Oxygenz report -_2010

Generation Y and the Workplace Annual Report 2010

Global WorkPlace Innovation


2Copyright © 2010, Johnson Controls. Confidential. All Rights Reserved.Intellectual Property Johnson Controls, Haworth and iDEA.

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LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...........................................7

KEY FINDINGS ....................................................10

INTRODUCTION .................................................13

WHAT IS OXYGENZ .............................................14Research question .............................................14

WHO ARE THESE YOUNG UPSTARTS? ...................17

WORLD DEMOGRAPHICS .....................................22

WHO IS THE GENERATION Y IN USA ....................24WHO IS THE GENERATION Y IN INDIA ..................26WHO IS THE GENERATION Y IN CHINA ................28WHO IS THE GENERATION Y IN UK ......................30

WHO IS THE GENERATION Y? ..............................32Digital, Connected, Social ..................................32Challenging .......................................................32Scarce ................................................................33Transformational ...............................................33

DIFFERENCES EMERGE ........................................34Traditionals .......................................................36Baby Boomers ....................................................36Generation Y ......................................................37Generation X ......................................................37

METHODOLOGY .................................................38

DESIGN APPROACH ............................................42

BRANDOCRACY ..................................................44

OXYGENZ RESULTS .............................................46Choice Of Company ...........................................48Location .............................................................50Travel ................................................................52Ways Of Working ................................................55Creativity & Productivity .....................................58Behind Creativity & Productivity .........................60Facilities Management........................................62- Reception & Security ........................................62- Catering ..........................................................64Environment ......................................................66Workplace ..........................................................71- Style ................................................................71- Lighting ...........................................................74- Art @ Work ......................................................75Emotional Engagement ......................................78Workspace .........................................................80Social Networking ..............................................84Collaboration .....................................................86

Technology ........................................................90How technology is transforming work ................92

CONCLUSION .....................................................94India ..................................................................98China .................................................................99USA .................................................................100UK ...................................................................101

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYERS? 103

FOOTNOTES .....................................................106

KEY SPONSORS .................................................110

PARTNERS ........................................................113

AUTHORS .........................................................114

CONTACTS ......................................................117

Contents



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Figure 1: Who are the Millennials, aka Generation Y? ................................................................................... 19Figure 2: World Population in 2009 .............................................................................................................. 22Figure 3: US – Demographic pyramid, 2009 ................................................................................................. 27Figure 4: India – Demographic pyramid, 2009 ............................................................................................. 28Figure 5: China – Demographic pyramid, 2009 ............................................................................................ 31Figure 6: UK – Demographic pyramid, 2009 ................................................................................................ 32Figure 7: Choice of Company: per age group, all countries ......................................................................... 48Figure 8: Choice of Company for 18-25 yrs old ........................................................................................... 49Figure 9: Choice of Company for 18-25 yrs old, key countries .................................................................... 49Figure 10: Location of the office: per country, 18-25 years old .................................................................... 50Figure 11: Location of the office: Generation Y vs. Generation Y ................................................................. 51Figure 12: Mode of Transport: all ages, all countries ................................................................................... 52Figure 13: Mode of Transport: per age group, all countries ......................................................................... 53Figure 14: Mode of Transport: per country, 18-25 years old ........................................................................ 53Figure 15: Choice of car per age group ........................................................................................................ 54Figure 16: Pattern of Work: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries .......................................................... 55Figure 17: Preferred Level of Mobility: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old .................................................. 56Figure 18: Pattern of Work: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries .......................................................... 56Figure 19: Flexible Working Pattern – preferred vs. expected: per age group, all countries .........................57Figure 20: Flexible Working Pattern – preferred vs. expected: per country all countries for 18-25 yrs old ...57Figure 21: Creativity: per age group, all countries ....................................................................................... 58Figure 22: Productivity: Generation Y, all countries ...................................................................................... 59Figure 23: Reception Services: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries ..................................................... 62Figure 24: Level of services across the industry sectors, the age groups, per country. ................................63Figure 25: Food Facilities on site, Generation Y, all countries ...................................................................... 64Figure 26: Social Facilities on site, Generation Y, all countries ..................................................................... 65Figure 27: Environmental Workplace: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries .......................................... 66Figure 28: Environmental requirements for the workplace – per age group, all countries ...........................67Figure 29a: Environmental requirements per industry sector, 18-25 years old, per countries .....................67Figure 29b: Environmental requirements per industry sector, 18-25 years old, per industry sector ............68Figure 30: Preferred style in the workplace per age group and country ....................................................... 72Figure 31: Colours on the wall – 18-25 yrs old, all countries ....................................................................... 71Figure 32: Style per gender - 18-25 years old .............................................................................................. 73Figure 33: Finishes per gender – 18-25 years old ........................................................................................ 73Figure 34: Preferred finishes in the workplace per age group and country .................................................. 74Figure 35: Level of Lighting in the office ...................................................................................................... 75Figure 36: Level of Art in the workplace - 18-25 yrs old, all countries .......................................................... 76Figure 37: Preferences for Art in the workplace per industry sector, 18-25 years old, all countries .............77Figure 38: Comfort with Space: all respondents – per country ..................................................................... 81Figure 39: Level of comfort with space, sqm per person, 18-25 years old ................................................... 81Figure 40: Individual workspace: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries ................................................. 82Figure 41: Individual space preferred at work, 18-25 years old, per country ............................................... 82Figure 42: Collaborative Environment: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries ......................................... 86Figure 43: Access to collaborative spaces, 18-25 years old, per country ..................................................... 87Figure 44: Choice of collaborative space: per age group ............................................................................. 88Figure 45: Choice of collaborative space: per industry sector, all ages ........................................................ 89Figure 46: The Smart Workplace 2030 – Johnson Controls © 2009 ......................................................92

List of Figures



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The Generation Y values sustainability. The Generation Y is flexible, mobile, collaborative and unconventional.

The Generation Y prioritises opportunities to learn, work colleagues and corporate culture & value when it comes to deciding for which job to apply for.

The Generation Y prefers workplaces in an urbanised location with access to social and commercial facilities, good public Infrastructure and the ability to use public transport or drive to work.

The Generation Y prioritises collaboration and interaction in the workplace and requires particularly access to dedicated team spaces as well as ample breakout spaces.

The working environment of the Generation Y is a place they emotionally engage with, a space where they socialise in with other co workers and a space which supports their health and well being.

The Generation Y sees the workplace as a very important factor and values it as a place of learning and development.

The Generation Y privileges access to their own desk rather than desk sharing or hot desking (hoteling).

We must attach a great importance to diversity in our workplaces and the factors that must be taken into account when considering workplaces as a likely strategic weapon in the battle to attract and retain scarce young talent.

The advent of the Generation Y into the workplace is bringing new changes that need to be addressed. The Generation Y is, perhaps, the most digitally sophisticated generation we have ever seen. They are looking for a sustainable environment offering a social structure within both a physical and virtual environment.

The generation Y we studied, as we defined aged between 18 and 25, are techno-savvy and motivated and they are bringing with them into the workplace a load of cultural diversity, habits and behaviours inhibited in the way they act, work, communicate, exchange and relate to their environment, people and their management.

This report identifies how important the workplace is in attracting, recruiting and retaining Generation Y workers between the age of 18 to 25 years old and what factors contribute to talent management. The report categorises the main factors that appeal to them and help enhance their full potential, under seven categories: Real Estate, Facilities Management, Workplace, Workspace, New Ways of Working, Information Technology and Human Resources.

The results prove that:

Executive Summary



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When it comes to Facilities Management (FM), thepreference of Generation Y suggests that FM isnot only about managing buildings, but aboutsupporting people. FM service delivery will needto go further in the future to provide high qualitypeople focused services.

While the financial benefits of flexible working are clear to business owners, work will have to be done with Generation Y to help them to trade dedicated desks and personalisation for mobility and team oriented spaces. Mobile technology will be an unavoidable support here.

The workplace can directly support and influence the Generation Y through a workplace that enables individuals and teams to collaborate and engage with each other, and human resources policies which actively promote flexible working and alternative ways of working:

The workplace is important in attracting and retaining the Generation Y

The type of workplace and its location influences the choice of a company

The workspace allocation and technological provisions contribute to productivity and creativity

The working arrangements must be flexible and adaptable to satisfy a work life balance they demand

The workplace must support both formal and informal collaborative engagement and interaction

The workplace contributes to the level of emotional engagement of individuals with their work

The factors contributing to talent attraction and retention are expressed via:

Having the right workplace – location, access

Having the right workspace – design, layout, furniture and colours and style

Having the right atmosphere – meeting and social spaces for interaction and ambiance

Having the right technological platform – technology provisions, mobile devices

• Sustainable: 96% want an environmentally aware workplace

• Flexible:56%prefertoworkflexiblyandchosewhentowork

• Mobile:79%prefertobemobilerather than static workers

• Unconventional:40%oftheGeneration Y would like to take theircartogotowork,20%by public transport and 18% walking!

• LifeLongLearningExperience:The reasons for choosing a company are: 1:OpportunitiesforLearning 2:QualityofLife 3: Work Colleagues

• Collaborative:41%oftheGeneration Y prefers to have access to a team space and 32% prefers breakout spaces rather than a conventional meeting room

We have yet to feel the full force of this global trend. Will Generation Y continue to be such a special generation, feted and wooed for their talent, if the balance of power reverts to employers as labour markets tighten? Is this new generation of ‘aliens’ and ‘invaders’ really ready to transform our workplace in mega complexes, social hubs and high tech workspaces? Will employers be ready and engage to support these changes?

It remains crucially important to understand what things matter most to the 18 – 25 years old. The data reveal a fascinating insight into this new generation and how they are and behave compared to previous one.

Having understood these needs: Employers will find it near on impossible to

deliver on all theise demands Success will be about compromising and

determining the essentialsdetermining the essentials

Executive Summary Continued...



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Travel:

The UK: a nation of walkers The US and India: The car comes first China: Public transport is a prime choice

Location:

China: The highest demand for rural settings The UK: Back to the City and urban settings India: Workplaces must be located in urban

setting to attract the younger generations

New Ways of Working:

The generation Y is a flexible workforce with a high level of mobility

Young Women (18-25 years old) prefer more flexibility than men

The 46-55 years old are the age group preferring the most flexible working

The UK and the US Generation Y prefer to work far more flexibly, while China and India expect to work flexibly

Creativity and Productivity:

Creativity and Productivity: Creativity is all about having the right PEOPLE

around Productivity is all about having the right

TECHNOLOGY around The magic formula is: Technology + Ambiance

& Atmosphere + People = a creative and productive workplace

FMsupportservices:

The 18-25 years old are the most demanding generation

India has the most demanding workforce Media and Finance sectors are the most

demanding industry sectors Women are more demanding than Men

Social Spaces:

For the Generation Y, the workplace is a social construction and work is social:

Going to work is about meeting people and socialising within the working community

The Generation Y is a sporty and social generation: there is a high demand for sport and social facilities on site.

EnvironmentandSustainability:

It is about looking for a green deal at work Being Green – Working Green – Living Green:

The generation Y is an environmentally friendly workforce

The older generations are far greener than the younger generations

The Generation Y demonstrates a green aspiration through their journey to and through work: office location, mean of transport, ways of working, green policies…

Workplace:

The Generation Y is an emotionally engaged workforce:

Colours should be subtle and not too intense The light should be natural rather than artificial,

calling for wide windows and openings Finishes should be soft and made out of natural

and warm materials, rather than hard material

Style:

Style matters and should be modern rather than contemporary

Women are more attracted to modern interior than Men

Men are more attracted to minimalist interiors than Women

Art should be present in the office, but not too much of it!

Workspace:

They need to identify to and feel they own their workspace

The large majority still want to have their own desk

Less than a 1/5th are happy to share a desk Men are more comfortable in wider space

than women

Collaboration:

The Generation Y is team focused and places a great importance on work with and amongst a team: The Art & Design industry is the most eager

to collaborate and Engineering industry is the most team focused industry

China has the highest demand for breakout spaces combined with the highest preference for shared and hot desks

35-44 years old have the least requirement for formal meeting rooms

Key findings per category

Dr. Marie PuybaraudJohnson Controls

Director Global WorkPlace Innovationwww.globalworkplaceinnovation.com



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The Generation Y: LikeHowTheyWork-WorkHowTheyLike?

The newest and youngest members of work forcesall over the world are making their presence felt,causing businesses to re-think their workingpractices and adapt their working environmentto this breed of employees and managers. Generation Y is perceived as invading theworkplace, arriving like unruly and energetic guestsat a stuffy country house party and shocking thehouse guests who are already there. And they arebringing outsize luggage in the form of multipledigital technologies, their social networks, theirtech-savvy culture, new ways of contemplatingwork, new managerial forms.

Who is this generation of “invaders” and“transformers”? How will they or not modify ourworking environment? What are they expectingfrom their employer, their work in their workplaceand their way of working?

Introduction


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And from various key industry sectors we want to study:

Businesses have to compete to attract, develop, deploy and retain the services of skilled people. It is crucially important to understand what matters to them. In particular, we need to understand what things matter most to Generation Y and the Generation X, the youngest and newly entrants in the workplace.

This is exactly what Oxygenz seeks to find out. Oxygenz is an international research project, gathering rich data on Generation Y’s preferences around ways of working and workspace design.

5,375

Germany: 256

respondents including:

3,011(18-25-year-olds)

1,298 (26-35-year-olds)396 (36-45-year-olds)

The worldwide survey includes special samples from:

UK:607India: 897 China: 660US:1,217

690 Engineering

736 Finance

625

551491Media,Marketing& Communication

Art & DesignInformation Technology

{

Research Question:

Generation Y and the Workplace is a research

project that seeks to understand the

importance the 18 to 25 years old attach to

their future workplace.

How important is the workplace in attracting,

recruiting and retaining Generation Y

workers and what factors contribute to

talent management per industry sector,

country and gender?

What is...

OXYGENZ is a large-scale research project, which will make a significant contribution to companies’ knowledge on how they might use their real estate and facilities as strategic assets to attract and retain scarce talent. We must attach a great importance to diversity in our workplaces and the factors that must be taken into account when considering workplace as a likely strategic weapon in the battle to attract and retain scarce young talent.



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The newest and youngest members of work forces all over the world are making their presence felt, causing many businesses to re-think their working practices.

Baby Boomers, the post-world war II generation associated with social change, are beginning to retire in large numbers, taking their knowledge and experience with them. There are not enough of the new generation to replace this deficit, so their knowledge and skills are in demand.

There is another major reason why the generation Y is grabbing attention. Many commentators are claiming that Generation Y, as these young people are often called, are setting off a new wave of social and business transformation.

For the purpose of this study, we decided to study the Generation Y aged between eighteen and twenty-five, although some people include those born from 1980 onwards, putting the upper limit at twenty-eight. In our view, there are at least six reasons why we need to understand them and how they relate to work. They are a remarkable generation, and here is why...

The demographic data indicate that there are not enough of them coming in to the workforce.

They are transformational – they have grown in a different world to their parents – surrounded by modern technologies and a society of consumerism.

They do things differently – modern educational curricula have brought a wave of transformation in their life.

They are challenging – this is the most commonly agreed threat about this generation, but yet it has not been proved.

They are techno-savvy – the 20th and 21st centuries have brought and will continue to bring the most terrifying and transformational technological solutions to our world.

They are agile – multi-taskers – their agility to do different things at the same time is well known, but it does not mean it makes them more efficient in the way they work.

Who are these young upstarts?

A rising and powerful future workforce of the 21st century:

For the first time ever, in workplaces around the world,

we understand that four generations are working together.

Known as Generation Y (aged 15-29), they are the current

entrants into global workforce and estimated at:

1.7 billion worldwide, representing 25.5% of the world population



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workplace divas…energy…innovation…challenging…intellectual challenge…a new reality from work…workingflexibly…full of contradictions…conservatist…non-conformist…tech savvy…value driven…money grabbing…

The Generation Y apparently believes they can achieve anything. They have been called ‘workplace divas’1&6, millenials, homo zappiens… even Genys! But some say they even are ‘high maintenance, high risk and high output’2&7. They are strongly team-focused, collaborative, and seek meaning in work and opportunity to learn.

But also:

They are now under more financial threats than the previous generations since the 2008 and 2009 crisis

They have grown up with green issues into their society, but there is no evidence that it is actually embedded in their culture

They are more urban focused, and even more in the future with the growth of urbanisation

They quickly buy into new concepts and ideas while new technologies become more affordable, and invade our market at a fast pace

Source: Deloitte Consulting (2005). Who Are The Millennials, aka Generation Y?

Demographics

No definitive agreement on birth years; experts say somewhere between 1978 and 1995; most say 1981 to 1993

Children of Baby Boomers

Younger siblings of Gen Xers

Largest generation (75 million) after the Boomers (80 million), compared to the Gen Xers (40 million)

38% of millennials identify themselves as “non-white”

Positioned in history to be the next “Hero generation”

Tech-savvy

Connected…24/7

Self-confident

Optimistic

Hopeful

Independent

Comfortably self-reliant

Determined

Goal oriented

Success driven

Lifestyle centered

Diverse

Inclusive

Global, civic- and community-minded

Pulling together

Service oriented

Entrepreneurial

Millennials at work

Work well with friends and on teams

Collaborative, resourceful, innovative thinkers

Love a challenge

Seek to make a difference

Want to produce something worthwhile

Desire to be a hero

Impatient

Comfortable with speed and change

Thrive on flexibility and space to explore

Partner well with mentors

Value guidance

Expect respect

Figure 1: Who are the Millennials, aka Generation Y?

The majority of the sources describe the Generation Y as consumers, colleagues, employees, managers, and technological and social innovators. The sources explore communication styles, values, motivations, and characteristics, but not many studies focus on the aspirations of this young generation about their future working environment. Although they bring energy and innovation to the workplace,

the Generation Y is challenging to manage. They appreciate clear direction, demand immediate feedback on performance, expect to be consulted and included in management decisions, and demand constant intellectual challenge.

The Generation Y is demanding, as a right, a new reality from work. They insist on working flexibly, choosing when and where to work.

Here is an entire cohort secure in the knowledge that their well-to-do Boomer parents can bail them out of financial difficulty. If they don’t like their job they

can, and do, chuck it in and head

back to live with their parents.

The Impact of Digitalization – a

generation apart, KPMG International

Research Report, 2007.



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Although they bring energy and innovation to the workplace, the Generation Y is challenging to manage. They appreciate clear direction, demand immediate feedback on performance, expect to be consulted and included in management decisions, and demand constant intellectual challenge. However most employees would demand the same, generation Y or not!

There are at least three reasons why we need to understand Generation Y:

For a start, there are not enough of them. At least that is the case in the US, UK and Europe. As the Baby Boomers retire, there are millions fewer young people to replace them.

What’s more, they are a highly educated and skilled generation. Their already scarce skills are even more in demand in today’s globally networked, creative and knowledge economies. Generation Y’s skills and potential are crucial if economies are to move up the value chain.

The next reason to understand them is the way they use communication technologies, which is creating both challenges and opportunities in the workplace . Having grown up in the Internet age, members of the Generation Y are furious digital innovators.

Manuel Castells, the renowned sociologist, and hiscolleagues see the emergence of a new trend inglobal youth culture, which they call ‘networkedsociability’. Digitally connected or face-to-face,networked sociability is driving the Generation Y toform peer groups that become the context fortheir individual and collective behaviour5.

We know that the Generation Y is significant in our society. What else do we know about them? Why are they all that different from their older colleagues? How do they relate to their future working environment.

New technologies platforms like Web 2.0 havebeen adopted by entire generations... the internet,podcasting, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google,MSN and SMS are continuously on the mind ofthe Generation Y. But it also infiltrates otherolder generations, not only the Generation Y.

The majority of the sources describe Generation Y as consumers, colleagues, employees, managers, and technological and social innovators. The sources explore communication styles, values, motivations, and characteristics, but not many focus on the aspirations for their working environment.

The Generation Y are full of contradictions, or at least what is written about them is. They think like entrepreneurs and value relationships, are tech-savvy and creative, and are environmentally conscious and mobile8. They will in the future place a high premium on job security9 and they apparently currently job-hop. They are value-driven and money-grabbing (due to being saddled with high student loans)10. They are conservative11 and non-conformist12.



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As economies and businesses become more knowledge-intensive, knowledge and skills are at a premium. The fact that there are not enough of them only makes their talents even more attractive.

Apparently there is a dearth of Generation Y entering the workforce in Western Europe13. In the UK, for example, they are the smallest of the generations in the current total population. Increasing numbers of them are highly educated and their talents, as in the rest of the world, are in demand.

Worldwide In 2009, if we consider the wider definition of the generation Y (15-29 years old) and rely on current statistical database of the US Census Bureau, the wider Generation Y represents 25.47% of the world population, the wider Generation X (30 to 44) represents 21.32% of the population. The first of the Baby Boomers (45-64 years old) represent 18.55% of the world population and are due to retire in large numbers, starting in 2004, taking their knowledge and experience with them. Countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United States could lose more than a third of their government employees by 201015. Worldwide, within the age group which we research, they are more males than females, especially amongst the young generation (below 25 years old), while the older generation (above 50 years old) has more females than males.

Figure 2: World Population in 2009Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base14

The world population increased from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion by 1999, a doubling that occurred over 40 years. The Census Bureau’s latest projections imply that population growth will continue into the 21st century, although more slowly. The world population is projected to grow from 6 billion in 1999 to 9 billion by 2043, an increase of 50 percent that is expected to require 44 years. The world population growth rate rose from about 1.5 percent per year from 1950-51 to a peak of over 2 percent in the early 1960s due to reductions in mortality. Growth rates thereafter started to decline due to rising age at marriage as well as increasing availability and use of effective contraceptive methods. Note that changes in population growth have not always been steady. A dip in the growth rate from1959-1960, for instance, was due to

the Great Leap Forward in China. During that time, both natural disasters and decreased agricultural output in the wake of massive social reorganization caused China’s death rate to rise sharply and its fertility rate to fall by almost half.

In addition to growth rates, another way to look at population growth is to consider annual changes in the total population. The annual increase in world population peaked at about 88 million in the late 1980s. The peak occurred then, even though annual growth rates were past their peak in the late 1960s, because the world population was higher in the 1980s than in the 1960s.’

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

Generations Population % Of World Population

Gen Y - 15-29 years old 1,723,911,077.00 25.47

Gen x - 30-44 year old 1,442,951,791.00 21.32

Baby Boomers - 5 - 64 years old 1,233,836,150.00 18.56

Traditionalists - 65-74 years old 316,330,067.00 4.67

World Demographics



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Digital, Connected, Social

They have grown up with the Internet and mobile communications. They are digitally, globally, and constantly connected. They are driving how mobile communication technologies are used, initiating social behaviours that are transmitted to other generations.

Generation Y are supposed to be able to navigate vast amounts of data, use multiple digital devices simultaneously and parallel-process multiple stimuli. They are networked, collaborative and highly social, expecting to be constantly connected to their social networks, within and beyond company boundaries, and to work within a sociable environment with other people. Generation Y’s rapid take-up of digital technologies, how they use them, and how they prefer to work is challenging for business.

Generation Y’s rapid take-up of digital technologies, how they use them, and how they prefer to work is challenging for business34.

Challenging

Part of the challenge is to manage practices. The Generation Y is said to appreciate clear direction, demand immediate feedback on performance, expect to be consulted and included in management decisions, and demand constant intellectual challenge, opportunities for learning, and meaningful work.

Part of the challenge is to manage attitudes. Older managers might see technologies such as instant messaging, text messaging, blogging, social networking and multi-player games as a waste of time and a distraction from work.

The Generation Y is demanding a new reality from work. They want to work flexibly, choosing when and where to work.

Scarce

In all countries around the world, there are not enough of them.

This is true even in countries like the US, where they are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers - The post World War II generation responsible for social change and unprecedented wealth creation. The problem is that the first of the Baby Boomers were due to retire in large numbers starting in 2008, and are taking their knowledge and experience with them. Countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United States could lose more than a third of their government employees by 201035.

In India, the Generation Y makes up more than half of the population. Despite the large potential workforce, not all are ‘employment ready’ and so their talents are in short supply. There is a dearth of them entering the workforce in Western Europe. In the UK, for example, they are the smallest of the generations in the current total population. Increasing numbers of them are highly educated and their talents, as in the rest of the world, are in demand. Also, as economies and businesses become more knowledge-intensive, knowledge and skills are at a premium. The fact that there are not enough of them only makes their talents even more attractive than they already are.

Transformational

Wherever they are in the world and no matter how large or small their numbers, the signs are that they are setting off a new wave of social and business transformation that will equal or surpass what the Baby Boomers achieved.

This is because they have grown up with the Internet and mobile communications and are digitally, globally and constantly connected.

They are driving how mobile communication technologies are used, and they are setting behavioural trends that ripple through and influence social behaviour in other generations.

Who is the Generation Y?



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In all countries around the world, there are apparently too few of them. This is true even in countries like the US, where they are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers - The post-World War II generation responsible for social change and unprecedented wealth creation. According to the 2006 CIA World Fact book, around 27% of the world’s population is below 15 years of age. Tammy Ericsson (http:// tammyerickson.com), writer about the Generation Y in the US, argues that Generation Y will dominate the workforce for the next forty years and beyond.

In 2005 in the US, the Generation Y was the fastest-growing segment of the workforce — growing from 14% of the workforce to 21% over the past four years to nearly 32 million workers.

Who is the Generation Y in the USA?

Figure 3: USA – Demographic pyramid, 2009 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base

“Despite their shaky finances and breezy approach to workplace demands, the cohort’s strong affinity for personal fame and wealth are likely to translate into serious financial clout over time, to the tune of some $3.5 trillion by middle age. A penchant for instant gratification and customizable products, along with demand for socially responsible corporate policies.”The Adults of Generation Y in the U.S.: Hitting the Demographic, Lifestyle and Marketing Mark, 2008, http://www.marketresearch.com

1 in 5 young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 is unemployed, compared with a 7 percent unemployment rate for those over age 30. Twenty-somethings are also graduating from college with more debt than their predecessors did and taking jobs that don’t always come with health insurance (20). Some even said that America’s younger generation is in jeopardy.



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Who is the Generation Y in India?

In India, they make up the more than half of the population. Despite the large potential workforce, not all are ‘employment ready’ and so their talents are in short supply. The Generation Y in India is a remarkable group that is ambitious, optimistic, embraces change and have a clear sense of where they are headed. Most are ‘entrepreneurial and business savvy, as well as technologically capable and connected21.

With about half of India’s one billion people under the age of 25, Generation Y in India is the world’s largest. Positioned in a time of exciting and rapid economic growth in the country, they are keen to participate in the country’s future and success. The country’s recent parliament elections saw a huge turnout of Generation Y population, demonstrating their ambition to take the country forward.

Highly competitive, Generation Y is more than ever before seeking higher education and landing jobs in multi-national companies in areas such as IT, back office operations, media, strategy and management positions. With opportunities aplenty in the current economy, they are also job-hopping, something not seen in their parents’ generation.

“Gen Ys expect challenging work assignments, accelerated career growth, socially responsible workplaces, flexible work environments, freedom, and collaboration and innovation from their jobs and employers.” R. Anish, Intel’s South Asia HR Director22

Research indicates that as employees, the Generation Y ‘value work life balance more than any other generation’23. Level of engagement among Generation Y employees in India was found to be about the same as the other generations, making them an exception compared to their cohorts around the world. While they are willing to work in shifts to support global operations, they are averse to working long hours24.

Figure 4: India – Demographic pyramid, 2009 25

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base



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http://www.publiclibraries.com/authors/mico14/chinageny/ http://www.gallup.com/poll/15934/Chinas-Gen-Bucks-Tradition.aspx

China’s Generation Y is composed ofapproximately 200 million 15 to 25 year olds. Liketheir peers around the world, they are a techsavvy,ambitious, multi-tasking, better educated, openminded,individualist cohort that is seeing thecountry transform from a communist governmentinto an emerging global capitalist market. They are‘significantly more entrepreneurial and capitalisticthan their parent generation’26.

The Generation Y has a large exposure to the technological advances in China’s present day, they are connected to the internet, mobile and social networking websites. Heavily influenced by Western culture, they generally know more about Westerners than Westerners know about them. Having grown up as a single child in the One- Child policy era, China’s Generation Y is more inclined toward a lifestyle devoted to freedom and personal satisfaction rather than the more traditional “work

hard and get rich” mentality27.The Generation Y is no exception when it comes to valuing work life balance, and working long hours is not something they can adapt to. Entrepreneurial by nature, they would rather start their own business and work for themselves. In the workplace Generation Y are regarded as ‘high achievers, extremely adventurous, impressionable, and consequently highly employable’(??). With many graduating in Engineering and Sciences, there is a high demand for them in multinational companies.

The Generation Y’s spending habits are noteworthy. As single children it appears they may be pampered, as findings show they often consume an astonishing 50% or more of family expenditure in some major cities.

Figure 5: China – Demographic pyramid, 2009 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base28

Who is the Generation Y in China?



33

More 18 years olds would be available until 2012 to enter the workforce than would leave at 65. The situation reverses in 2012, although the gap between new replacements and numbers of retirees shrinks in the following years to 201631. Of course the whole population is not available to work. The Labour Market Overview for June 2009 indicates a working age employment rate of 73.3 %. Economic inactivity in 18 – 24 year olds has increased as it has in other age groups except 50 to retirement, which has been the only age group to experience a fall32.

Apart from lack of employment opportunities linked to the recession, economic inactivity among the 18 – 24 year olds is attributed to a record high of student numbers. As for the 50 to retirement age group, many are remaining in work as long as possible in the face of a pension crisis exacerbated by the recent events in the financial sector.

Figure 6: UK – Demographic pyramid, 2009 33

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base

The overall picture is complex but we can say that if young people continue accessing full-time education, this diminishes the numbers of 18 -24 year olds in the workplace but is partially offset by the older workers postponing retirement.Something else is happening, apart from their insufficient numbers, to make them valuable.

Who is the Generation Y in UK?



35

A poll of PwC new-starts in China, the US and the UK before they joined the company, uncovers some conservative attitudes. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that an average of 75% of respondents across all the countries expect to keep regular hours, with a figure of 82.5% in the UK. The conservatism continues when respondents were asked how many jobs they expected to have over their lifetimes, which was between two and five reported by 74.4% in China, 80.4% in the US and 79.6% in the UK.

This is hardly the job-hopping behaviour suggested in other research. In one survey, 34% said they expected to stay in a job between one and two years, with 57% saying two to three years. In another survey, one in four said they would stay less than four years. These two surveys paint a picture of The Generation Y hungry for opportunity, jumping ship in expectation of experiences that resonate with their workplace priorities, such as having fun, being socially connected, and having the scope to learn and be developed.

Employers are having to feed this hunger to attract the best of the Generation Y, branding themselves and tempting the objects of their desire with juicy morsels in the form of ‘employee value propositions’ that align with The Generation Y’ ideal workplace attributes.

Of course, the data you get depends on the questions you ask. How accurate is our understanding of Generation Y’s desired workplace attributes?

None of the surveys we reviewed asked the Generation Y what they think of their physical work environment. This is consistent with the themes reflected in the wider Generation Y literature. The role of the physical environment in attracting and retaining scarce skills, and in influencing and mediating social interactions, is not always addressed.

We know that workplace design matters in nurturing innovation within organisations(37). We also know that quality of place matters to people when choosing where to live and work(38). People look for social conditions and amenities that fit their lifestyles.

If it is the case that the Generation Y has strong ethical values, social tendencies, and is highly collaborative, how much does the workplace environment matter to the Generation Y? How important are location, workplace design and environmental considerations in deciding where they want to work and who they want to work for? What should employers do in their workplaces and facilities to recruit, attract and retain the Generation Y?

Differences Emerge



37

Veterans: 1922–1945

Work Ethic / Values:

Hard workRespect authoritySacrificeDuty before funAdhere to rules

Communications:FormalWritten

Work is…: An obligation Feedback & Rewards:

No news is good newsSatisfaction in a job well done

Leadership Style:DirectiveCommand-and-control

Messages that motivate:

Your experience is respected

Interactive Style: Individual Work & Family Life: T

Generation Y: 1981–2000


What’s nextMultitaskingTenacityEntrepreneurialTolerantGoal oriented

Communications:EmailVoice mail

Work is…:A means to an endFulfillment

Feedback & Rewards:

Whenever I want it, at the push of a buttonMeaningful work

Leadership Style:The young leaders century


Working with other bright, creative people

Interactive Style: Participative Work & Family Life: Balance

Baby Boomers: 1946–1964


WorkaholicsWork efficientlyCrusading causesPersonal fulfillmentDesire qualityQuestion authority

Communications: In person

Work is…: An exciting adventure Feedback & Rewards:

Don’t appreciate itMoneyTitle recognition

Leadership Style:ConsensualCollegial


You are valuedYou are needed

Interactive Style:Team playerLoves meetings

Work & Family Life:No balanceWork to live

Generation X: 1965–1980


Eliminate the taskSelf-relianceWant structure and directionSkeptical

Communications:DirectImmediate

Work is…:A difficult challengeA contract

Feedback & Rewards:

Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?Freedom = best reward

Leadership Style:Everyone is the sameChallenge othersAsk why


Do it your wayForget the rules

Interactive Style: Entrepreneur Work & Family Life: Balance

Traditionalists (The Veterans or Seniors)

Born between the wars, they are a generation of fighters, grounded in traditions, who lived through and fought an unforgettable second world war. Their values and belief is very different from their juniors. Work was a necessity, and they have a strong belief into the company they work for and most of them had a job for life. Offices were not the norm in their professional career.

The Baby Boomers

Born during or just after the war, they are the children of the post war. A group of individuals who have seen the world dramatically change in last 50 years, through an industrial revolution, the rise of communication and technologies. Offices were a common working environment in their professional life and they lived through much hierarchical presence in the office. They are still our leaders. They are struggling to embrace new ways of working.

The Generation X

The children of the Baby Boomers, born in the late 60s and 70s, they are the one who mostly transformed the office as we know it today, and our relation to work, They occupy today major senior management positions. Offices are a commodity for them, an environment they have seen changing over the last twenty years and not always into the right direction in their mind. This is a generation not always at ease in open offices.

The Generation Y (The Millenials)

Born around the 80s onwards, they are a generation who has grown in opulence compared to other generations. They are the children of a generation who has greatly benefited from the industrial revolution of the 70s where their wealth and standard have dramatically increased and changed their way of life. This generation has been greatly exposed to modern environments (in their days at school and university) and within their personal life, they have a good standard of living. Open space environment is not a surprise, they have only known this type of environment.

Source: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm:

Source: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm: Source: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm:

Source: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm:



39

Methodology

There is a growing realisation, in all areas of life, that the future is not fixed. The workplace plays a critical part in the success of any organisation and has been well researched and now understood. The notion that the future can be ‘shaped’ or ‘created’ has gained currency over the past decade, and is increasingly the basis upon which organisations of all kinds make their plans. At Johnson Controls we have already explored this issue across three major studies on the workplace of 2030 (www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com), to understand where is the workplace going and evolving. And we know it is crucial to understand and take into account multi generational issues at work.

The methodology behind Oxygenz was defined to target a specific group of individuals, using an unusual and innovative data collection method, never used prior to this study. Our targets were:

Primarily the young generation, between 18 and 25 years old: using technology on a daily basis, social networking applications, interactive games, web 2.0 platforms, mobile technologies…

Multi generations at work: the focus was not only on the Generation Y but also other older generations to run a comparative study across age groups

Across several regions: we needed to communicate with individuals from a wide cultural background and targeted Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Americas

Across different industry sectors: media, art & design, engineering, finance, the built environment, manufacturing, life science and petroleum

Oxygenz was design and launched within one year of the initial idea, developing a new methodology for the data collection, engaging multiple talents and skills from a team of researchers, designers, programmers, graphics and gamers. The programming behind Oxygenz has never been used in this context before and demonstrated a wealth of innovation throughout the design phase. The project was developed in several phases:

1. February 2007: Design a questionnaire around workplace, using the day in the life of worker as the main stream and using a storyboard

2. July 2007: Design a prototype to test the methodology and mean of collection of the data: using interactive images and key definitions as a mean of collection

3. August 2007: Assess the feasibility of the project using this methodology and the efficiency and effectiveness of the interactive design solutions

4. September 2007: Select appropriate images with the research team, review the questions and test the methodology and research questions

5. October 2007: Re design the solution to integrate all questions and work around the brand of the project

6. December 2007: Test the solution with a core group of users and review and amend

7. January 2008: Complete the final solution

8. February 2008: launch the project across the three targeted regions: Europe, Asia, US



41

Country studies:

UK % US % China % India %

Total

All=5375 607 11.3 1217 22.6 660 12.3 897 16.7

18-25 years old

286 47.1 539 44.3 489 74 718 80

AllMale 305 50.25 570 46 205 31 613 68

Female 302 49.75 647 54 455 69 284 32

18-25 years old

Male 126 44 239 44.3 136 27.8 495 69

Female 160 56 300 55.7 350 72.2 223 31

Studying 159 55.6 420 77.9 330 67 539 75

Name Role Title & Organisation

Dr. Marie Puybaraud, PhD Oxygenz Project Leader and

Manager Senior Researcher

Director Global WorkPlace Innovation

Johnson Controls

Simon Russell Project Manager for the Design

of Oxygenz Director of Communication iDEA

Adrian Clews Amber Pimm-Jones Andrew Garner Nick Cooper Robin Clarke

Designer DTP and Graphic Designer Programmer Programmer and Designer Graphic Designer and Brand

Design and Programming Team iDEA

Kate North Project Adviser

Vice President Business Development, eWork (previously Director of Ideation for HAWORTH)

Dr. Jay Brand Project Adviser on behalf of our

research sponsor and partner, Haworth

Cognitive Psychologist HAWORTH

Dr. Anne Marie McEwan Senior Researcher and adviser CEO,

The Smart Work Company

Eline Leussink Dashboard Development Data analyst

Senior Consultant Johnson Controls

Malavika Kamath Researcher for Asia Communication Manager Johnson Controls

Lewis Beck Data analyst Director of Workplace Johnson Controls

Methodology Continued

The research team:

The first data analysis using both our reporting tool and the statistical package analysis SPSS, was carried out in July 2008 after a monthly monitoring of the results to assess the reliability of the data and correct any errors or omissions. The number of respondents has grown steadily in one year and a half from the time of the launch to the global data analysis carried out from July 2009 to September 2009.

The respondents were targeted via a communication campaign: Organising launch with our Academic partners in Europe (UK, Germany and The Netherlands),

Asia (China and India), the US and South Africa Advertising the Oxygenz survey on Social Networks: Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Hyves Promoting Oxygenz across our industry and research community via public speeches and presentations Publishing regular articles on the project in the media and press Engaging our employees via internal communications

In 12 months of actively promoting the website, we attracted tens of thousands of visitors to our websitewww.oxygenz.com and collected more than 5,300 respondents completed on line surveys: 45.7% are female and 54.3% of males respondents More than 3,000 respondents are within our targeted age group of 18 to 25 years old in 2009 More than 1000 respondents fit within the generation X age group of 26 to 45 years old in 2009

The database is robust, providing a wide range of participants across our targeted regions and a significant number of respondents within our targeted age group, the 18 to 25 years old in 2009. The dataset also enables to run comparative analysis across age groups (18-25 years old against 26-35 years old…), and across industry sectors and countries, where we have a relevant data sample to study.

To date Oxygenz is the largest data sample of respondents across multi regions and industry sectors addressing and sharing their aspirations about the way they would like to work and what are their preferences in the workplace.



43

More than a questionnaire, Oxygenz offers a unique approach to gather information using an advanced on-line tool:

It is interactive and engaging by using a combination of on-line solutions

It uses images and words as a way to communicate and ask the question

It is educational and enables the users to discover what work and the workplace are about

The Generation Y is, perhaps, the most digitally sophisticated generation we have ever seen. Studies now tell us that more than 80 percent of teenagers have Internet access, and a recent study further predicts that current 10-17-year olds will spend one-third of their lives (23 years) on the Internet.

They truly are the children of what was once called the ‘microchip revolution’.

As such, they have grown up with computers and using them is second nature. In tests, it has been found that, generally, their hand-eye coordination skills are extremely well developed. The Generation Y, especially in the US, are also the Nintendo Generation – they grew up with video games, with the bright colours, bells and whistles of interactive entertainment.

In the video game space, the Generation Y is beginning to expect the easy manipulation of digital environments, by customizing characters (avatars) and directly affecting the digital worlds in which those characters exist. The Generation Y is most likely to be an early adopter.

Design Approach



45

The Generation Y don’t just adapt to new ways of doing things in the digital realm, they internalize them and make them their own.

When iDEA was approached to produce an online survey we had a very open brief: design the survey to be mainly image-based, work around the journey of the respondent to and through work.

iDEA worked with their predominantly Generation Y design team to produce an engaging interactive experience, one that provided as well as collected information.

The Generation Y is not only web savvy but also has an unwritten set of rules on how and when to share personal information. Taking this into account, our early recommendations were to create a stand-alone non-corporate brand and invite participates through viral campaigning.The main survey has been designed using Flash to enable the user to interact and travel through the survey in more of an online gaming / learning style than that of a traditional tick box questionnaire. Whilst still maintaining a structured backend database to allow for dynamic online survey interrogation, the survey projects a light-hearted quirky style to encouraging users to engage with the project.

As many from our target audience are unfamiliar with Workplace terminology and may have never experienced an office environment, much of the questioning has been formatted to illustrate the terminology used.

The survey experience visually builds the user’s perfect office as they progress through the survey. At the end of the survey, they are presented with their office profile in a format they can share with friends on their own social network site.

We agreed, to a certain extent, to hide the corporate brand and develop the Oxygenz identity. In addition to the main survey, a Facebook game and several social group applications were developed. Supportive gorilla campaigning added to the non corporate brand image with world landmark stickers being shared on Facebook and Flickr.

By linking and sharing related collateral to these social sites, we introduced an element of brand comfort and familiarity. It was essential to create a network of Oxygenzers and maintain their level of engagement throughout the period of the study.

Brandocracy



47

This report presents the global results of Oxygenz across a sample of 5,375 respondents from across the world.

We seek to understand the importance the 18 to 25 years old ( who fit within the Generation Y group) attach to their future workplace and how different or not they are from their elders, particularly the Generation X, Baby Boomers and Traditionalists.

In this report we aim to understand how important is the workplace in attracting, recruiting and retaining Generation Y workers and what factors contribute to talent management per industry sector, country and region?

Oxygenz Results

Andspecifically: What are the Generation Y’s

preferences about their future workplace?

What workspace design will theyprefer?

What technologies will they wanttouse?

Howwilltheyprefertogettoandfromwork?

What other facilities will they prefertohaveonsite?

Howimportantaresustainability initiatives in theirchoiceofemployer?

Howimportantishavingachoice of when and where towork?

Howwilltheworkplacecontribute to their job satisfaction?



49

Focus

What are the top three most important factors

in your choice of company?

Overview

People are most likely attracted to a company where values are clearly communicated. It seems that Generation Y members in particular are ‘ready to engage in companies that provide the environments in which they thrive’. The reason why people choose a company varies from one age group to another. Opportunities for learning are a very important factor. Besides, looking for a good quality of life when deciding to accept a position, is also one of the top three priorities for all age groups.

Results

We know people are most likely attracted to a company where values are clearly communicated. It seems Generation Y members in particular are ‘ready to engage in companies that provide the environments in which they can grow and evolve. Those environments will include the physical space. Workplace design is likely to become a strategic weapon in the battle to attract and retain scarce young talent in today’s increasingly competitive global economy.

The reason why they chose a company varies also from one age group to another. Opportunities for Learning is a very important factor of choice, both for male and female between 18 and 25 years old. Looking for a good quality of life when deciding to accept a position, is also one of the top three priority for all age groups.Physical space can play a substantial role in choosing a company. Workplace design is likely to become a strategic weapon in the battle to attract and retain scarce young talent in today’s increasingly competitive global economy. Of all respondents, work colleagues, opportunities for learning and quality of life are considered to be amongst the most important factors.

The Western Generation Y from the UK and the US favour their colleagues and having a meaningful work, while the Eastern Generation Y from China and India focus on the opportunities for learning first. Across the board, both male and female respondents from the Generation Y are looking for a learning experience first.

18-25yrs 26-35yrs 36-45yrs 46-55yrs 56-65yrs

Top 1Opportunities for learning

Opportunities for learning

Quality of Life Meaningful

workMeaningful

work

Top 2 Quality of LifeWork

colleaguesMeaningful

workCompensation Quality of Life

Top 3Work

colleagues Quality of Life Compensation

Corporate Values

Corporate Values

USA UK India China Male - All Female - All

Top 1Meaningful

workWork

colleaguesOpportunities for Learning

Opportunities for Learning



Top 2Quality of

LifeOpportunities for Learning

Quality of LifeAdvancement & Promotion

Quality of LifeWork

colleagues

Top 3Work

colleagues Quality of Life Compensation

Corporate Values

Corporate Values

Meaningful work

Choice of Company

Figure 7: Choice of Company: per age group, all countries Figure 9: Choice of Company for 18-25 yrs old, key countries

Figure 8: Choice of Company for 18-25 yrs old

Recommendations:

Human Resources must consider the workplace as a recruitment factor Employers must not neglect the impact of their workplace to attract, recruit and retain talent The way of working is tightly linked to the way people prefer to live The Generation Y privileges colleagues relationships rather than financial compensations

The alignment of company value

and culture and individual value

and meanings is the key to

develop a sustainable career

and design a progressive individual development path.

Tony, 1981



51

Focus:

Where would you prefer your office to be located?

Overview:

Location often plays a major role in people’s decisions about what company to work for. Being situated in an urban location or a major city could be a motivator for people to come to work everyday. Others may prefer working in a more rural, greener environment. However, it is important to note that those preferring urban locations, find, easily accessible public transportation, or good public infrastructure and access for driving, cycling or even walking to work, very significant in their choice of employer.

Results:

The location of the office and how employees can reach it, plays a very important part in our decision to commute to and from work. Most of employees work a fair distance from work, and it is not uncommon to hear employees spending at least one hour of their day time if not more to reach their office. The demand from the Generation Y is for an urban to slightly urban location, with easy access to a transport infrastructure – access by road or by public transport and good access by walking to work. With offices predominantly located in urban areas, in cities or in suburban areas, a more sustainable way of working is possible, as reliance on public transport is high. More than 70% prefer an urban to slightly urban location. India has the highest demand for office spaces in urban areas and the lowest for rural locations. The preferences between the Generation Y and the Generation X do not differ so much and are very compatible. The results highlight a need to consideroffices in urban areas and close to major infrastructures.

More than 70% prefer an urban to slightly urban location. India has the highest demand for office spaces in urban areas and the lowest for rural locations. The preferences between the Generation Y and the Generation X do not differ so much and are very compatible. The results highlight a need to consider offices in urban arenas and close to major infrastructures.

Leaguetable:Location

India has the most Generation Y demanding an urban setting The UK has the highest proportion of Generation Y preferring a rural setting

Recommendations:

A city location in an urban landscape is preferred Easy access via public transport is crucial to force employees to drop their cars

Location

Figure 10: Location of the office: per country, 18-25 years old

Figure 11: Location of the office: Generation Y vs. Generation X

Location should be near my

Home. My workplace should be

an ideal Space to interact,

share , brainstorm and play

with ideas.

Aisha, 1980



53

Focus

How would you prefer to travel to and from work?

Overview

Travelling to and from work can be a hassle. Whether people take public transport, drive, and cycle or even walk to work. It is important as an employer to consider this issue when one wants to understand people’s behaviours and attitudes towards work. In fact, travel can influence the decision about where to open new offices, but can also influence recruitment rates and attraction. Although there seems to be an on-going trend of walking to work, congestions are still major influences to those using public and private transportations. To overcome such a challenge, certain countries and organisations encourage travel schemes like car sharing, cycle to work, public transport subsidiaries. The Netherlands is notorious for cycling and in the Dutch culture cycling is widely spread and accepted. However not all countries have the luxury to permit their citizens to cycle to work in safe conditions. Urban living and cycling are in perfect harmony and an office city / urban location is completely accepted, if not preferred. But how does it defer from a country to another one?

Results:

With the increase of the cost of energy and petrol, employers are seriously questioning where a new office needs to be opened and how it will influence their recruitment rates. Recent discussion around carbon taxing is forcing governments and corporates to review their travel policies and start to encourage a greener behaviour in relation to transport.

Figure 12: Mode of Transport: all ages, all countries

In certain countries (China, India, The Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom) major capitals have made a lot of efforts to promote cycling as a safe mode of transport. Across our sample of respondents, 14% prefer cycling to work. The younger generations privilege using their car as a mode of transport, against the older generation walking to work. The UK is on the lead table as a nation of walkers, while the US and India lead the unenvironmentally friendly league for using cars as the main mode of transport for 18-25 years old. China on the other hand, privileges public transport.

Travel

Walking is in demand and across the sample, 17% would prefer to walk to work. For the older generation, the traditionalists, walking is the top choice (36%). Car is still a favourite and on average 40% would prefer to travel to work by car. Even if 42% would choose a hybrid car, it remains in high demand. In countries like India, 47% would prefer a car against 22% in China. It is very reassuring to see that overall public transport is still a favourite, in second place: between 17 and 19% of the respondents would choose it.

Figure 13: Mode of Transport: per age group, all countries

Figure 14: Mode of Transport: per country, 18-25 years old



55

Focus:

What way of working would you prefer to have?

What work pattern would you like to have?

Overview:

Flexible and mobile ways of working are becoming more common nowadays rather than the conventional and stationary working pattern. With the younger generation entering the workforce, demand for such a way of working is increasing. We know flexible working has significantly increased over the past years. Employees are becoming more and more mobile in their way of work. It is crucial to understand how mobile a workforce wants to be while on site and in their working environment. With a high level of mobility on site, we are able to reconfigure the workspace and make it more agile, introduce various work settings and styles and promote new ways of working.

Results:

The level of mobility (versus static) in the way of working also demonstrates that females are slightly more in favour of a flexible way of working against males, while in the UK the demand is the highest for the Generation Y, at 81%.

Figure 16: Pattern of Work: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old,

all countries

Ways of working

Leaguetable:Travel

The UK: a nation of Walkers US and India: the car comes first China: Public transport comes first

Recommendations:

Offer easy public access to the office Encourage young employees to cycle to

work and plan for bike facilities on site (safe parking spaces, showers)

Promote a green travel schemes

Figure 15: Choice of car per age group

The Generation Y are expecting their employer to offer a flexible way of working. 58% of all the respondents (against 56% for the Generation Y) prefer to have a certain degree of flexibility in their way of working: a flexible way of working or ad hoc working hours against a conventional working pattern.

We can observe a very wide gap between the level of expectations and preferences for the US and the UK. While more than 60% of the generation Y prefers a flexible way of working, only less than 25% actually expect their employers to offer it. The right to request flexible working is probably unknown by this generation, while it may be a legal right in countries like in Europe. In China, the level of expectations is far higher than their level of preferences, showing a demanding workforce.

Choice of cars and priorities:

A closer look at the data about the choice of car reveals generational differences: The Generation Y, environmentally friendly,

is the most attracted to Hybrid cars The Generation X, more mature and

experience, privileges Family cars The plus 35 years old has the highest

demand for large vehicle

Across the three age groups we looked at, car users want to carry with them in their car:1. Mobile phone2. Laptop3. Satellite Navigation system

In terms of priorities when choosing a car, differences emerge again and are as follow:1. Safety 2. Design3. Technology

Telecommuting would not be the

exception, but instead be the

norm. Leadership would be more

open-minded and allow employees

to contribute positively in

whatever way they can, rather

than restricting the ability and

creativity of talented people.

John 1970



57

But still 44% are actually expecting to have to follow a conventional working pattern (8-6, 9-5, 7-3) rather than embracing a flexible working pattern.

The older you get and the more you prefer and expect flexible working in your ways of working. Overall 79% of 18-25yrs old want to be mobile rather than static workers (flexible or ad-hoc working pattern). It is also interesting to note how much China privileged conventional working hours as a preference: 43% of the respondents prefer a conventional working pattern.

Leaguetable:FlexibleWorking

Women prefer more flexibility than men The UK and the US Generation Y prefer to

work the most flexibly while China and India expect to work flexibly.

The 45-54 years old group are the age group with the highest preferences for a flexible way of working

Recommendation:

Flexible Working should be the norm for the Generation Y as it is a flexible workforce with a high level of mobility

Raise awareness on new ways of working and actively promote flexible working

Figure 17: Preferred Level of Mobility: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old

Figure 18: Pattern of Work: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries

Figure 19: Flexible Working Pattern – preferred vs. expected: per age group, all countries

Figure 20: Flexible Working Pattern – preferred vs. expected: per country all countries for 18-25 yrs old



59

The results demonstrate indirectly the importance of the physical environment in which we work, the technological support provided and how interacting with other people is crucial to trigger our productivity and creativity. Other factors contributing to increasing our productivity and creativity range from the company culture, the workspace provided, Includeing access to private spaces, the attachment we place to working with a team and access to knowledge. Chosing where and how to work is also a major factor for the Generation Y.

18-25yrs 26-35yrs 36-45yrs 46-55yrs 56-65yrs

Creativ-ity

Produc-tivity

Creativ-ity

Produc-tivity

Creativ-ity

Produc-tivity

Creativ-ity

Produc-tivity

Creativ-ity

Produc-tivity

Top

1People Around

Technol-ogy in office

People Around


People Around


People Around


Ambiance & Atmo-sphere


Top

2


People around


People around


People around


People Around

People Around

People Around

Top

3





Technolo-gy in the

office


Technolo-gy in the

office


Technolo-gy in the

office


Focus

What are the top three factors which would enhance your productivity and your creativity?

Overview

Factors ranging from technology, the surrounding atmosphere to the network of people around and colleagues, affect productivity and creativity levels. However, technology seems to be the key factor for productivity as employees find it easier and more effective to work when equipped with the right IT to help get the job done. Similar to productivity, the people around an employee, the ambiance and atmosphere and technologies help enhance creativity. Having enough space to be creative and brainstorm ideas as well as interaction with people, are important to Generation Y employees. The results around Productivity and Creativity are striking and have been consistent throughout the survey.

Productivity is triggered by three factors:1. The people around the workplace2. The ambiance and atmosphere within the workplace3. The technology we are provided with

While Creativity is triggered by the same three factors, but not in the same priority:1. The technology we are given to carry out our work2. The ambiance and atmosphere around us3. The people we work with

Creativity & Productivity

Figure 21: Creativity and Productivity: per age group, all countries

Technology + Ambiance & Atmosphere + People around = Creativity and Productivity

Recommendations

Privilege team work to boost creativityProvide a wide range of workspace to support productivityProvide the right technological support to employees to support productivityCreate a working environment with an ambiance and atmosphere which promote interaction and team working

Figure 22: Productivity: Generation Y, all countries

Creativity:the production and use of

unusual and creative ideas

Productivity:

the rate of which we

work, produce goods and

output to our company



61

Results:

One of the least understood implications of the shift from an industrial to a service-based design and knowledge economy is that the physical workplace is becoming a key resource in leveraging conversations, social learning, collaboration and contemplation. Architects, facilities managers, and furniture suppliers are leading the charge in recognising that workplace design influences performance. Strategic HR is beginning to understand the role of the workplace and workplace design in new ways of working39.

We all know from personal experience that the quality of air and lighting in a workplace can influence productivity. As the need for effectiveness in complex social interactions replaces the efficiency demands of routine work, the psycho-social aspects of the working environment become significant in influencing productivity. Layout of primary spaces, provision of common areas, and meeting and learning spaces mediate our ability to interact with colleagues in a visually and emotionally stimulating environment40&41.

Measuring productivity is notoriously challenging. Isolating the contribution of workplace design characteristics from other elements of productivity is not easy. There are suggestions that ‘knowledge and understanding of productivity and workplace design is its infancy’. Even so, there is accumulating evidence that workplace design impacts positively on workforce performance42.

What is productivity and how does it differ from performance? There is twenty years of research on high-performance work systems centred around organisational structures, systems and processes, which all function together to create environments that energise workforce competence33&34. This is consistent with CEO responses in recent global surveys. They said that business model innovation, creating organisational capabilities to engage in strategic partnerships and collaboration, and availability of talented people are top priorities for them in these difficult business conditions45.

The physical workplace is now a crucial additional component to the high-performance work mix. Environments for generating human capital are created by job design, support for continuous learning, challenging and meaningful work, and fair reward. We have already noted that workplace design can shape and influence work flows through layout and spaces for different work modes. Organisational sub-cultures can be so deeply engrained that co-location does not prevent silo behaviour. Job design, specifying joint responsibilities across cultural boundaries, can be used to augment workplace design to encourage collaboration.

According to the respondents, creativity in the workplace is triggered mostly by the individuals around you and your surrounding area, the workplace and its ambiance and atmosphere. The technology support is also nowadays essential and becomes the third most important ingredient in the recipe of creativity at work.

Behind Creativity & Productivity

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Focus

What reception services would you prefer to have?

What food facilities would you prefer to have in your workplace?

What social facilities would you prefer to have at work?

Overview

Employees always prefer having on-site facilities ranging from a reception to catering services and even access to a range of social facilities, such as shops and gymnasiums. Demand and expectations for such services in the workplace seem to be increasing with time and more real estate developers are offering a wider range of facilities on site. Efforts to meet such a demand may in turn yield a sense of belonging and possibly cohesion between employees and the workplace. However the cost of operating this type of facilities in prime location, could be extravagant, and few property owners can actually offer it. Instead the proximity of the workplace to a wide range of social facilities is often favoured.

The results:

We have seen new workplace models offering a wide choice of facilities on site, with the objective to recreate a sense of community and belonging to the space. This ‘streetscape’ concepts are more common and increasing in demand particularly where security and access is an issue. 79% of The Generation Y prefers at least a 5 Star service in the workplace (reception services and security guard) with 37% a concierge type of service (54% in India).

The Generation Y preferences in particular are very high compared to the rest of the sample, with requirements for 5 stars to 7 stars services, requesting a high level of reception services as far as dedicated concierge services on-site. It follows the Generation X requirements, but to a higher service level.

Facilities Management Support Services

Figure 23: Reception Services: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries

Reception and SecruityThe demand from females and males are equally very high, with male percentages higher than female. We can observe some differences per industry sector, with the Finance and Media sectors having higher requirements.

Leaguetable:SupportServices

India is the most demanding country

The 18 to 25 yrs old are the most demanding age group

The Finance Industry and Media, Communication & Marketing Industry are the most demanding industry sectors

Male employees are more demanding than female employees

Figure 24: Level of services across the industry sectors, the age groups, per country.

When a campus is too big

it’s a waste of resources as

employees are not motivated to

use facilities if they are not

easily reachable.... Don’t forget

to right size the ‘perfect

workplace’…Galith, 1984



65

Access to on-site catering services is also very broad, ranging from conventional staff restaurant / canteen to snack bars and coffee shops on-site. Access to social space is also a preference: from shops on site, which reflect a demand for multi-functional and mixed use facilities, to various type of venues like bars, clubs and sport facilities.

Despite the fact we spend roughly 30% of our time working, preparing for work or thinking about work, we also spend a considerable amount of time eating and drinking (actually 5 %) Eating is a very important part of the day and some organisations are taking it very seriously by offering outstanding catering services, healthy food options and generous subsidises. The 18-25 years old prefer coffee shops (22%), snack facilities (18%) and kitchen facilities (18%).

Vending machines are clearly not a priority (13%) in their world and they rather scroll down the corridor and grab a coffee in the coffee shop rather than attempting to communicate with a machine. Neither restaurant (14%) nor Refectory (14%) are a favourite option. But the most striking result is that the generation Y massively rejects having no catering provisions on site, will only 2% of the 18-25 years old choosing not to have any catering facilities on site.

Figure 25: Food Facilities on site, Generation Y, all countries

Catering and Social Facilities

The workplace becomes more than just a place to work: it is social structure. Equally 29% of the Generation Y would like to have a gym on site and as well as communal facilities, demonstrating that the workplace is more than a place to work, but also a place to socialise. The evidences demonstrate that the younger generation is far more willing to engage with their workplace than older generation and use the space a social playground.

Recommendations

Access to social space is a preference; from shops on-site which reflects a demand for multi-functional and mixed use facilities, to various types of venues like bars, clubs and sport facilities.

Privilege a high level of on site support services: on site reception and support desks On-site facilities management services should be of high standard: finishes, cleaning, security Access to social space and venues on-site should be considered The presence of sport facilities on site or close by is recommended A collection of shops and local amenities is preferable on site or withiin close proximity

Figure 26: Social Facilities on site, Generation Y, all countries



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Environmentally friendlyLEED or BREEAM assessed (including BREEAM In-use self

assessment tool) Incorporate environmental considerations into any

workplace changes/procurement Actively engage and educate staff in

how to be environmentally friendly in the workplace Certified or align

with ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Compliant with

environmental legislation Set environmental improvement targets and

programmes to achieve these Monitor environmental performance of

the workplace and look for continuous improvement options.

Figure 28: Environmental requirements for the workplace – per age group, all countries

Focus

How green would you like your workplace to be?

Overview

Environmental awareness is growing with time as more and more people are working towards becoming environmentally friendly in the way they work and live. The green issue is also high on the corporate agenda and more organisations are setting carbon footprint reduction targets and making their facilities BREAM or LEED compliant. Enhancing a more sustainable way of working and a ‘greener’ workplace environment is favoured by many Generation Y respondents. Walking to work, recycling, on-site wind farms, relying on natural light rather than artificial are among many ways of working in a ‘greener’ workplace environment. However, achieving a green way of working and operating your facilities require involvement of the users, the employees, and a transformation of the culture within an organisation.

The results:

We know the Generation Y will be the generation to carry the load of years of environmental damages and neglect. They are embracing sustainability and the Generation Z, the generation that will follow Generation Y, are even more modeled around the concept of sustainability. The results reflect this new way of living with 96% of the 18-25 years old aspire to work in a greener office against 98% of the 26-35years old. Actually the 26-35 years old are far more focused on environmental issues than the 18- 25 years old with 67% who want their workplace to be environmentally friendly, i.e. well above regulatorycompliance, against 57% for the 18-25 years old.

The results reflect this new way of living and that the Generation Y aspires to work in a greener office. They are eager to embrace an environmental way of working and see evidence of a green workplace. Their preferences for an environmentally focused working environment are very strong; not only in the physical aspects of the workplace, but also in their way of working: flexible working, travel patterns etc.

Environmental issues

Figure 27: Environmental Workplace: Generation Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries

These two young generations are eager to embrace an environmental way of working and employers must adopt a green office environment to attract and retain these young employees.

Figure 29a: Environmental requirements for the workplace – 18-25 years old, per countries

Environmentally Compliant

Compliant with environmental

legislation Compliance maintained

by resources required and

integrated into workplace

management where appropriate

Annually assess compliance.

But they are not the only generation calling for green employers. The older generations are even greener, with a mere 2% of our 26-35 years old looking for barely compliant employers.

Environmentally awareEncourage staff to have an environmental awareness Seeking LEED or BREEAM assessment Compliant with environmental legislation Monitor the environmental performance of the workplace Have some environmental management programmes in place to minimise impact.

68 69

If we look closely to the 18-25 years group per country, we can notice some differences, but overall, the generation Y is expecting a green deal from their employer and evidence of environmental solutions within their working environment. However we can notice that, compared to the average global sample, a significantly high percentage of Chinese 18-25 years old (7% against 4% for the global result) are actually only expecting their employer to be compliant with the environmental legislation and not go beyond minimum compliance.

Figure 29b: Environmental requirements for the workplace per industry sector, 18-25 years old

Whatarewelookingforintheworkplace?

70.3% want to have recycling bins 47.4% want a water saving devices 52.7% want stand by devices on all electrical equipment 71.6% want to share printers in the office 47% want solar panels on site

Preferences for an environmentally focused working environment are very strong; not only in the physical aspects of the workplace, but also in their way of working: flexible working, travel patterns etc, as we noticed earlier.

Recommendations

Employers must go beyond minimum environmental compliance Evidence of green solutions in the workplace are required Employers must embrace green policies in the day-to-day organisational activities The older generations are even more focused on having a environmentally workplace than the

younger generation All generations are looking for a green deal at work

Green policies in the workplace do matter and we can observe some differences per industry sector. The Art & Design industry is more sensitive to green issues at work compared to the Media, Marketing & Communications Industry and Engineering Industry, with 99% of the respondents in this industry and between the ages of 18-25 years old who want obvious evidence of green policies in the workplace. Finance is the industry sector the most looking for employers above environmental compliance, while the Media and Engineering sectors want workplace which exhibit greener policies than others.

Copyright © 2010, Johnson Controls. Confidential. All Rights Reserved.Intellectual Property Johnson Controls, Haworth and iDEA.

7170

Focus:

What type of design would you prefer to have?

What colours would you prefer to have in the workspace?

What kind of flooring would you prefer in your workspace?

What level of lighting works best for you?

How much art work would you prefer to see within your working environment?

Overview:

The role of design in the workplace can influence employees’ attitude and behaviour and well being within their working environment. Subtle colours, wooden floors and natural lighting are often favoured in their workspace. The psychology of the working environment can have major influences on your well-being in the workplace. Over the years, we have seen that good designs can have a great impact on workplace well-being and the emotional engagement that employees have with their working environment.

Results:

This young generation is an emotionally engaged workforce. They aspire to work in a bright, light and open working environment. 59% tend to prefer a modern to minimalist workplace interior with subtle, clinical and relaxing colours. Only 12% would like to see vibrant colours in their working environment, and only 9% prefer a classic style. The Chinese 18-25 years old are more attracted by minimalist environments compared to the other countries we studied. The interior they aspire to work in is also subtle and even clinical. The UK 18-25 years old is the only group which requires more vibrant colours in the workplace.

Workplace

Style:

A crisp, clean, private when

necessary - both visual and

noise distractions must be

able to be shut out entirely.

Brightness of work space must

be as controllable as the noise.

Moxie, 1992



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Figure 30: Preferred style in the workplace per age group and country

We can observe greater variations of choice per gender as 54% of female would like a modern interior against 39% of male. It is also interesting to see that 17% of men would prefer a minimalist working environment against only 7% of women. Women have also a tendency to prefer more natural finished than men.

Figure 31: Colours on the wall – 18-25 yrs old, all countries

Overall, the generation Y tends to prefer subtle, relaxing and clinical colours on the wall, contrary to common belief that this generation is extravagant in their style.

No matter how much time and

effort you put into making the

quality of the surroundings,

it’s the mood created by the workers which make the

workplace. A happy workforce

is a better one!

Alex, 1988

Figure 32: Style per gender - 18-25 years old

Figure 33: Finishes per gender – 18-25 years old

The style they aspire to see in their office is modern and contemporary rather than minimalist and classic. These results are actually comparable to other age group and a general trend across the data sample we collected.

The level of finishes is something we notice very easily when entering any workplace and clearlyit matters to the generation Y. They prefer more natural and soft finishes and do not aspire to see industrial, cold rough finishes like tiles, concrete or the old vinyl type of floors. The Chinese are the most attracted to hard surfaces like tiles, but by only 11% of the 18-25 years old. The Indian Generation Y is keen on soft finishes like carpets with 35% preferring it against only 28% of the UK 18-25 years old. 60% of the US 18 to 25 years old prefer natural finishes like wood against 40% of the Chinese.



75

Figure 34: Preferred finishes in the workplace per age group and country

82% of the genration Y prefers to have natural floor finishes like wood and carpet, offering a soft touch and feel on their environment.

As 61% prefer a natural and/or artificial lighting and 33% a half artificial/half natural lighting in their office, it is evident that the layout of the workplace must be careful designed to respond to these needs. We all know from personal experience that the quality of air and lighting in a workplace can influence productivity and well being. As the need for effectiveness in complex social interactions replace the efficiency demands of routine work, the psycho-social aspects of the working environment become significant in influencing productivity. Layout of primary spaces, provision of common areas as well as meeting and learning spaces mediate our ability to interact with colleagues in a visually and emotionally stimulating environment46&47.

Lighting

Figure 35: Level of Lighting in the office



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The question of Art in the workplace is very controversial as not everybody appreciates nor likes Art. Often Art is an exhibition of wealth and the common understanding is that if an organisation can afford to invest into Art, then it is a wealthy organisation. Although the reality of corporate investment into Art is somehow very different:

Art could be a stable financial investment and a demonstration of an organisation capital investment Art is often used to promote local talent and support local communities Art is a symbol to promote a company culture, tradition and values Art is decorative as designer furniture are Art is inviting employees to explore new horizons Art gives an identity to a space

It is also argued that Artwork can provide a well-needed distraction to prevent excessive concentration on a computer monitor and if the workforce is in a creative industry, then displaying art can provide inspiration, trigger creativity and impact on productivity.

So how does this question of Art matters to the Generation Y? Is Art an important element in our working environment?

Overall, across our sample of respondents, 59% agreed that a little presence of Art in the office is enough. Only 8% prefer a lot of Art in the office, with 3% actually having no particular attraction to Art in the workplace.

Particularly, the Art & Design sector leads the way with 23% of their respondent preferring a lot of Art in their workplace, against only 3% in the financial sector but still being the sector with the highest demand for Art in the Workplace with the Media, Marketing and Communication Sector.

Figure 36: Level of Art in the workplace - 18-25 yrs old,

all countries

Art @ work

Recommendations:

Preferences in terms of the look and feel of the working environment are also interesting. Natural finishes are a preference across the sample of respondents and the majority privileged natural features

Offer a modern, open and light working environment Privilege natural fittings and lighting around the working environment Consider Art in the working environment

Exactly the same answers applied to the Generation X. These results demonstrate that the Generation Y does not differ from the overall global sample and overall Art has a little importance in the workplace. However if we breakdown the answers per industry sector, we can start to observe major differences.

Figure 37: Preferences for Art in the workplace per industry sector, 18-25 years old, all countries



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“Engagement is about creating

opportunities for employees to connect

with their colleagues, managers

and wider organisation. It is also

about creating an environment where

employees are motivated to want to

connect with their work and really

care about doing a good job.”48

Emotional engagements is elusive and no wonder since it encompasses strength of feeling towards work, our colleagues and our physical surroundings, all of which interact in non-simple ways. Achieving emotional engagement is the holy grail of workplace design in the emerging innovation age, where knowledge is created and shared through networks. Understanding how people work and socialise in networks, and how their workplace environments help or hinder them, is now fundamental and urgent.

Emotional engagement is an outcome of the strength of feeling we have towards work, our colleagues and our physical surroundings, all of which interact in non-simple ways. It is influenced by having the opportunity, desire and the right sort of environments, which allow us to connect with work and each other49. Achieving emotional engagement is the holy grail of workplace design in the emerging innovation age, where knowledge is created and shared through networks.

Understanding how people work and socialise in networks, and how their workplace environments help or hinder them, is now fundamental and urgent.

An overwhelming amount has been written about how to influence intrinsic motivation, a close relative of emotional engagement, by focusing on combinations of social relationships, technology, job design and business processes. The role of the workplace is rarely considered. That is changing rapidly. The workplace is taking centre-stage as people come together to socialise, collaborate and learn. We also need space for isolation and contemplation.

Enterprises are fragmenting into eco-systems of partnerships and nomadic work-on-the-go is normal. Consequently workplaces are themselves transforming, kaleidoscope-like, into patterns of distributed and virtual configurations. The plethora of public spaces available through wifi allows permanently connected knowledge workers choice in where they work based on what mood they are in, what they have to do and who they have to be with. This self-determination satisfies their emotional needs.

“It is becoming commonplace for a cafe to be full of people ... more engaged with their in-box than with the people touching their elbows. These places are physically inhabited but psychologically evacuated ”The Economist50.

It is conceivable that there might come a day when offices are no longer considered necessary and knowledge workers, like armies of freelancers currently do, take responsibility for sourcing their own workspaces. For the moment though, the provision of appropriate workplaces remains largely with employers. Observations from hybrid ‘third places’, public spaces and workspaces away from the office environment, show that emotional engagement is about much more than the physical workplace. It is no longer enough that people are co-located; they are more often interested in what’s happening on their digital devices than the people sitting next to them. Space can be physically inhabited but psychologically evacuated51.

Emotional Engagement



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Focus

What individual workspace would you prefer to have?

Would you like to personalise your desk?

What size of workspace would you feel comfortable with?

Overview

Within the working environment all employees would like to have their own desk. People feel that by having a desk it provides them with a sense of status and a form of identity. The tendency in Europe is to have one desk per person. In recent years, organisations have introduced clean desk policies and are encouraging their employees to depersonalise their space. But our emotional engagement in the workplace often means that this sense of belonging within the space is often link to our perception of individual space. Emotional engagement is an outcome of the strength of feeling we have towards work, our colleagues and our physical surroundings, all of which interact in complex ways. It is influenced by having the opportunity, the desire and the right sort of environments, which allows us to connect with work and each other. Understanding how people work and socialise in networks, and how their workplace environments help or hinder them, is now fundamental. The role of the workplace is rarely considered, but that is changing rapidly. The workplace is taking centre-stage as people come together to socialise, collaborate and learn. Simultaneously, we also need space for isolation and contemplation.

Results:

The physical workplace is an asset with quantifiable business impact and top-performing companies design their workplaces to support collaborating, learning, socialising and focusing This includes primary workspaces, common areas, meeting areas and training areas . Although essential, this is not enough. Job design, where joint responsibilities are allocated across cultural boundaries, is also essential. A whole system approach , integrating strategic IT, HR and workplace design, is essential to enable emotional engagement in the workplace51.

Workspace

The environment should be harmonious providing opportunities to learn, to

collaborate and help the employee

to achieve maximum productivity

as well as providing a good

opportunity for his or her own

growth and their goals.

Nitin, 1988

The level of comfort with space varies widely depending on the country, the culture and age groups. Overall, we can observe that the majority of people are comfortable in a measure of space of 10 to 16 square meters (107 to 170 square feet), which is a normal and fairly standard average. We could have expected much higher figures and measures of scale, on the basis than the perception of more space is always wanted.

Again, here amongst the generation Y, women feel more comfortable in a larger space than men.

Figure 38: Comfort with Space: all respondents – per country

Figure 39: Level of comfort with space, sqm per person, 18-25 years old

Quality over Quantity

(of space, and amenities).

Efficient workspaces

promote efficiency.Molly, 1982



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Figure 40: Individual workspace: Gen Y 18-25 yrs old, all countries

On top of their emotional engagement with their workspace, the generation Y are also territorial and want to call their space their own. 70% of the generation Y respondents prefer to have their own desk and as mentioned earlier, personalise them. Less than a quarter (18%) are open to share their space with other individuals and even less to access a hot desk or hotel desk while at work. These results demonstrate a certain lack of collectivism of this workforce, but a need to find an identity within their workspace and how they are attached and perceive their environment.

Figure 41: Individual space preferred at work, 18-25 years old, per country

Some countries offer far more potential to embrace flexible working. China compared to the US is far less dependent on personal space. With 80% of the young American preferring to have their own desk against only 55% of the Chinese. The potential for desk sharing is also far greater in China than in any other country we studied, with 27% of the 18-25 years old ready to share a desk and 18% who would consider using a hot desk.

Recommendations:

Dedicated individual spaces are a necessity Identify potential to introduce desk sharing for nearly a fifth of the young workforce Promote flexible working policies Impose clean desk policies to boost desk sharing Allow for moderate personalisation of individual spaces while at work

Brake the spatial design

rules. Cheaper and faster

is sometimes better for the office environment.

Esmi, 1981



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Social Networking

Scanning the multitude of media pronouncements on Generation Y, you could be forgiven for thinking that the demographic deficit of retiring Baby Boomers and insufficient Generation Y replacements is why we are all so interested in them. But the numbers game is not it. No, it is the social revolution they are triggering. Youth culture operates through “self-constructed networks of shared social practice and sets behavioural trends that influence people of all ages”. We know that connecting, talking, sharing, tagging, and creating and distributing content is a natural behaviour for them. They are taking their social habits into the workplace to the enormous advantage of enterprises, which have not yet realised it! Employ a member of Generation Y and you get the advantage of their entire network, which they bring with them to work every day through their permanent connectivity.

Among the social networking sites queried in Oxygenz, Facebook was the overwhelming choice of both females & males. There were slight tendencies (maybe suggestive; maybe not) for Facebook and MySpace to be slightly more popular among females than males, while LinkedIn may have been slightly more popular among males than females.

Not that all employers see this networked sociability as an advantage. A fear of time-wasting has led to many organisations banning access to social networking sites. This might just be a futile attempt to hold back the tide. A swell of online articles, blogs, publications56, research and books indicate a growing appreciation of the business advantages of social networking technologies. Generation Y themselves will force change as they seek out employers of choice.

Adoption of enterprise social networking will accelerate as Generation Y makes their presence felt in the workplace57.

Core elements of social networking technologies are profiles, ‘friends’ that constitute a selfdefined social group, and a comments function where public interactions and relationships with others are displayed . How is Generation Y using social networking technologies? According to Joshua March, CEO of iPlatform and himself in the Generation Y demographic, “Generation Y is Facebook ‘friend’ widely. Status updates through Facebook or Twitter begins to be more engaging as you elect to follow what others say.Communication within a wider network of weaker connections creates opportunity for ‘water cooler’ conversations and the opportunity to get to know a larger and more diverse group than would be possible face-to-face.”

So what’s the business advantage? Social technologies reveal who is connected to whom and amplify collective intelligence within and across enterprise boundaries. Used in a corporate setting, the technologies connect previously unknown colleagues around common interests and specific topics, exchanging, sharing, learning and finding answers. They show who the high-performers are, where value is created, who creates it, and the roles key people play in sourcing and acting on new, value-creating knowledge. Another benefit of the technologies is that they shrink social distance within a distributed workforce.

Generation Y have unleashed the social networking genie. Smart businesses know that technologies are not going back in the bottle and are learning to embrace the social revolution, adapting their business processes and ways of working and managing.

Too much emphasis these days

is put on self. I’d like to see

people recognizing that team

effort towards a common goal

is in your best interest.

Ledine, 1970



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Collaborative Working Environment

Focus:

What collaborative environment would you prefer to have?

Overview:

The synergy and cooperation within teams and individuals in the workforce tends to highlight the overall collaborative environment. Whilst some prefer to have formal meeting rooms at work, others prefer informal, break-out areas and a desk-sharing system. Some may prefer team workspaces and on-demand meeting rooms (i.e. room booking systems). Social networking feeds into this as well. But it is important to understand why people go to the office and what the purpose is of collaboration in the working environment. We know from previous studies on ways of working (Flexible Working Survey 2009, www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com) that nearly ¾ of individuals that have a flexible working pattern, go to the office primarily to meet and collaborate. Collaborative working environments are therefore extremely important. Collaborative working environments are therefore extremely important.

Results

The Generation Y is a social and collaborative workforce. Their relation to space is visible and open. They are far more comfortable in large and open environments and feel comfortable in at least 10 sqm: small and confined spaces do not appeal to them as much.

The way we communicate at work and with colleagues has dramatically changed over the last five years and the concept of the network is far more embedded in Generation Y than previous generations. The Generation Y people are social animals and are at ease about communicating remotely and using web 2.0 technologies. A very large majority of the Generation Y (73%) favour informal breakout spaces and ad hoc meeting spaces rather formal meeting rooms to collaborate.

Access to collaborative working environment in the 21st century workplace is clearly unavoidable. When most workplaces only dedicate at the most, 30% of their space to meeting rooms and 70% of the space to desks, the reverse balance seems to be the answer to satisfy the younger generation at work. 25% of people in workplaces want to use formal meeting rooms while 41% are more attracted to dedicated team workspaces and 32% prefer to have access to breakout spaces. The preferences are shifting towards the use of informal spaces, rather than formal.

Figure 42: Collaborative Environment: Gen Y

18-25 yrs old, all countries

Figure 43: Access to collaborative spaces, 18-25 years old, per country

Everything depends on the

culture of the company. The

policies of the company should

be to encourage employees

to work in teams, to think

about their colleagues before

themselves.

Jaydeep, 1983



89

The US 18-25 years old appear to have the highest demand for dedicated team workspaces, compared to the other country we studied. With 47% of the respondents who prefer access to dedicated collaborative workspaces, against 38% for the UK, 42% for India and 37% for China. Breakout spaces are also in demand, both bookable spaces and informal one. China is particularly leading with 43% of the 18-25 years old attracted to this type of space to collaborate, against 28.3% on average for the rest of the sample studied.

Figure 44: Choice of collaborative space: per age group

The most important thing for me is to feel as if the work I am doing is worthwhile and appreciated by others.

Jacquelyn, 1989

We can observe major differences between the Generation Y and the Generation X. The older generation are moving away from traditional meeting places towards the use of more informal meeting spaces, even as far as abandoning team spaces, most preferred by the generation Y.

Figure 45: Choice of collaborative space: per industry sector, all ages

The results per industry sector are even more striking, showing major differences in their ways of working and cultural differences at work.

The Art & Design industry is demonstrating how much their creativity depends on having a workplace focused on collaboration

The Engineering industry is focused on team based activities The Media industry prefers access to a large amount of breakout spaces The Finance sector is more anchored in formal meeting spaces

Recommendations:

Team workspaces should be present in every workplace Access to informal collaborative spaces (like breakout spaces) rather than formal meeting rooms



91

Focus:

What technologies are you expecting and prefer to have in your workplace?

Overview:

The presence of technology in the workplace and our day-to-day life has forced change in the workplace: from the integration of advanced technological solutions in our working environment to enhancing our ways of working, communicating and collaborating in the workplace. Having access to printers, laptops and other technological facilities is key to enhance an effective workplace nowadays. Other technologies similar to emails, on-line company chat systems and so on, make it relatively easy to communicate and interact with co-worker. Many of the respondents favoured such technologies to be present in their workplace.

The workplace of the future will embrace more technological innovation, smarter, seamless and sensory. The level of productivity is expected to increase and our level of creativity be enhanced by the use of technologies. Today the Generation Y seems to depend on technology so much, even in their personal lives, that it is crucial to consider the place of technology at work.

Technology

Results:

The technology results demonstrate that it is important to consider the role of technologies in tomorrow’s workplace and for the Generation Y. This generation of 18 – 25 years old has grown up with technology in their day-to-day environment and it is ‘normal’ and ‘expected’ for them to have technologies at work, as good as what they have at home, if not better.Their level of expectation is very high, which demonstrate that they would pay attention to it when looking for a job. They also attach a lot of importance to the provision of technologies within their working environment.

Recommendations

Mobile technology is a priority Mobile and portable technologies should

be provided as a priority; laptop rather than PC desktops, Blackberry rather than mobile phones

Limit the provision of printers on desks and promote clean desk policies

Very high expectations

Very high expectations

Importance

Mobile phone Top 1 53.1% 56.7% gave it: very high importance

Laptop Top 2 52.8% 49% gave it: very high importance

Organiser / Blackberry

Top 3 46.0% 52.5% gave it: very high importance

Printer Top 4 38.5% 44.9% gave it: very high importance



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Enter any workplace today and you will find technology at the core of its operations. Whether it’s an office or industrial environment - wireless networking, automation, instant messaging and virtual meetings are all playing a fundamental role in transforming how business is conducted globally. Moving forward, technologies will create a faster support infrastructure, more flexible workplaces that enable businesses to meet the evolving demands from their customers. Workplaces have undergone dramatic changes during the last number of decades as society makes the transition from an industrial age to a knowledge age. In the wake of these transformations, new work styles, locations and patterns are underpinning the changes being experienced in the workplace today. This is giving rise to a better connected, more competitive and increasingly complex work environment including key features like the emerging trend of knowledge work; the changing demand for flexible employment contracts giving rise to leaner organisations; and, the increased number of mobile workers.

Technology is the most important factor influencing and enabling the scale of change within workplaces even today. As a result of the exponential technological developments, we are witnessing unprecedented and irreversible changes in our society. These changes are affecting the way we work and live, influencing our strategic business decision and direction of the workplace.

Research analysts at Gartner59 identify ten technologies they believe will be of strategic importance. Virtualization. Virtualization to eliminate duplicate copies of data on the real storage devices while maintaining the illusion to the accessing systems that the files are as originally stored (data deduplication) can significantly decrease the cost of storage devices and media to hold information.

How technology is transforming work

Cloud Computing - Cloud computing is a style of computing that characterizes a model in which providers deliver a variety of IT-enabled capabilities to consumers.

Servers-BeyondBlades -This evolution will simplify the provisioning of capacity to meet growing needs. The organization tracks the various resource types, for example, memory, separately and replenishes only the type that is in short supply.

Web-OrientedArchitectures - The Internet is arguably the best example of an agile, interoperable and scalable service-oriented environment in existence.

EnterpriseMashups - Through 2010, the enterprise mashup product environment will experience significant flux and consolidation, and application architects and IT leaders should investigate this growing space for the significant and transformational potential it may offer their enterprises.

Specialized Systems - Heterogeneous systems are an emerging trend in high-performance computing to address the requirements of the most demanding workloads, and this approach will eventually reach the general-purpose computing market.

Social Software and Social Networking Organizations should consider adding a social dimension to a conventional Web site or application and should adopt a social platform sooner, rather than later.

UnifiedCommunications - This change is driven by increases in the capability of application servers and the general shift of communications applications to common off-the-shelf server and operating systems.

BusinessIntelligence - Business Intelligence (BI) can have a direct positive impact on a company’s business performance, dramatically improving its ability to accomplish its mission by making smarter decisions at every level of the business from corporate strategy to operational processes.

Green IT - Shifting to more efficient products and approaches can allow for more equipment to fit within an energy footprint, or to fit into a previously filled center.

Despite the transforming potential of technology,attitudes and mindsets are much slower tochange. Supporting systems, structures, businessprocesses, and new ways of working and thinkingneed to be put in place to realise truly radicalworkplace transformation.

Figure 46: The Smart Workplace 2030 – Johnson Controls © 2009

Source http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=777212



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The 18 – 25 years old have never known anything but economic growth and prosperity until last year. How will their expectations and behaviour change in the face of the unfolding mayhem in the financial markets? We have yet to feel the full force of this global event. Will Generation Y continue to be such a special generation, feted and wooed for their talent, if the balance of power reverts to employers as labour markets tighten?

It remains crucially important to understand what matters most to the 18 – 25 years old. The data reveals a fascinating insight into this new generation and how they are and behave compared to previous one.So, what has the OXYGENZ research told us about the workplace preferences of Generation Y. Based on the data collected over the course of the survey, we can summarise the following:

Buildings should be located in an urban or slightly urban setting

There should be a provision for employees to primarily use public transport to work, car sharing schemes incentives policies and limited car parking facilities if possible

Conclusion

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The working environment should predominantly:

Be modern with subtle and relaxing colours Have a blend of natural and artificial lighting

Have natural floor finishes

Contain subtle art

Strong consideration should be given to environmental measures and sustainable ways of working in the workplace

Workstations should be dedicated to individuals with the ability to be personalised by the occupant

Desk sharing should be introduced to boost flexible working and increase desk to people ratios

The space allocated to each desk should remain within average occupancy standards of 8 to 12 sqm per head)

The workplace should provide a broad range of support spaces to support different ways of working but most importantly, should include informal space to breakout and collaborate with colleagues as much as possible

People should be allowed to work in a mobile way (on and off campus/business park) with the ability to flex their working hours

The facilities services should be of a high standard with access to a range of on-site catering services from formal restaurants to cafes

Access to communal facilities such as a gym, gardens, bars and clubs and commercial facilities like banks and hairdressers should be provided

The workplace should be designed to support social interaction and provide opportunities for learning

The ambiance and atmosphere of the workplace is also important – the workplace should be used to communicate corporate culture and values, engage employees with their colleagues, a major factor to increase creativity

Technology in the workplace should be incorporated to maximise productivity facilitating virtual and face to face engagement



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It is conceivable that there might come a day when offices are no longer considered necessary. For the moment though, the provision of appropriate workplaces remains largely with employers. Our results and our observations show that individual engage with their working environments and the people around them.

There is a common belief that people are more often interested in what’s happening on their digital devices than the people sitting next to them. But the Oxygenz results demonstrate again that work is inherently social. Organisations now have the opportunity to view the Generation Y sociability as a source of business advantages, giving them access to the collective intelligence available across organisational boundaries and contained within Generation Y’s extended personal networks.

Recognising the value of networked sociability and enabling it through the design of the workplace and organisational support environments will allow businesses to tap into the powerhouse of the Generation Y energy, innovation, knowledge and creative potential.

Recommendations:Having understood the workplace preferences of Generation Y, it is important to understand the implication of the findings for employers, facilities managers and real estate owners and investors. Success will be about compromise and determining the essentials versus the nice to haves.

Location:Urban to Slightly Urban

Design: Modern, well light, subtle with natural and soft materials

Sustainability: Strong emphasis on sustainable ways of

working Provision for employees to drive and use

public Transport, promoting cycling to work

Functionality: Dedicated desks with scope for sharing Space per desk above average standard Wide range of support environments Range of different support environments Supporting flexibility in terms of time and

location is key Support social interaction and opportunities

for learning

Facilities: Very high standard of facility services Access to social facilities

Technology: Seamlessly incorporated to enhance productivity Mobile technology should be a priority

Conclusion Continued...

World

Representing57.3%ofthetotalsample 50.3%ofmalesand 49.7%offemales55.6%ofrespondentsarestudying

Top 3 priorities when chosing an employer:1. OpportunitiesforLearning2. QualityofLife3. Work Colleagues

301118to25yearold respondents: {

Travel

40% by car of which 30% would prefer to drive a hybrid car

14% cycling

10% by motorcycle or scooter

19% by public transport

17% walking

All countries: 18-25 years old individual space preferences.

All countries: 18-25 years old preferences and expectations for working.

57% would prefer to have an employer which provides a workplace which goes beyond environmentally compliance.

Location

71% would prefer to work in an urbansetting against 29% in a rural setting.

A modern or contemporary style with subtle; clinical, relaxing colors.

39% would prefer only natural light in their working environment.



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India

80%arebetween18-25yearsold (68%ofmalesand32%offemales)75%ofrespondentsarestudying

Top 3 priorities when chosing an employer:1. OpportunitiesforLearning2. QualityofLife3. MeaningfulWork

897 Total number of Generation Y respondents in India:{

Travel

49% by car of which 65% would prefer to drive a hybrid car

8% cycling



9% walking

India: 18-25 years old individual space preferences

75% prefer to work in mobile way but 92% would like to personalise their individual space.

India: 18-25 years old preferences and expectations for working patterns


Location


A more modern rather than contemporary style with subtle; clinical and relaxing, vibrant and colourful interior.

Only 30% would prefer only natural light in their working environment.

China

74%arebetween18-25yearsold(31%ofmalesand69%offemales)67%ofrespondentsarestudying

Top 3 priorities when chosing an employer:1. OpportunitiesforLearning2. Advancement and promotions3. QualityofLife

660 Total number of Generation Y respondents in China:{

Travel

21% by car and of which 48% would prefer to drive a hybrid car.

19% cycling.

9% by motorcycle or scooter.

31% by public transport.

19% walking

China: 18-25 years old individual space preferences

77% prefer to work in mobile way but 94% would like to personalise their individual space.

China: 18-25 years old preferences and expectations for working patterns


Location


A more modern rather than contemporary style with subtle; clinical colors.

Only 28% would prefer only natural light in their working environment.



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USA

44.3%arebetween18-25yearsold(46%ofmalesand54%offemales)77.9%ofrespondentsarestudying

Top 3 priorities when chosing an employer:1. MeaningfulWork2. QualityofLife3. Work Colleagues

1217 Total number of Generation Y respondentsinUSA:{

Travel

51% by car and 34% would prefer to drive a hybrid car

7% cycling



18% walking

USA: 18-25 years old individual space preferences.

78% prefer to work in a mobile way but 89% would like to personalise their individual space.

USA: 18-25 years old preferences and expectations for working patterns.


Location

79% would prefer to work in an urbansetting against 21% in a rural setting

A modern or contemporary style with subtle; clinical and relaxing colors

47% would prefer only natural light in their working environment

UK

47.1%arebetween18-25yearsold (50.25%ofmales&49.75%offemales)55.6%ofrespondentsarestudying

Top 3 priorities when chosing an employer:1. Work Colleagues2. OpportunitiesforLearning3. MeaningfulWork

607 Total number of Generation Y respondentsinUK:{

Travel

34% by car, and 30% would prefer to drive a hybrid car

12% cycling



30% walking

UK: 18-25 years old individual space preferences

82% prefer to work in a mobile way but 89% would like to personalise their individual space.

UK: 18-25 years old preferences and expectations for working


Location

73% would prefer to work in an urbansetting against 27% in a rural setting

A modern or contemporary style with subtle; clinical, relaxing and vibrant colors

48% would prefer only natural light in their working environment



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What are the implications for employers?

If we explore now the implications for, employers, real estate owners and investors and facilities managers and service providers, as well as human resources strategies, we recommend our Industry to consider the following issues:

RealEstate

It is clear that Generation Y would prefer an urbanised location however this conflicts with their preference to drive to work.

An urban location will contribute to meeting a number of other key preferences such as:

The ability to leverage public transport networks contributing to more sustainable ways of working.

Access to social and commercial facilities such as gyms, restaurants and bars.

The city can be an extension of the working environment facilitating collaboration and creativity in a non-office environment.

An urban location will most likely be the more expensive location when compared with business parks and rural locations however the urban location does allow an employer to tick a number of the Generation Y boxes.

Hidden costs such as providing dedicated, on-site facilities may need to be considered when comparing potential locations.

FacilitiesManagement

FM today is just as much about supporting people as it is managing buildings. The preference of Generation Y suggest that this will need to go further in the future providing high quality people focused services akin with a hotel concierge.

FM will need to work closer with HR and RE to clearly articulate the business benefits of improving service quality and providing subsidised or on-site access to social and commercial facilities.

Sustainability will be key and should be front and centre in the workplace and an factor of choice for the generation y when choosing an organisation and an employer.

LocationCost

EfficiencyInfrastructure

TravelSupport Services

ReceptionIT

Environmental PoliciesDesignImageStyle

AtmosphereWork settings

Individual spaceCollaborative space

Shared spaceSupport space

Virtual spaceWork style

Mobility statusHR Contract

Working patternsManagerial Style

RealEstate

FacilitiesManagement

Workplace A Workplace to attract and retain

talent from the Generation Y

A sustainable and social

structure and a physical and virtual

environment in which people work, evolve and grow as

individuals and teams.

HumanResources

Social Structure

Technology Platform

Sust

aina

bilit

y

Soci

alab

ility

Way

of W

orki

ng

ITWeb2.0Platform

Gree

n

Netw

orke

d

Mobile

Clou

d



105

Workplace

There is a clear preference for flexible working and being able to choose when and where to conduct work with the ultimate aim of achieving a sustainable work / life balance

This contrasts with the Generation Y’s preference for dedicated workstations and the ability to personalise their work space as they are able to personalise their web applications to establish their own identity

The desire to work with slightly more than the recommended amount of space per workstation was also reflected but is not critical if addressed carefully

While the financial benefits of flexible working are clear work will have to be done with the Generation Y to help them to trade their dedicated desk for mobility and team oriented spaces

Because the possibility exists (due to technology) for the Generation Y to work in any location the workplace needs to be less structured and focus on supporting a mixture of work settings

Work setting “choice” is key not only in the designated office but also in urban space in the form of public amenities and community spaces supported by technology

What has been very evident in the Oxygenz survey is that the Generation Y three important factors are “Opportunities for Learning”, “Quality of Life” and “Work Colleagues”,

Their creativity and productivity is triggered by three major factors: “The people around them”, colleagues and collaborators, “The ambiance and atmosphere” in the workplace through the design, layout and facilities but also people, and “The technology” solutions they are provided with.

InformationTechnology/Web2.0platform

Employees must provide the latest range of mobile technologies Sharing printing facilities must be widely accepted and promoted Access to social networking tool during work is recommended and should not be neglected as a

powerful tool to support team building and networking within the workplace boundaries

HumanResources

Flexible working contracts must be the norm and are expected from most employees to enable a better work life balance, minimise constraint to work and reconcile family life with working life.

Access to flex time and ad hoc working hours must be considered and widely accessible to all employees.

The mobile nature of a flexible working style has a positive impact on the need to travel at traditional times of day enabling a more balanced life style

Green travel schemes should be promoted to limit the use of cars to travel to the office Learning and Development opportunities should be offered within the working experience

The workplace can directly support and influence these findings through an office environment that enables individuals and teams to collaborate and engage with each other. It remains crucially important to understand what things matter most to the 18 – 25 years old. The data reveals a fascinating insight into this new generation and how they are and behave compared to previous one. The initial results confirm the characteristics that are attributed to Generation Y. There are five aspects of the initial findings we should draw attention to:

Their desires and expectations of mobility and flexible working Their focus on team working and collaboration (both formal and informal) The high value they place on opportunities for learning The importance of the physical environment in which they work How strongly environmentally concious they are Their sociability

The generation Y is inherently social, team focused and embraces flexibility. Organisations now have the opportunity to view the potential in the Generation Y at work, embrace their environmental consciousness and consider their emotional engagement with their workplace as a source of business advantages.

It is conceivable that there might come a day when offices are no longer considered necessary. For the moment though, the provision of appropriate workplaces remains largely with employers. Our results and our observations show that individual engage with their working environments and the people around them.

There is a common belief that people are more often interested in what’s happening on their digital devices than the people sitting next to them. But the Oxygenz results demonstrate again that work is inherently social. Organisations now have the opportunity to view the Generation Y sociability as a source of business advantages, giving them access to the collective intelligence available across organisational boundaries and contained within Generation Y’s extended personal networks.

Recognising the value of networked sociability and enabling it through the design of the workplace and organisational support environments will allow businesses to tap into the powerhouse of the Generation Y energy, innovation, knowledge and creative potential.



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Footnotes

1. http://www.spectator.co.uk/business/the-magazine/entrepreneur/654421/part_3/the-workplace-diva-has-arrived.thtml

2. Martin, C. And Tulgan, B. (2006) Managing the Generation Mix, 2nd Edition, HRD Press.

3. KPMG International Research Report, 2007. The Impact of Digitalization: A Generation Apart.

4. Castells, M., Fernadez-Ardevol, M., Linchuan Qiu, J., Sey, A. (2007). Mobile Communication and Society: A Global Perspective. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

5. http://www.accenture.com/Global/Accenture_Blogs/Ed_Gottsman/November_2007/Talking+About+my+Generation.htm

6. http://www.spectator.co.uk/business/the-magazine/entrepreneur/654421/part_3/the-workplace-diva-has-arrived.thtml

7. Martin, C. And Tulgan, B. (2006) Managing the Generation Mix, 2nd Edition, HRD Press.

8. Ask Gen Y Research Report, 2007. http://www.askgeny.com/research.php

9. Howe, N. and Strauss, William (2007). The Next 20 Years: How Customer and Workforce Attitudes Will Evolve. Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug2007, Vol. 85 Issue 7/8, p41-52

10. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22727730-2,00.html

11. http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/10/17/the-real-deal-about-gen-y-theyre-inherently-conservative/

12. http://www.accenture.com/Global/Accenture_Blogs/Ed_Gottsman/November_2007/Talking+About+my+Generation.htm

13. It’s 2008: Do They Know Where Their Talent Is?, Deloitte Research Report, 2004

14. U.S. data are based on official estimates and projections. Population estimates for 1950-1999 are based on the resident population plus the armed forces overseas. Population estimates for 2000-2008 are for the resident population and are based on Census 2000. The estimates are produced using vital statistics through 2007 and survey data on international migration (supplemented with administrative data) through 2007.

15. Making Talent a Strategic Priority, McKinsey Quarterly, 2008

16. Age structure of the world – 2006 CIA World Factbook

17. http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm

18. http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?productid=1282382


20. http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/your-money/2009/07/21/a-financial-roadmap-for-generation-y.html

21. http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/erickson/2009/02/global_generations_focus_on_in.html

22. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62042726,00.htm

23. http://www.primacy.com/primetimes/200804/asia.html



26. http://www.publiclibraries.com/authors/mico14/chinageny/

27. http://www.gallup.com/poll/15934/Chinas-Gen-Bucks-Tradition.aspx

28. U.S. data are based on official estimates and projections. Population estimates for 1950-1999 are based on the resident population plus the armed forces overseas. Population estimates for 2000-2008 are for the resident population and are based on Census 2000. The estimates are produced using vital statistics through 2007 and survey data on international migration (supplemented with administrative data) through 2007..


30. http://www.publiclibraries.com/authors/mico14/chinageny/

31. Mid-2006 Population Estimates: United Kingdom; estimated resident population by single year of age and sex, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/index.html



109

34. The Impact of Digitalization – a generation apart, KPMG International Research Report, 2007.

35. Making Talent a Strategic Priority, McKinsey Quarterly, 2008

36. It’s 2008: Do You Know Where Your Talent Is?, Deloitte Research Report, 2004

37. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/Design-Disciplines/Workplace-design/

38. Florida, R. (2005). Cities and The Creative Class. Routledge, London.

39. CIPD (Charted Institute of Personnel Development), September 2008, How Smart Is UK plc? Findings From Organisational Practice.

40. RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), Property In The Economy: Workplace design and productivity - are they inextricably linked? July 2008.

41. Gensler, 2008 Workplace Survey, United Kingdom; 2008 Workplace Survey, US.

42. CIPD (Charted Institute of Personnel Development), September 2008, How Smart Is UK plc? Findings From Organisational Practice.

43. D. Guest, SSDA (Sector Skills Development Agency) Catalyst, Smarter Ways of Working: The Benefits And Barriers To The Adoption Of High-Performance Working, October 2006.

44. Pettigrew, A. and Fenton, Y (2000). The Innovating Organisation, Sage Publications, London.

45. PwC 12th Annual Global CEO Survey, Redefining Success, 2009. www.pwc.com/ceosurvey; IBM CEO Study, The Enterprise Of The Future, 2008.

46. RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), Property In The Economy: Workplace design and productivity - are they inextricably linked? July 2008.

32. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/LMS_QandA.pdf

33. U.S. data are based on official estimates and projections. Population estimates for 1950-1999 are based on the resident population plus the armed forces overseas. Population estimates for 2000-2008 are for the resident population and are based on Census 2000. The estimates are produced using vital statistics through 2007 and survey data on international migration (supplemented with administrative data) through 2007. Population data in the IDB for 2009-2050 are projections of the resident population. The projections originate with a base population from Census 2000 and are produced using a cohort-component method. Projections are based on historical trends in vital statistics data through 2003 and administrative data on legal immigration through 2002.

Footnotes Continued...

47. Gensler, 2008 Workplace Survey, United Kingdom; 2008 Workplace Survey, US.

48. Chartered Institute of Personnel Development Research Insight Reference 4678. Employee Engagement In Context. December 2008.

49. http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/2008_UK_Workplace_Survey_11_19_2008.pdf; Towers Perrin, Attracting And Engaging Talent. http://www.2017.uwaterloo.ca/

50. The Economist, Nomads At Last: A Special Report On Mobility. April 12th 2008.

51. The Economist, Nomads At Last: A Special Report On Mobility. April 12th 2008.

52. http://www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/2008_UK_Workplace_Survey_11_19_2008.pdf

53. Towers Perrin, Attracting And Engaging Talent. http://www.2017.uwaterloo.ca/

54. Castells, M. et al (2007). Mobile Communication And Society: A Global Society. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

55. http://www.accenture.com/Global/Accenture_Blogs/Ed_Gottsman/November_2007/Talking+About+My+Generation.htm

56. http://www.ashridge.org.uk/website/Content.nsf/FileLibrary/765F31DC1EA5A951802575A1005138B8/$file/NSN.pdf; http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/feb/23/twitter‐social‐networking; http://www.joshuamarch.co.uk/search?q=mukund+mohan; http://www.enterpriseirregulars.com/2993/swiss-re-one-of-the-smart-companies; http://www.boozallen.com/about/article_news-ideas/42033790.

57. Financial Times, 27th January 2009.

58. http://discovermagazine.com/videos/interview-danah-boyd/

59. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=777212



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Johnson Controls, Global WorkPlace Innovation

Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions is the leading global facilities management solutions provider. With over 50 years experience in the facilities management business, Johnson Controls has the expertise to deliver comprehensive Workplace strategies that support your global facility portfolio. Our approach to facilities management outsourcing is unique. We work with our clients to understand their business needs and then we create tailored solutions designed to meet those needs. We are accountable for implementing our solutions and then for guaranteeing the outcomes promised by our recommendations. What we deliver are comprehensive solutions that are good for our customers’ organisations.

Global WorkPlace Innovation (GWi) is the research and development programme of Global WorkPlace Solutions and aims to drive innovation and thought leadership in workplace solutions, globally; support customers’ needs and deliver advanced solutions. GWi also aims to challenge the status quo, leading change and delivering added value through innovation excellence.

Contact: Dr. Marie Puybaraud, [email protected] +44 (0) 7966 563 167 www.johnsoncontrols.co.uk www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com www.oxygenz.com

Key Sponsors

iDEA is an independent multi-disciplined design and communications company based in UK and USA.

We offer specialized consultancy in the fields of property, workplace, environment and communication to national and international clients undertaking business transformation. iDEA comprises a mobile team of twenty designers with a combined expertise in workplace, interior design, sustainability, graphic, digital and print media.

Over the past fifteen years we have gained a reputation for our leading edge approach to design and for the inspired and creative ways we present work to clients through interactive user engagement and intuitive interface design.

iDEA has a superb portfolio of case studies. To view them, visit www.thinkidea.co.uk

Contact: Simon Russell, [email protected] +44 (0)1743 719070 www.thinkidea.co.uk



113

Haworth, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of office furniture and organic workspaces, including raised access floors, moveable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage and wood casegoods. Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan, and serves markets in more than 120 countries through a global network of 600 dealers. The company had net sales of US $1.11 billion in 2009.

www.haworth.com & www.organicworkspaces.com

Contact: Paula Bedford, [email protected]

Industry:

BBC

Deloitte

The Smart Work Company

e-Work

NEW WOW

Corenet Global

eOffice

Academics:

CEPT

Chulalongkom University

Cornell University

Fraunhoffer Institute

Hope College

Liverpool John Moore University

Tamassath University

Texas University

The Hague University

Tongjii Univesity

University of Central London

University of Pretoria

University of the West of England

University of Wisconsin

Wellingkar Institute

Partners



115

Dr. Marie Puybaraud, Johnson Controls

Dr. Marie Puybaraud is Director of Global WorkPlace Innovation (GWi) for Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions. Marie has managed the GWi Johnson Controls R&D Programme since 2002, leading around 15 annual projects to successful completion and disseminating all the findings both internally across the global business and externally through marketing and communications activities. Marie has more than 14 years of track record as an active researcher in the field of the built environment, spanning over a career in academia leading a postgraduate course in facilities management and teaching across Europe, in Asia and developing a global network of partners she collaborates with on research projects. She also continuously publishes articles in the press, academic publications and specialist journals on her research projects, particularly in the field of workplace, mobile working and flexible working, and new ways of working and futures. A regular speaker at both national and international conferences and a writer, she combines her expertise and corporate experience to transfer knowledge to the audience. Throughout the years working for Johnson Controls, she has played a significant role to develop stronger relationships with clients through the R&D activities, building their trust and engaging in innovation her colleagues and corporate clients worldwide and members of the research network. Knowledge management is core to her success and a continuous activity. Marie holds a BSc (Hons) in Construction Management and a PhD in Fire Safety Management. Marie obtained her PhD in July 2001 and was awarded the MacFarlane Medal for best doctorate of the year, excellence in research and major contribution to research.

And with the input of:

Simon Russell, iDEA

Simon has a depth of understanding for the aesthetic and technical possibilities when starting a project from the first initial stages.

Being able to communicate at a senior level and manage with disparate organisational groups enables concept through to delivery. Simon has run high profile new media based communication projects since the late 80’s.

Simon Helped create a new division within iDEA to specialise in offering a media service to existing and new clients. This role involves working with a team of designers and programmers to deliver IT focussed media solutions and offer a full design studio service. The media team supports all departments within iDEA and competes with high profile agencies nationally and internationally, services offered include workplace and communication campaigns, print design solutions, and digital communication projects.

Authors

Dr. Anne Marie McEwan, The Smart Work Company

Dr Anne Marie McEwan is CEO of The Smart Work Company Ltd, which combines practical work-based learning and new management thinking to help senior executives and middle-level managers make the transition to new ways of working. She has over a decade of experience researching and working with businesses, nationally and internationally, making the transition to new ways of working.She is a visiting fellow at Kingston University Business School in the UK, also a visiting academic at the Academy of National Economy in Moscow, and is member of the UK Work Organisation Network (www.ukwon.net). She also co-facilitates Johnson Controls’ Global Mobility Network, a learning network for senior IT, FM and HR executives, where her work has included tracking workplace trends.Her forthcoming book, Smart Working: Creating The Next Wave, will be published in November 2010 by Gower. ISBN 978-1-4094-0456-9.

Eline Leussink, Johnson Controls UK

Eline Leussink, MA. has an extensive academic background and practical experience within the Facilities Management arena. Eline has a BA in Facilities Management and an MA in International Business. Before joining JCI as a senior consultant Eline has had operational experience managing FM projects for KPMG and Rabobank. Currently working on a variety of consulting projects and business development opportunities, including development of FM Operational and Service Charge Models for the Shard, Europe’s tallest building, Eline’s previous assignments have included FM organisation advice and strategy development for BP and Exxon Mobil’s new development in Luanda, Angola. Programme Management and Implementation of Global WorkPlace Innovation’s Oxygenz research project with Deloitte. FM Services Review and Change Management services for Barclays. FM Design Review / Advice for BBC’s new development in Salford Quays. Programme Management and Due Diligence for Unsiys business opportunity. For all these projects, Eline was the lead consultant.

Lewis Beck, Associate Director, Johnson Controls UK

Lewis Beck has 10 years experience in the property, workplace and consultancy arenas and is

responsible for leading Johnson Controls Workplace Consulting business in EMEA. Lewis has

extensive experience of property strategy development and helping global organisations to deliver

and sustain productive and effective working environments.

And we would like to thanks the following collaborators for their invaluable expert input in the

delivery of this project:

Dr. Jay Brand, Haworth

Kate North, eWork

Malavika Kamath, Johnson Controls Singapore



117

Dr. Marie Puybaraud

Director Global WorkPlace Innovation

Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace SolutionsLondonUKTel: +44 (0) 7966 563 167Email: [email protected]

For information about Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Innovation research & development program go to: www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com

Contact

Artwork and Design:

Amber Pimm-Jones

Media Designer

01743 [email protected]

Kieren Nason

Design & Production Specialist Johnson ControlsGlobal WorkPlace [email protected]

Photography

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