The demographics of the U.S. workforce continue to shift: women now comprise nearly half of the U.S. workforce and the Millennial Generation has overtaken Baby Boomers as the largest generational cohort in the U.S. workplace.

Traditional workplace policies and practices have not kept up, and they are not empowering—and ultimately retaining—top talent among women or Millennials.

New research reveals that companies can improve workplace satisfaction and performance simultaneously among cohorts of women and Millennials by creating flexible work policies and fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration.

Via huffingtonpost.com >

Relationships are the foundation of any successful business partnership, and this is especially true about the relationship between a client and a designer. When tasked with redesigning the law offices of Nixon Peabody, Design Director Ken Wilson of Perkins + Will knew the first step was cultivating a strong relationship with his client.

Via callisonrtkl.com >

Many employers will tell you that when running a business, people are your prime asset. Your company’s success or failure depends on the work delivered by the people on your payroll, making it important to ensure they’re putting their best foot forward at all times. One way to achieve that is by keeping staff happy, since unhappy employees can damage your business’ bottom line.

As it turns out, the best way to do that is by improving your office design. Office search engine Office Genie asked 2,000 UK workers about their working environment in an attempt to find out which factors contribute most to workplace happiness. Workplace design came out on top with employees indicating the right design can boost their happiness by a whopping 33%. In comparison, other factors such as temperature (5%), light (6%), noise (8%), and social interaction levels (8%) have a very limited impact.

Via humanresourcesonline.net >

The concept of the workplace is evolving. Historically, the quest was to design the perfect workplace focused on the infrastructure and physical design, taking into account technological transformations, with business cost efficiency being a major driver. This approach, however, often neglected the human aspects and how the talent interacted in and around the space and how productivity was maximised.

This "single serving" mentality - buildings to house workers and workstations for employees - ignores the potential to transform urban spaces in cities worldwide into more holistic and human-centric precincts. As a result, commercial areas, especially central business districts (CBDs) around the world, turn into dead areas after dark and on the weekends. But it need not be this way.

Via businesstimes.com.sg >

Displaying art in the workplace can elevate employee performance, mood, and physical well-being, as well as bolster interpersonal bonds between employees and clients. Dozens of research studies conducted in the United States and Europe throughout the past 10 years have identified myriad ways — from the practical to the unconscious — that installing thoughtfully-chosen art in the workplace can improve employee experience and achievement, and help to communicate the right message to guests. In this brief guide, experts from PLASTARC summarize the many positive effects certain kinds of art can bring to employees and visitors, and share ideas about how to choose the best art for the workplace.

Via workdesign.com > [paywall]