Think outside the box for successful employee engagement

Report shows employers need to think beyond the business and outside the traditional office setting to create an engaged, productive workforce

Sodexo’s  2012 Workplace Trends Report offering a unique perspective on the workplace that combines insight from clients, academia, principal research, and leading facilities management and human resource trade organizations.

The research predicts continued focus on well-being and the ability to deliver a unique value proposition to business communities that focuses on not only integrated, effective and efficient use of space, but also the performance of human capital. Employees are looking to organizations for tools and resources to help them simplify their lives, stay healthy and balanced, and bring their "whole self" to work as these continue to be top drivers of engagement. Employee engagement, productivity, brand image and loyalty continue to be relevant measures of success.

"For any business wanting to grow, these trends show there is a premium on programs that are outcome driven and on sustainable results that address both people and physical space," said Michael Norris, COO and market president for Sodexo's Corporate segment.

The 2012 report* identifies ten key Workplace Trends:

• Integration of Workplace Solutions: Creating Higher Value 
•  Workplaces That Promote Sustainability 
•  Inclusive Workplaces 
•  It's All About Me: Rewards and Recognition 
•  Virtual Workforces 
•  The Built Environment as a Driver of Employee Engagement 
•  Evidence-based Space Design 
•  Quantifiable Employee Health and Wellness Initiatives 
•  Psychological Health in the Workplace 
•  Flexible Workplaces

"We studied research over the last year to understand what issues are top of mind for our clients and what are the benchmarks in the overall market," added Rachel Permuth-Levine PhD, MSPH, senior director, outcomes-based research and solutions for Sodexo's toLive workplace strategies. "Our team predicts these trends are the direct link to designing environments that enhance individual performance, foster collaboration, and contribute to the well-being of employees - it's the workplace of the future."

Sodexo's experts in human capital solutions used mixed-method research to monitor and collectively examine trends that affect the quality of daily life of their consumers in the workplace.

This approach included traditional quantitative measures such as end user satisfaction and preference surveys, psychographic analysis at client sites, and a literary review consisting of consultant reports, academic and trade journals, and information from industry associations. The research team also gathered data from several social media properties, including LinkedIn and Twitter. The 2012 Workplace Trends Report represents a sample size in excess of 800 end users.

White Paper: Ten Reasons Why It Pays To Be Anti-Social!

White Paper: Net Promoter Drives Word of Mouth across Industries