The main drivers for the market shift to WELL building certification are to provide:

• Differentiation in the market:
  • Showcased by the Urban Land Institute, for Structure Tone, WELL was an opportunity to showcase what its construction management strategies could do in support of a healthy building and provide a healthy workplace for their employees. A firm focused on efficiency and sustainability, Structure Tone plans to train more than 100 WELL accredited professionals within its workforce. “We are seeing our employees bring in more clients for meetings, tours and events,” said Rob Leon, senior vice president at Structure Tone. “Once they experience the space, clients love it.”
• Attract and retain talent:
  • Cundall reported experiencing a 27% reduction in employee turnover compared to the previous year, totaling £122,000 (132.50 euros) in savings.
  • According to the American Society of Interior Designers, “Findings from the 3C Design study confirm that perceived environmental quality has a significant effect on turnover intention, especially when controlling for job demands and control. Further investigation on this relationship uncovered environmental quality having a positive effect on employee retention, whereas job demands have negative effects. ASID has yet to translate this into an actual number, but the consensus from other studies suggest the cost savings from retaining an employee are remarkable. Office design, especially when job demands or the office culture support the messages communicated through the design, intensifies the power to make cost savings.”
• Return on investment on employee productivity:
  • CBRE Madrid reported that 80% of employees believed their new office enabled them to be more productive.
  • Symantec reported that 77% of employees feel the space fosters more collaboration and socialization, a 28% increase over their views toward the previous space.

Smith Seckman Reid Inc. is a CFE Media content partner. 

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