Workspaces to Support Personnel Retention

Over the past many months we have been served up a daily dose of headlines reporting massive layoffs at firms of every size and scope. Few are the businesses unaffected by the economic downturn, and as companies shed staff to cope with decreasing revenues the productivity pressures on those that remain increase in order to maintain critical functions.

"Today, perhaps more than ever before, the workplace environment takes on added importance as an employee retention strategy," says Mark Bassil, vice president and co-founder of MAiSPACE, a modular office furniture manufacturer based in Mt. Olive, NJ. "Physically attractive, eminently comfortable workspaces can be instrumental in keeping critical talent 'on board' instead of looking for other employment opportunities, even in a slow job market. Management must take a proactive stance on this by providing outstanding workspaces - as well as by being up front with staff in terms of the business outlook."

Attention to workplace design will also pay dividends when economic conditions turn around. "Some pundits predict a 'talent war' as companies that have shed staff find themselves competing against each other to acquire top-notch personnel," Bassil states. "Recruiting for high-technology jobs is expected to be intense as the recovery proceeds," he says, citing a Labor Department forecast of 2 million such openings by 2014. All other things being equal, potential recruits will tend to sign with companies that show a commitment to excellence in the workplace environment, he believes.

An Exceptionally Affordable Systems Furniture Solution

Revamping workspaces in a down economy is a tough decision to make, but solutions developed at MAiSPACE are in place to mitigate the financial impact of office upgrades. "Our business plan since 1993 has focused on providing beautifully designed, superbly constructed systems furniture at price points averaging 40% below what is offered by manufacturers of comparable quality," Bassil states. "Recognizing the need to balance the state of the economy with the importance of elegant interiors we now offer qualified customers zero percent financing for up to 36 months for a completely furnished, move-in-ready workplace within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the order."

Bassil cites as an example leasing furniture for a 10,000 square foot office. "At our zero percent offer this would lease at $4,167 per month for 36 months based on our typical $15 per square foot installed cost," he says.

Other Retention Tools

"MAiSPACE has long maintained that systems furniture is a major component enabling interior designers to create exciting, eclectic office interiors," Bassil says. "One of the ways it accomplishes this is by permitting employees to express their individuality in developing their personal space. Colors, textures, floor plans, structural components and furnishings from MAiSPACE help make it happen. We offer 18 panel segment options such as laminate, Coverseal, woodgrains, painted metal, embossed steel, brushed stainless steel, airflow, clear glass, frosted glass, textured glass, fabric, tackable/acoustical tiles, power/data tiles, marker board and paper management." Workspace components including easily positioned shelves, files, storage bins, ergonomically correct seating and worksurfaces along with personal storage towers further support customization.

The advent of the "green workspace" is also gaining importance as a recruiting and retention tool. "Our products are GREENGUARD® certified for low emitting interior building materials, furnishings, and finish systems," Bassil says. "Moreover, we follow the 'cradle to cradle' process, which focuses on manufacturing products out of parts that can be recycled several times and produced using the least environmentally harmful methods. Component parts can be dismantled and incorporated repeatedly into new versions of the same product while scrap can be returned to manufacturers to make new products."

High-Capacity Data Networks Help Reduce Stress
With fewer staff handing more tasks a high-capacity local area network (LAN) becomes critical. "Skilled personnel demand speed and reliability in their company's LAN," Bassil says. He notes that many systems furniture designs treat cabling infrastructure as an afterthought. "MAiSPACE addresses this head-on with its patented design comprised of plug-and-play connectors, lay-in cabling and the largest cable capacity in the industry," he points out. "The solution conforms to telecommunications industry standards for horizontal cabling systems in open offices," he says, commenting that a smoothly running office communications infrastructure is critical to support employee morale.
When Business Improves

Flexibility is another design issue essential to furnishing today's workplaces. The beauty of systems furniture is that when business improves, staffing increases can easily be accommodated by progressively increasing the number of workspaces. "Our guarantee against obsolescence provides assurances that new modular office furniture elements will match perfectly with existing components," Bassil says. "Modifications or alterations in floor plans can be managed quickly, usually overnight by a company's on-site maintenance personnel."
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