Dive Brief:
- Always at the forefront of innovation, General Electric Co. chose open spaces over enclosed offices for its new downtown Cincinnati work complex, reports Cincinnati.com, of the USA Today network.
- The 12-story structure has both work and play areas with floor-to-ceiling windows. Staff have desktops, meeting nooks and teleconference spaces for working and a café, fitness center, game room, wi-fi station and outdoor-dining facility for recreation.
- GE envisioned the new site in The Bank section of the city as a nontraditional work environment that would attract and retain employees. Most workers are recent hires; only 20% transferred from within the company.
Dive Insight:
Millennials are the largest segment of the workforce, a Pew Research Center study shows. They’re less likely than previous generations to spend their entire careers with one employer or adhere to traditional work norms. Large and small companies must be creative to attract and retain this generation of talent. GE chose to build an office-free, work-and-play environment as a recruiting and retention strategy.
Most companies are small businesses that don’t have the funds to construct an office-free building, but they can consider offering low-cost perquisites. Popular among employees are work-at-home days, flexible work schedules, company-catered lunches, employee referral programs, games in break rooms and free onsite seminars.
