As employers struggle to get workers to return to the office for even just some days of the week, a recent experience illustrated the importance of demonstrating forethought and care in creating a workplace environment that people will want to experience.
A week and a half before its grand opening on Sept. 19, I had the chance to visit Marriott International’s new headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. The company had spent about six years from the time executives decided to move to a new building to actually moving in, and it definitely shows that the people involved in the design and construction of this company put a great deal of thought into making it a space that employees would actually enjoy working in.
I had the opportunity to speak with Leeny Oberg, Marriott’s chief financial officer and executive vice president of global business operations, about the new headquarters and get her thoughts on some of the economic issues challenging the hotel industry.
The new building embodies Marriott’s people-first culture, Oberg said. Every aspect of the building was designed with them in mind, such as the best kind of workspace and indoor and outdoor eating spaces and having natural lighting.
“It's all about the people,” she said. “I think frankly, particularly post-COVID given the challenges that the industry faced, that to be coming back to a work environment that is clearly designed to make your workplace a fantastic place to be, there is no better way to emphasize to your people how much they matter.”
I then met with a group of other industry journalists to receive a tour of the new headquarters from the company’s corporate communications team and some of the executives involved in the design of the building’s different spaces.
The building’s wellness floor was certainly impressive with the size of its fitness center and the wide array of equipment available for employees to use. What really impressed me along with having a nurse and health coach on staff was the room available for nursing mothers. There were reservable spaces separated by curtains available behind a locked door where employees could pump in peace and — just as importantly — privacy if they wanted. There was a full refrigerator available to store their milk, and two microwaves to warm up food if they wanted to eat.
I mention this because I know from conversations I’ve had with my wife and hearing or reading stories shared about workplaces that were less than accommodating to new mothers who needed to pump after having a baby. Coming back to work from maternity leave doesn’t mean they stop being a parent, so it’s great to see that Marriott took this into consideration when designing its wellness floor.
Speaking of not stopping being a parent when you’re at work, the building also has a whole floor dedicated to childcare for employees. Marriott partnered with a respected early childhood education program to provide childcare for employees with children too young to start elementary school.
My wife and I both have jobs, but we thankfully have family nearby who were able to watch our kids before they were school aged while we worked. We often talked about how fortunate we were, as the cost of childcare likely would have required one of us taking on a second job. I can imagine the relief employees with young children have not only knowing they have someplace they can trust to watch their kids but also having them close by.
The top floor of the building, the J.W. Marriott, Jr. Associate Growth Center, named after Chairman Emeritus Bill Marriott, is where the company will host orientation for new hires and training for new and existing employees, including leadership development programs. Instead of being sequestered to the top floor, executives have offices throughout the building to be closer to their teams.
There are numerous other touches throughout the building intended to appeal to employees, such as the different dining and seating options, the floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light, open floor plans and open seating arrangements to allow for more collaboration among employees. One of the features I liked was a wide staircase that leads up from the lobby area that has sections where people can step aside off the main stairway and hold a conversation and not block the flow of others on the stairs.
Now, I don’t think every company must build a brand-new, 785,000-square-foot building for about $600 million in order to create a more welcoming workplace for employees. But you can see many of the elements involved here that can make a workplace feel more inviting, whether that’s in a corporate headquarters or at a hotel.
Setting aside the issues of pay, benefits and a positive, supportive work culture — only temporarily though because they are all crucial — having a physical space that shows the care intended for employees goes a long way. Whatever your circumstance, whether you’re in the middle of a lease or you’re moving to/building a new location, don’t make your employees feel like they are an afterthought. Make them your priority in whatever space you have.
See whether they’re content with their workspace. Ask what could be improved and, if it’s reasonable and doable, do it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a major project, though it can be, but it should at least be responsive to their needs and actually show how much you care about their well-being.
You can reach me at bwroten@hotelnewsnow.com or at @HNN_Bryan.
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