Just Another Day at the Office?

LOS ANGELES-Setting is one of the most important components of any story. The conventional  “corporate office” has played a starring role in countless movies and television shows over the years—consider Wall Street, Office Space, and of course, the hit television series aptly named, The Office. The problem is, “the office,” as a character, has become highly typecast, and not in the most positive way.

Recently, a new movie called The Internship turned the old character of “the office” completely on its head. This time, the setting—and arguably the star of the movie—was the Google corporate headquarters in the Bay Area, where everything we thought we knew about “the office” was different.  This office was collaborative, technology-driven, productive, efficient, exciting. And people not only wanted to be there, but actually thrived in it.

And this isn't just fiction for the big screen. It's happening at Google and across Corporate America, from media and tech companies, to financial services firms, to real estate companies.  Even some law firms are kicking the tires on this new way of working.  

So what's really driving corporate executives to stand up and take notice? First and foremost, the growth of mobility and flexibility. The pervasiveness of mobile technology is completely altering the way we work today—people have the flexibility now to work from anywhere and no longer need to be chained to a desk to be productive. In addition, companies want to recruit and retain the best, most creative people, and the new generation of workers not only want to work differently than their parents, but expect to work differently.

At CBRE, we're asked by our clients on a daily basis about creative office trends. We know firsthand what's on the minds of corporate occupiers today, and workplace trends are at the top of the list. Regardless of industry, these occupiers are driven by the same thing: the need for enhanced collaboration and creativity in their business. And they are all coming to the same conclusion: that traditional environment, with its closed-in offices and cube configurations, simply doesn't lend it itself to this new way of working.

Given our position at CBRE, as an industry leader in commercial real estate, we wanted to change the way our office space works for the very same reasons. Particularly when we considered what we could do to improve the way we serve our clients, one major theme stood out: collaboration. The more we explored the opportunities, the more compelled we felt to take a dramatic shift to be out in front of these trends that we're regularly advising our clients about.

Don't be fooled by the traditional high-rise façade—our new space on the top two floors at 400 South Hope in Downtown L.A. is pushing the boundaries in just about every area. It's a completely collaborative environment, with no assigned offices or workspaces, regardless of title or rank. People can sit with a different group of people every day, depending on the project, the opportunity, or even their mood. The industry buzzword here is “free-addressing” and it's one of the most asked about workplace strategies.

Technology fuels mobility

It used to be that being at your desk more than the next guy (first to arrive, last to leave) was the marker of a hard worker with promotion potential. Today, we work in a 24/7 world, and people are pushing outside the traditional boundaries. They want to be mobile and flexible. They want to work in different environments, and not be penalized for it by their bosses or peers.They want to be inspired creatively, which means collaborating with different teams, sitting in different furniture, or experiencing a different view. And with technology today, this is not only possible, but it's accepted.

The way to support free-addressing is with an infusion of high-capacity technology. In today's business climate, there is a crucial need to be wireless, and technology has to support collaboration. From robust servers to store digitized files, to laptops, wireless telephones and wireless printing, to share screens with plug-and-play wiring for smart phones and tablets throughout the office, the technology has to be flexible, robust, secure, wireless and adaptable.

But the key to success when it comes to true innovative change isn't just technology and collaboration. Behavioral change is where the rubber meets the road.

At CBRE, we went to great lengths to research every detail of our new space, and through all, we've customized elements to work for us based on consistent and regular feedback from our people. Because status quo is easiest, one of the biggest challenges was getting people to recognize the inherent disadvantages of our traditional space configuration.  Once we did that, we then had to determine what we needed from a pragmatic standpoint—with free-addressing for example, security and confidentiality  were among of the top concerns that needed to be addressed.  Finally, we had to test how far the boundaries could be pushed.  Over time, even the biggest doubters began to think differently and get excited about the opportunity to be a leader in this area.

Game Changer

Research shows that the implementation of these workplace strategies is viewed by potential workers and customers alike as a sign of a progressive enterprise trying to support clients differently.  And for many companies, changing the way they use space has revolutionized their business. In the commercial real estate industry, it's a game changer. Our clients want real value, and the way we deliver this value is through integrated strategy that addresses every aspect of that client's need. These changes in the business require a change of environment to one where we're not separated from each other by walls and doors, or even by a name plate on a cube. Collaboration has become a critical factor in our business—and we think a differentiating factor as well.

Kevin Bender is an EVP with CBRE.  He focuses on representing office tenants throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, and has completed more than 5 million square feet of office lease transactions throughout his 17-year career. Based in Downtown Los Angeles, Bender is a member of CBRE's internal Steering Committee for the new Corporate Headquarters office, and has served as an advisor on all aspects of the space design. The views expressed in this column are the author's own.