{"id":799,"date":"2019-06-04T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/content-marketing-hub\/?p=799"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:52:53","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:52:53","slug":"build-workplace-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/creativity-culture\/build-workplace-community","title":{"rendered":"How Airbnb, Verizon, and WeWork build community and the employee experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The workplace is undergoing a major change\u2014and it\u2019s not just because of millennials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true that millennials demand more from employers. You may have heard stats like 70 percent of millennials<\/a> would trade various benefits for a better workspace. Or how millennials need to feel connected to their company\u2019s mission and do work that has real impact. But they\u2019re not the only ones who feel that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby boomers and Gen Xers are now looking to the next phase of their careers. They\u2019ve been working for 20-plus years and aren\u2019t retiring any time soon. Like millennials, they also want purpose-driven and meaningful work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet most workplaces are not meeting these needs\u2014and the results are alarming. Eighty-five percent of employees are not engaged<\/a> at work. Fifty-one percent are looking for another job<\/a>. Those numbers indicate a crisis when you calculate the cost of lost productivity and turnover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why it\u2019s imperative for companies to focus on building communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong personal connections at work can be the difference between a disengaged or highly engaged employee. Even though we\u2019re moving toward a more flexible world, where people can work remotely and have control over their hours and workspaces, the majority of people still prefer to come into the office<\/a><\/em>. We can\u2019t help it\u2014the desire for belonging is a basic human instinct. People like connecting with their colleagues face-to-face. They\u2019re happier when they have a close work friend<\/a>\u2014no matter how old they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of us in leadership positions need to think about building better communities. Our companies depend on it. We must curate experiences and environments that foster meaningful connections where people can be their authentic selves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had the opportunity to host the panel \u201cNavigating Uncertainty by Building Community and Curating Experience\u201d at CoreNet Global Summit in Boston<\/a>. With panelists Tido Pesenti, director of global real estate and finance, Airbnb; Jim Tousignant, director, portfolio management, Verizon Global Real Estate; and Lakshmi Rengarajan, director of workplace connection, WeWork; we discussed how they\u2019re intentionally designing their workplaces to foster community and connections. The strategies they shared are both valuable and inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Airbnb: putting the global community front and center<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Airbnb<\/a>\u2019s mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. The company believes that by fostering interactions between people from different countries, there will be more respect among cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This mission guides their \u201coutside-in\u201d approach to fostering community among employees. Beautiful homes on the Airbnb platform inspire the company\u2019s own conference room and office designs. Black and white portraits of Airbnb hosts\u2014the \u201cheroes\u201d of the Airbnb brand, according to Pesenti\u2014hang throughout the office, alongside each host\u2019s personal story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To further build community, Airbnb offers healthy meals and on-site group exercise classes\u2014the company knows employees are time-starved and hope this will reduce friction and increase happiness. In addition, Airbnb hosts fireside chats with thought leaders such as Al Gore and Sheryl Sandberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verizon: connecting hospitality and community<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe days of cost-cutting to save on the employee experience are over,\u201d says Tousignant. Now there\u2019s a desire to create hospitality-driven environments that are amenity-rich\u2014which let employees know that the company cares about their well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Verizon, this takes different shapes, depending on the location. In Boston, where they\u2019re building a new office, Verizon sees their retail neighbors as part of their community. Employees can walk outside and pick up lunch at a local eatery, go shopping, and work out at nearby gyms and studios. In areas where those kinds of neighbors are few and far between, Verizon curates that experience from the ground up\u2014like at their new office complex in Irving, Texas, where Verizon hand-selected restaurants, stores, and a hotel to become part of their on-site community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verizon also finds other ways to connect employees to their greater communities: The Irving location, for example, has a coworking space where tech startups and 5G companies can collaborate with Verizon employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WeWork: moving from ‘meeting’ to ‘connecting’<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Employees connecting at WeWork. Photograph by Anthony Reed

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At WeWork, we may be the only company with a \u201cdirector of workplace connection\u201d role\u2014but it\u2019s necessary. That\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to have Lakshmi Rengarajan, WeWork\u2019s director of workplace connections, as my colleague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our panel, Rengarajan explained that \u201cWeWork is turning connection into a practice\u201d\u2014and that\u2019s why her role ensures WeWork\u2019s new employees feel like they\u2019re part of the community from day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rengarajan is looking to move people from meeting to connecting. \u201cMeeting\u201d someone entails making small talk; it\u2019s transactional and draining. \u201cConnecting,\u201d on the other hand, is getting to a deeper level; it\u2019s telling stories, sharing acts of kindness, laughing, bonding over a common purpose, and learning people\u2019s backstories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get there, Rengarajan recommends asking questions that are not related to an extreme (i.e., not \u201cbest\u201d or \u201cworst\u201d): The good stuff lives in the middle. For example, rather than ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s your favorite book?\u201d try, \u201cWhat\u2019s the book you think everyone should read?\u201d You\u2019ll be surprised at what you learn when you make that small change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measuring the future of work<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I remain convinced that the future of work will be measured by how people feel. The steps these companies, and more like them, are taking will go a long way to build communities and increase employee engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How will you build a stronger community in your organization?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WeWork offers companies of all sizes space solutions that help solve their biggest business challenges.<\/em>
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