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There's a good reason for that: Without skilled workers, companies would be lost.
And at the heart of the talent conversation lies real estate. In fact 46 percent of corporations' global real estate decisions last year were driven by talent availability.
But even if you establish your business in a place where there's a lot of good talent, securing it can be an outright war. So, how can employers make sure highly qualified workers choose them over the competition? Here are some ways to maximize real estate as a tool in the talent war.
Turn your headquarters into a community
If your company isn't located in a major city, then offices can sometimes be pretty generic looking, often lacking any personality. Not so for ESPN. The company's headquarters in Bristol, CT, aren't a run-of-the-mill office park, but a full-fledged compound. After employees eat in the onsite cafe-which includes a brick pizza oven, vintage popcorn machine, and sports references like "Field of Greens"- they can get together to shoot some hoops out back. When they need a break from technology they can chat by a pond-side gazebo or visit the expansive gym, open seven days a week.
Obviously ESPN's state-of-the-art, 123-acre campus makes it a desirable employer, but you don't need a similar setup to attract and keep the best talent. Instead, you can infiltrate a community that already exists - whether it's a desirable neighborhood in a certain city or an office park (an attractive one) in a suburb. Local restaurants, entertainment options, and other amenities play a big part in determining whether workers will choose you or sign on with a rival.
Focus on wellness
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Many companies now look for offices in buildings that offer such perks as an onsite gym.
CBRE reports that close to 50 percent of workers rank amenities like gyms as an important workplace feature, while more than half consider the indoor environment. These factors affect the modern workforce's decision about which company to choose, and how long to stick around.
General Mills, the Minneapolis, MN, consumer packaged goods manufacturer, offers its workers access to an on-site health clinic. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Twitter provides staff with a rooftop garden for when they need some down time.
Dial up employee collaboration
A business' ability to foster corporate connectedness is very much a product of its workspace.
That's because certain workspaces encourage employee collaboration, which can create a more appealing company culture-something that's sure to draw workers. When Steve Jobs was CEO of Pixar, he hired famed architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson to design a campus that included a central atrium and multiple gathering areas that "promoted encounters and unplanned collaborations." Teamwork and a positive atmosphere matter, especially when you consider many professionals spend more than 1,500 hours in an office each year.
Winning the talent war is about understanding what your target employees value in a workplace - from infrastructure to lifestyle perks - and delivering. When you can strike that balance between community and culture, workers will be lining up to sign on.
Find out more about how the right real estate can help recruit and retain great employees.
This post is sponsored by CBRE.
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