Creating Community in the Workplace Requires a Tenant-Centric Approach

creating community in the workplace requires a tenant centric approach
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People in the modern workforce, will spend most of their adult life at work, and chances are, they work in an office building. This isn’t a new sentiment, but as the modern office is continuously being revolutionized by technology, landlords are becoming more and more attuned to the needs of their tenants.

Countless organizational and community psychological studies have found that a sense of community in the workplace is a significant indicator of employee well-being. A study on community in the workplace demonstrated that “among employees, predictors of psychological well-being are length of service and sense of community referred to the local community.” Further, the findings of a 2017 study “support the notion that sense of community is a better predictor of employee well-being” than other measures.

There is a long-established relationship between workplace community and employee well-being, but what does this mean for commercial real estate? PWC’s 2020 Emerging Trends in Real Estate predicts that today’s workers expect workplace convenience to “work smarter and faster, their work life to be more integrated with their non-work life, and to build community with others who share the same purpose, mission, and values.” Thus, this trend demands a curated experience: “one that is ‘memorable but driven by convenience.’”

Enter: Tenant Experience

At HqO, we focus on helping people activate the different pillars of their daily work life: convenience, food & beverage, entertainment, mobility, security, sustainability, accessibility and wellness. Creating a curated experience for tenants is our bread and butter; we help people to love where they work.

Click Here for a more in-depth look at the Pillars of Tenant Experience.

HqO’s Tenant Experience Team helps craft the strategy, create content, deliver tenant events at our customer buildings, and we collaborate directly with property teams to ensure that the content is exciting and that their tenants’ needs are met.

The result? A tenant experience that fosters a sense of community in the workplace by helping unite not only the employees within tenant’s company, but entire buildings and portfolios.

Here’s a prime example of this: The Hive happy hour we held during the first week we moved in. Tenants from all five buildings of the Boston Downtown Crossing campus had the opportunity to connect in a way they never had before. Tenants came together to enjoy catered food, a full bar, and great conversation!

During launch events, our Tenant Experience Specialists get the chance to not only talk about the HqO app, but also interact with tenants. Here are just some of the quotes from tenants our specialists have noted:

“I would have downloaded the app just to book the conference room, but this whole thing is amazing.”

“This new Hive app lets you get in using your phone. Can’t wait to try that tomorrow!”

“You guys really uplifted the building since you’ve been here.”

Large Scale TeX

In our recent EQ Office case study of HqO’s implementation in The Willis Tower (Chicago), we share a video of Lydia Jordan-Parnell, Community Marketing Coordinator at EQ Office, in which where she remarked about the tenant experience at Willis:

“There is so much interest and buy-in and commitment from tenants, making it come to life, and people know: there is a team of folks looking out for me, that have my interests and my needs at heart. 

The presence of HqO in modern offices like these has done wonders to enhance the community-feel among tenants. Whether it be making their lives easier, uplifting the general mood with fun events, or just knowing that our team is dedicated to enhancing their experience, the lasting effects of a tenant experience platform are invaluable.

When more and more landlords see the need to enhance the sense of community in the workplace, the well-being of their tenants will be greatly enhanced. Success stories like these demonstrate the real-life impact our platform has and prove the relevance of a curated tenant experience.

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