Things to have in mind when designing an office for millennials

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They believe innovation can be learned and repeated, are on track to become the most educated generation in history, and are “digital natives in a land of digital immigrants”, according to Pew Research.

Whatever your views, some predict they’ll make up 75 per cent of the global workforce by 2025, so it’s probably best to get on their good side.

Large scale surveys from Deloitte, PwC and others suggest millennials approach work differently. To support the collaborative, values-based culture they’re seeking, the workplace itself must also evolve.

With this in mind, here are five office design tips to help attract and retain millennial talent:

(1) State your mission

Deloitte’s 2016 Millennial Survey, based on almost 7,700 interviews, reveals that the next generation are looking to derive a sense of meaning from their work. In fact, when they evaluate job opportunities, meaning, purpose, societal impact and reputation are among the top factors they’re looking for.

To attract millennials, businesses are often advised to design a space that expresses their culture or brand. The advice is useful, but young workers are actually after something much deeper: you need to state your mission.

What does that look like? Take some inspiration from Adobe’s Utah campus. Designers have incorporated street art, typographic designs and continual references to computer graphics and technology.

The result achieves more than simply matching brand colours or including logos. Adobe have found a way to state their mission, using design to tell a story and echo their unique place at the juncture between technological innovation and artistic disruption. That’s a powerful narrative.

On the next page, find out how different spaces play a part in appealing to millennials and what the benefits are.

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