Over the past few years, the creation of more collaborative, comfortable, and flexible environments has gained ground as organizations have come to understand the relationship between the physical environment, the employee experience, and business outcomes.
Currently, this discussion goes beyond offices and reaches industrial and logistics operations with force. In this scenario, factories, distribution centers, and warehouses are designed with a more strategic look. The goal is to consider not only operational efficiency, but also the experience of the people who make these operations happen.
This movement, in turn, is driven by increasing challenges related to the shortage of skilled labor, talent retention, and the need to increase productivity without compromising the safety and well-being of employees.
What is workplace in the industrial environment?
Applying the concept of workplace in t
he industrial environment means planning spaces that reconcile operational efficiency, safety, and employee experience.
More than creating living areas or modernizing facilities, it is about understanding how the environment influences the teams' routine and, consequently, can contribute to better results.
For this, factors such as ergonomics, lighting, thermal comfort, air quality, signage, operational flows, support areas, technology, and infrastructure become part of the business strategy.
Thus, each project decision can directly impact indicators such as productivity, safety, satisfaction, and retention of professionals.
Employee experience has become a competitive differentiator
Currently, digital transformation, automation, and the evolution of industrial operations have increased the demand for increasingly qualified professionals.
In this context, attracting and retaining this talent has become one of the main challenges faced by companies.
According to the global study REdefining the Industrial Workplace, developed by Cushman & Wakefield with professionals working in industrial and logistics operations around the world, 77% of employers in the industrial sector face difficulties in hiring qualified professionals.
In addition, replacing a specialized employee can represent a cost between 50% and 200% of your annual salary, reinforcing the importance of strategies aimed at retaining talent.
Regarding the employee experience, the survey also shows that only 46% of industrial workers say they have a positive experience in the workplace. In addition, only 29% say they maintain high energy levels throughout the entire workday.
In this way, these indicators demonstrate that investing in the employee experience is no longer just an initiative aimed at well-being and has started to directly influence the performance of operations as a whole.
Experience-Based Working: a new approach to the industrial environment
To respond to these challenges, the study presents the concept of Experience-Based Working (EBW).
The approach proposes that the work environment be planned considering three integrated dimensions:
• Place: the physical environment, including layout, infrastructure, comfort, technology, and security.
• People: the needs, behaviors, and expectations of employees.
• Performance: the results that the organization intends to achieve, such as productivity, quality, talent retention, and operational efficiency.
When these three pillars are developed in an integrated way, the environment is no longer just a space for the execution of activities. As a result, it starts to contribute directly to the performance of the operation as a whole.
Where to concentrate investments?
One of the key insights from the study is that not all investments have the same impact on the employee experience.
After evaluating approximately 40 categories of investments related to the industrial environment, the survey identified that only 8 to 10 of them exert a significant influence on the perception of professionals.
Therefore, this result reinforces the importance of data-driven decisions, prioritizing initiatives capable of generating concrete benefits for employees and companies.
Instead of indiscriminately expanding infrastructure investments, organizations can direct resources to more strategic solutions. In this way , they promote improvements in the daily experience of teams and, at the same time, in operational indicators.
How to apply the concept of workplace in industrial projects
Each operation has specific needs. Even so, some elements have been consolidated as part of the best practices for industrial and logistics environments.
Among them, the following stand out:
• Layouts that favor more efficient operational flows;
• Ergonomically planned workstations;
• Adequate lighting for each activity;
• Thermal comfort and air quality;
• Rest and eating areas compatible with the operational routine;
• Locker rooms and infrastructure to support employees;
• Smart signage and focus on safety;
• Integration between technology, operation and management of facilities.
In practice, these factors contribute to reducing fatigue and supporting safety. In addition, they improve the employee experience and increase the efficiency of operations.
The role of the workplace in the industry of the future
The evolution of the industry goes through topics such as automation, artificial intelligence, digitalization, and sustainability. However, even in this scenario, people continue to be one of the main assets of operations.
Designing environments that reconcile operational efficiency and employee experience becomes a competitive advantage. This is because organizations that invest in this strategy increase their ability to attract and retain talent, in addition to boosting productivity.
More than a trend, the workplace in the industrial environment represents a change of perspective: understanding that the physical environment can be a strategic element to boost business results.
Thus, as the challenges of the industry evolve, investing in smarter, safer and more people-centric spaces is no longer just a matter of infrastructure and becomes part of the growth strategy of organizations.
Get to know Cushman & Wakefield's solutions for industrial projects, workplace and development of corporate environments, supporting companies in the creation of spaces that combine operational efficiency, employee experience and value generation for the business.
Check out the full study here.
