Let me start by conceding that the state of the world looked nothing like it does today when I stepped out of college and into my first full-time job a mere three years ago. I know I certainly could have used a road map for navigating the major life transition at that time, so I can only imagine how game-changing a few words of advice are for those attempting to enter the “workforce” at this particular moment in time.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not qualified to dole out career advice, but I am in a position to recommend a few key staples that will lay the foundation for a chic and professional work wardrobe and will (hopefully) see you through to a fulfilling career. I landed my current job at Who What Wear fresh out of college and promptly focused on upgrading my wardrobe to align with my new role and daily life in an office. But being a recent post-grad in my early 20s, I didn’t have the budget to completely overhaul my closet (nor did I want to necessarily), and so I forced myself to be selective with what I did invest in. I looked for pieces that would be versatile and timeless so they’d live in my closet for years and, above all, ones that felt polished and professional for this new working life.
Looking back, I’m happy to report that I think I did a pretty good job with building out a work wardrobe in my 20s, and I hope that many of these items will also see me through to my 30s and, hey, maybe beyond! Keep scrolling to discover the six staples I recommend investing in.
But there’s are a couple surprising elements of the work experience you may never have considered: Artwork and connections to cultural activities.
While it’s lovely to wander a museum on a Saturday afternoon or enjoy a sculpture park on a crisp fall day, art is usually not what people consider when they think of the ideal office experience. But with all the disruption in how people work, where they work and why they work—reimaging the office with unexpected perks of art and culture makes perfect sense.
A new study by Brookfield Properties, examined the impacts of enriched offices—those which featured art, sculpture, beautiful design and elements which made them aesthetically rewarding—beautiful places people wanted to be. They also considered places where people were brought together with cultural, social or wellbeing events (think: art walks, community/company gatherings or meet-the-artist events).
They found big differences in peoples’ productivity, satisfaction and creativity based on these experiences.
Beautiful surroundings can energize, motivate and inspire.
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Great Offices Deliver Great Results
The great debate about where people do their best work is in full swing, but a critical element of the discussion is the nature of the office.
Satisfaction
Only 38% of those surveyed liked the atmosphere of their office, but for those with access to cultural, wellbeing or social events, the percentage rose to 63%.
Fully 41% said their office is badly designed and 37% said it is uncomfortable. Those most likely to report these experiences work in offices which lack beauty or aesthetic design elements.
Inspiration and Creativity
Only 24% of people feel inspired by their jobs, but this jumps to 39% when people work in enriched offices.
Overall, only 18% of people said their offices encouraged them to be creative in their work, and only 10% felt a sense of creative energy. But when they had enriched spaces or access to cultural or wellbeing events, 32% felt inspired and creative.
Effectiveness and Wellbeing
A large percentage, 64% said cultural and social events in the office helped them work more effectively.
Fully 69% said having interesting and visually attractive art pieces in the workplace contributed to their wellbeing.
And 77% said their wellbeing is improved by having interesting social, cultural, wellbeing events in the workplace.
Great Offices Draw People In
The quality of the work experience makes a big difference in people’s motivation to come to the office—especially when the opportunity for socializing or drawing boundaries are involved.
The study found 62% of people preferred working in an office rather than working from home. And the percentage rose to 75% when they worked in offices which were richer in terms of art, design and aesthetics.
Socializing was also a draw. Specifically, 77% of people enjoyed coming into the office so they could connect with colleagues, and 72% were motivated by the presence of colleagues in the office. Three quarters (72%) of people also said they preferred the office when they had access to cultural, social or wellbeing events. In addition, 66% said working with their leaders inspired them.
Work-life boundaries were also positively impacted. Fully 66% said coming into an office gave them a good delineation between work and life, and this percentage rose to 76% when their office conditions were more enriched.
Create spaces which are beautiful, activated and connected to the community.
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Enriching Offices
The conclusions from this study are clear: Great office experiences draw people in and contribute to positive results.
Spaces
Companies have the opportunity to create great work experiences with plenty of choice and control and which offer a wide variety of settings to support all kinds of work (think: focus, collaboration, learning, socializing and rejuvenating). In addition, they can display art and feature areas where people can make, hack and bring an artistic bent to their efforts. They can also ensure nature is part of the experience with the texture, color and beauty brought into the space with elements like water, daylight, plants and views.
Activation
Organizations can also activate their spaces with events which help people feel connected to the region, the company and their coworkers. Events featuring wine (or iced tea) and cheese with executives for employees work well, but also think broadly about the organization’s role in the community. Invite the community in for a fund-raising auction, host an art fair on the company grounds or sponsor an evening celebrating local dance customs.
One food company in the eastern U.S. hosts lunches for community members once per week during the summer months, and a financial firm in the pacific northwest opens their café to community members as a work club on Mondays and Fridays. A pharma company in the western U.S. invites employees’ children in for Halloween trick or treating.
Art and Beauty
Organizations can also be creative about how they make art part of the work experience. One tech organization in the Midwest gives every employee the opportunity to spend a stipend on a piece of art of the employee’s choice which becomes part of the corporate collection. Their grounds are vast, and they offer bike rentals and opportunities for the community to do self-guided tours of the facility’s outdoor art and architecture on weekends.
A manufacturing company in western Canada displays (only) art from local artists. At a healthcare organization in the south, artists regularly visit the facility offering to do quick oil paintings of patients and families. An insurance firm in the Midwest has one of the largest corporate art collections and they open their doors to the community once a year to put their collection on display. A consumer goods company with nature trails featuring sculptures, invites community members to use the space alongside employees who use them as well.
In Sum
Great experiences help people connect with others and feel part of a community which is larger than themselves—contributing to motivation. Beauty is meaningful as well. People value a positive aesthetic experience, and they gain energy from their surroundings. All of these make a well-designed and an intentionally inspiring experience worth the effort.
