Hartford Business Journal

18 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 22, 2024 FOCUS | Workplace Bill Husic is the Hartford office president for insurance brokerage firm Lockton Companies, which recently moved into newly renovated office space in West Hartford's Blue Back Square. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Balancing Act Collaborative spaces, amenities still in vogue for office designs, but workers increasingly want private workspaces His company's portfolio includes work for Eversource Energy, Yale University, Blue Back Square, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center and Wood Creek Part- ners in New Haven. Two of Olsen's latest projects include new offices in West Hartford's Blue Back Square for Lockton Insur- ance and law firm Day Pitney. Lockton relocated from Batterson Park Road in Farmington to a 15,000-square-foot space in the Rutherford Building in Blue Back Square, to accommodate roughly 110 employees. The new Lockton space has a large kitchenette for social and collabora- tion time, along with a lounge, large- screen television and even a gaming wall, Olsen said. "Those little things that make you feel more at home, I think that's what the next generation is looking for," he said. Terri Finucane is chairman of The S/L/A/M Collaborative, a national design firm based in Glastonbury. She said office rede- signs are an invest- ment in the workplace and employees, and company leaders would be wise to engage their workers in the discus- sion of what a successful office setup looks like. Most workers returning to the office in 2024 have come off of months By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com W hen workers first began returning to the office post-pandemic, collaboration was the buzzword in office redesign. Employers built open, airy spaces like cafés, coffee bars and high-top desk stations to foster socializing and collaborative work, all in an effort to entice employees back to the office. Four years later, many companies have adopted a hybrid work model, requiring workers to come to the office for at least part of the week, and employers are seeing a slight shift in workspace trends. Collaboration is still an important component for effective work and building office relationships, but industry experts are seeing a need for more private, quiet spaces. Joel Grieco, executive director of office brokerage for commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, said trends in office design are seeing "a pendulum swing." People still want to socialize and collaborate, but also "need a private environ- ment in which to work." It's a balancing act for employers, who increasingly want workers back in the office, experts said. A survey by Resume Builder found that 90% of employers plan to enforce return-to-office mandates in 2024, and that 51% have already done so. Yet, those figures don't apply to every worker, every day, with 68% of executives believing workers should be on-site at least three days a week. Chris Ostop, managing director of brokerage firm JLL in Hartford, said corporate leaders are still advocating for people to come into the office, as they believe business is better when teams are together. He said he understands the attrac- tion of building collaborative spaces, but "we're just starting to see local companies going from open floor plans to more private offices. They want people to come in, but they have to give them a reasonable place to work." "We're seeing workers need a place to put their heads down and work, but also want that space to take a break and hang out," Ostop said. Younger workers, in particular, have been trending toward in-office work. "Young people, at the start of their careers, who have any level of ambition, are the ones who want to interface, to have that 'water cooler time' with senior mentors, and make a name for themselves," Grieco said. 'More at home' Companies are still adopting comfortable spaces and amenities to entice workers back to the office. Nick Olsen, president of Berlin- based Olsen Construction Services, said companies are trying to give the workplace a "homey" feel. Chris Ostop Terri Finucane Joel Grieco Nick Olsen

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