Mirvac reveals results of adaptive workplace trial

Property developer Mirvac has announced the results from a successful trial involving implementing an adaptive workplace with a hybrid working environment at its Sydney HQ.

The pilot trial, which involved attracting people back to the workplace through changes to office design, was met with a positive reception from employees with an 88% employee satisfaction rating.

The trial meanwhile saw a 40% uptake in employees returning to the office, driven by a proactive approach to staff engagement.

For the trial, Mirvac set up various adaptive workplace zones, which were reconfigured 12 times in response to user feedback. The company introduced flexible furniture on wheels and wireless power and data sources to allow people to redesign space according to the task.

The most common configuration by employees was a horseshoe space shape with a table in the common space to facilitate collaboration and idea generation. Phone booths were also introduced to help solve the issue of meeting room availability.

Feedback from employees was that this flexibility was highly valued, according to Mirvac General Manager of Strategy and Customer Paul Edwards.

“Our employees told us that changing just one piece of furniture changed the culture and dynamic of the whole floor. They also told us how much they value being in the office to connect with their teams in person and how important it is to have the right spaces and technology available, so they can easily collaborate with colleagues working from home too.”

The survey also identified a disconnect between the desires and perceptions of employees and their behaviours in the real world, Edwards added.

“Taking a scientific, evidence-based approach to the design of the pilot, measurement of its usage and analysis of its results revealed some interesting differences between what employees think they want in the workplace and what their behaviours have proved they need or don’t need,” he said.

“For example, our employees told us they needed desk space, but when we looked at the data, it was clear from their behaviours individual workstations weren’t utilised as much as expected. Learnings like this helped us redesign the workspace and delivered tangible outcomes, validated by real research, which our customers can now be confident about implementing in their workplaces as they undergo their own transformations.”

The key takeaways from the pilot trial included the need to take a holistic approach and be flexible, Edwards said. Giving employees the choose to decide not only where they work, but how to curate their space when they choose to come into the office has the potential to increase productivity, engagement and overall satisfaction, he added.

Image credit: iStock.com/zamrznutitonovi