process. Naturally, you can choose to pay more to win the war for talent. You can certainly take steps to strike a good work life balance for your teams, although you’ll have to do more than just pay lip service to it. And supporting your people in their personal growth and career goals will play a key role.
But in reality, it’s going to take a lot more than this. These days, people are attracted to work for particular organisations for different reasons than a few years ago.
Numerous Future of Work studies have revealed that money and status are no longer key drivers. What really matters today for staff is having a sense of purpose, a feeling of being valued, and a perception of being connected with their employer via a shared vision and mission.
People are, more than ever, choosing companies that show a clear dedication to working for a greater good… companies with upfront Environmental, Social and Governance policies, and with a commitment to investing in the latest technology to help improve the workplace experience.
Technology is definitely key when it comes to winning the war for talent. It has the power to support literally ‘all of the above’, creating healthy, happy, productive places for people to work, and backing business leaders on their mission to be a sustainable, respectable employer. All of which contributes to attracting and retaining the best talent.
How can smart building technology help in winning the war for talent?
There are numerous ways in which switching to a smart building can make an organisation a stronger magnet for great talent.
Smart buildings control and regulate a variety of building management functions automatically. This they do by employing a network of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, together with machine learning and artificial intelligence-powered automations.
The benefits of the smart building start with the business owner, filtering through to C-suite, management and employees. And they apply at every level, which is significant because, without doubt, talent is important at every level. There is no room for gaps in morale if productivity is to thrive organisation-wide.
Smart buildings support everything from energy saving strategies, to creating a healthy workspace, and from streamlining everyday tasks and removing productivity-busting frustrations, to developing a sense of community at work.
Let’s take a closer look at how smart building technology can help when it comes to winning the war for talent.
The lure of the workplace community
A great workplace experience is of significant appeal to incoming talent. And it all hinges on creating a sense of community. It’s something that’s even more important in these times of hybrid and remote working models, where teams are physically dispersed.
People want to feel like they’re part of a collective with common goals. And smart building technology can make this happen, courtesy of the likes of smart office community features, such as newsfeeds that bring local events, special offers and community chat forums direct to workers’ smartphone screens. Some smart building apps will also feature in-app messaging and call tools, allowing everyone to build their company-wide networks.
A healthy place to work
The focus on personal health has never been so intense since the pandemic shook the world. And that’s why today’s talent is looking for an employer who will support their well-being goals and provide them with a healthy place to spend their working hours.
As well as providing access to a gym, bicycle hire and/or storage and benefits such as private healthcare and well-being events, employers also need to take steps to create a healthy building.
A ‘healthy building’ is one that boosts workplace morale and productivity. It’s a place that staff will look forward to spending time in every day. It will benefit from plenty of natural light, low noise pollution, consistent thermal conditions, excellent ventilation and water quality and good indoor air quality.
Of course, achieving all of the above isn’t always going to be a straightforward task, especially in an older building that hasn’t been designed from the ground up to support modern demands. However, smart building technology can transform almost any traditional building management system, using sensors, thermostats and other connected devices together with artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate a whole host of functions.
Smart HVAC, (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) can, for example, boost workplace comfort by monitoring and improving indoor air quality. Not only will it automatically adjust temperatures to suit changing climatic conditions, it will also alert facilities managers to any developing risks to workplace health caused by dangerous levels of airborne toxins.
Smart lighting has the ability to calculate optimum lighting settings and, with the use of artificial intelligence, alter the type and tone of lighting to suit current conditions.
If you are serious about winning the war for talent, then creating a healthy workplace should feature at top of your priority list.
Put your people in control of their own working environment
Productive and contented workers are those who are in control of their own working environment. One of the most beneficial features of smart building technology is its ability to allow individuals to control lighting and temperature in their own personal workspace via an app on their smartphones.
It is also possible to send feedback via the app, so workers can relay any issues they might have around the likes of noise pollution, indoor air quality and lighting. Facilities managers get useful feedback, and workers feel their input is valued.
Make everyday tasks frustration-free
Everyday workplace frustrations can thwart productivity and prevent people from getting their jobs done efficiently and using their skills to their full potential. Things like accessing digital platforms, wayfinding and booking a meeting room or workspace that suits particular needs can all cause unnecessary headaches.
Did you know for example that the average worker has to sign in to 10 apps every day? Whether they’re accessing particular parts of the building or logging on to a software platform, having to recall numerous credentials and spend time entering them is a tiresome business.
However, in the smart building, a feature known as single sign on access control introduces role-based, secure sign-on to everything with a one-time login. Daily headaches relieved, workers can focus their attention on making the most of their talents, rather than messing around with logins.
Digital wayfinding is another smart building feature. Never again will a member of staff feel lost when trying to find their way to that meeting room or breakout zone (or even the washroom facilities), thanks to on-screen directions they can access via their smartphones. Automation plays a valuable role here, delivering directions the instant a meeting is booked.
In organisations where hot desking and activity based working form part of the productivity model, frustrations can arise where staff are trying to locate the right desk in the right location with the right people and conditions. Securing a meeting room can be a challenge too. But in the smart building, automated meeting room and desk bookings streamline the entire process.
There’s even an automated visitor management system that tracks, monitors and records visitor information, bringing efficiency to the sign-in process, freeing up resources, boosting security and enhancing the visitor experience in the process. It’s helpful for workers too, because all they have to do is book a meeting, and everything from issuing their guest with a car parking pass to providing them with wayfinding instructions is taken care of automatically.
Support your company environmental policy
Potential candidates are increasingly looking for employers who share their concern for the environment. Organisations that are serious about winning the war for talent will therefore need to be on the case when it comes to reducing energy waste and cutting the carbon footprint.
In the smart building, it is possible to set automated processes that can considerably cut energy wastage.
Internet connected sensors relay live energy usage information to a central dashboard, which facilities managers can then use to predict energy needs against external factors, such as climatic and seasonal fluctuations.
Automations can also be set to handle particular conditions to improve the working environment as well as reduce energy waste, such as switching off air conditioning, heating or lighting when a room is empty; reducing light intensity when natural light is sufficient or switching off lights when a room is empty; turning down the heating as temperatures rise outside, and alerting cleaning staff to service washrooms or meeting spaces only after use, rather than on a set schedule when resources would otherwise be wasted.
Sensors can also be used to detect energy draining appliances, as well as inefficient processes that could be wasting energy.
Environmental Social Governance
Environmental Social Governance (ESG) is something that highly skilled professionals are seeking out when choosing a place to work. And leading organisations are already tapping into the power of smart building technology to help them win the war for talent.
In the smart building, both environmental and social factors can be managed in a highly efficient manner.
From creating a sense of community and giving individual workers control over their personal working environment, to securing healthy building status courtesy of indoor air quality and lighting automations, and smart-controlling energy use to prevent waste, there is plenty a smart building can contribute towards ESG.
How can Smart Spaces help with winning the war for talent?
Smart Spaces is a cloud-based platform driven by internet-connected sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, all of which combine to manage and automate a whole host of workplace activities, transforming traditional buildings into ‘smart buildings’.
When it comes to winning the war for talent, Smart Spaces supports a whole host of strategies to help attract and retain the best people. From creating a streamlined, frustration-free workplace and building a sense of community, to managing crucial energy saving programmes and making the workplace a healthy and pleasant place to be, Smart Spaces places advantage in the hands of the business leader when it comes to building the best possible workforce for future growth.
To learn more about how Smart Spaces can help you win the war for talent and reap the many benefits that come with it, you are welcome to request a free demo or get in touch.
