The budget allocated for these actions can reach up to EUR10,000 a year per building, an amount, which has a minor impact on the owners’ rental income.
A survey conducted among employees working in the buildings in question found that such actions are desired at least one a month.
According to a survey conducted among the employees working in the buildings in question, such actions are desired at least once a month. Thematic and seasonal events, product samplings, personal development and education workshops or competitions offering prizes are the most appreciated ones by employees, while there is less interest in sporting activities.
The same survey revealed that employees would like amenities such as cafes, restaurants, fitness centers and pharmacies in the buildings where they work.
Last year, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox launched a new business line, Community Services, as part of its Asset Services department. This initiative targets office building owners with the goal of creating and implementing programs and events, as well as identifying tools to support tenants in their efforts and strategies to attract and retain talents in their premises.
Since the launch of this business line, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has successfully implemented these services in office buildings across Bucharest, covering approximately 150,000 square meters and accommodating up to 15,000 employees.
“The majority of employees in office buildings have the freedom to choose where they work from. It is evident that the most immediate benefit for them is working from home in order to save time and money on commuting,” said Mihaela Petruescu, partner asset services at Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
“As a consequence, office building owners and tenants understand that the workspace must be as attractive as possible and it must offer experiences which are not possible when working from home or from a café. Our goal is to support landlords in maintaining a high level of tenant satisfaction, to provide additional arguments in lease renewal negotiations or to attract new tenants. Moreover, we would also like to contribute to the companies’ strategies of encouraging the work from office.”
She says the trend is to create unique events for employees, directly by companies and also by building owners. For instance, the “Make Food No Waste” workshop teaches how to reduce food waste and the Book Club encourages reading and discovering new perspectives together.
These initiatives complement the range of measures the owners adopt to attract and retain tenants, such as various facilities and incentives, and also the encouragement received by employees from their companies to work more from the office, such redesigning spaces to include socialization and teamwork areas, offering a healthy environment centered on the employee’s well-being.
In this context, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox believes that organizing events will become a norm, not only for office building owners, but also for those who own industrial & logistics parks, which also accommodate a significant number of employees. This trend is already present in countries within the CEE region, while the owners’ interest in implementing digital or classic marketing and PR strategies is increasingly prevalent.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)