Can a Headquarters Impact Employee Retention? Absolutely!

When you think of your organization’s headquarters, you probably think of it as your base of operations. It’s the place where most of your staff reside, handling the behind-the-scenes aspects of your institution. But is your headquarters working for you, or against you? Our teams at NewGround have studied what impacts employee retention, and as a result, have discovered several notable factors in regard to headquarters design.

While the headquarters building may seem like the place for your employees to shine, it might be pushing them away. Thankfully, there are ways to check and know for sure if your organization is helping or harming your success.

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Enjoyable and Functional Workspace

The first key factor of employee retention is an enjoyable and functional workspace. When employees are working in their spaces, are they able to work effectively, or is a lack of space holding them back? Are close cubicles making it difficult for them to complete daily tasks? Do they often have to leave their space and travel across the building to get what they need? These questions are all indicators that a lack of necessary space is preventing an employee from working in an enjoyable and functional manner. Employees should feel empowered in their spaces, not held back by what they can’t do. To help employees feel empowered, modern headquarters should always give employees the space that they need to succeed. If an employee isn’t getting that support, there’s a higher chance of them leaving for better opportunities.

Amenities Are a Necessity for Employee Retention

Another important factor when examining the effectiveness of your headquarters is to consider employee amenities. Many growing organizations NewGround works with design spaces that include employee amenities all aimed at improving employee quality of life in the office. These amenities can include a gym, coffee bar or café, recreational space, and more. While each office has its own unique spin on what amenities they do or don’t want to include, a basic level of employee amenities is necessary to keep employee retention numbers high.

“We take the extra step to interview and survey employees to determine what amenities they’d like to see included in a headquarters. We’ve found that institutions who implement employee amenities and listen to their staff will retain more key talent,” says Kevin Blair, NewGround President and CEO.

Meeting and Conference Space for Future Needs

Space is a critical factor for employee retention at any headquarters location. Have you had to transform meeting rooms and spaces into employee cubicles? Employees shouldn’t feel cramped or shoved into corners that otherwise weren’t meant for employee workspaces. Aside from just general workspace, meeting and conference space should also be considered. Do you have enough conference space for your current and future needs? Is your employee count expected to grow over the coming years, and can you account for this growth? All departments and teams must have meetings. Maintaining proper space for meetings and conferences is key to keeping employees happy.

Team Collocation is Critical to Employee Retention

Consider where your team is located. Are they all near each other, in a space where they can collaborate and meet regularly? Are they spread out? Furthermore, where are they located in regard to other important teams they collaborate with regularly? When evaluating your headquarters, consider how your teams interact with each other. If the design of a space leads certain employees and teams to be cut off from each other, communication breaks down. Having teams too close to each other in a cramped space can also be a problem. Finding the right balance is key, and team collocation is critical to a successful headquarters and employee retention. Employees who feel cut off from other staff or teams won’t feel welcome and are at a higher risk of leaving.

Overall, maintaining employee happiness is the easiest way to retain employees overall. Happy employees are productive employees. On the other hand, unhappy employees will leave for environments they’re more comfortable with. Our experience and expertise have taught us that headquarters that design their facilities around their employees will have greater success in retaining and attracting top talent. This includes having an enjoyable and functional workspace, new employee-centered amenities, plenty of meeting and conference space, and a focus on team collocation. If your headquarters is lacking in any of these qualities, your employee retention rates could suffer. Thankfully, NewGround is the solution.

Interested in learning more about other START headquarters qualities? Check out our START Overview to learn more!

How does your HQ/Main Office stack up? Click this link to answer just 20 questions about your headquarters and evaluate the state of your facilities.

Ready to take that next step? Click this link to connect with us directly!

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