Trends

2017 GLOBAL
WORKPLACE
TRENDS
Sodexo’s Focus: Quality of Life
Sodexo is the world leader in services that improve quality of life, an
essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in
80 countries, Sodexo serves 75 million consumers each day through its
unique combination of Onsite Services, Benefits and Rewards Services,
and Personal and Home Services.
At Sodexo, we believe that when companies place people’s quality of life

at the center of their thinking, they create a more committed and engaged
workforce. We have worked to make quality of life something that is
concrete and operational, reconciling individual expectations with the goals
of companies and viewing workplace trends through the lens of quality
of life. We have identified six dimensions of quality of life on which our
services have a direct impact:
The Physical Environment: Ensuring that employees are safe

and feel comfortable
Health & Well-Being: Providing opportunities to make

employees healthier
Social Interaction: Strengthening bonds among individuals and

facilitating access to culture and leisure
Recognition: Making employees feel valued
Ease & Efficiency: Simplifying the daily employee experience

and improving work-life balance
Personal Growth: Helping employees grow and develop
This report is supported by the Sodexo Institute for Quality of Life, our in-house think
tank whose objective is to gather and develop insight on the drivers of quality of life.
2 SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Art and Science of

Sodexo’s Workplace Trends Report........................... 6
2017 Global Workplace Trends
The Agile Organization . . ........................................ 8
The Rise of Cross-Workplaces .............................. 16
Employees Without Borders .................................. 22
The New Gen of Robotics...................................... 28
Intergenerational Learning..................................... 34
Personal Branding Goes to Work .......................... 40
Redefining Workplace Experience. . ........................ 48
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development..... 56
Unlocking the Potential of Millennial Talent . . .......... 64
Wellness 3.0 ......................................................... 72
More About the Experts Who Contributed.................. 81
Endnotes .. .......................................................... 86
SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS 3

S
odexo is a “people company,” working directly with individuals and for
individuals. As the world’s 19th-largest employer, we provide a workplace
to more than 420,000 employees and are committed to ensuring the
best work environment for our people. Our employees contribute daily to the
workplace experience of more than 10,000 companies in 80 countries, in a
diverse range of industries and work environments. This is why at Sodexo we
continually monitor workplace trends and their impact on employees—ours
or our clients’. More deeply, we focus on understanding how human beings
thrive at work because we are convinced that quality of life at work contributes
sustainably to the success of organizations. We believe that it is essential for
leaders across industries to recognize the underlying trends of change, to
evaluate how relevant and significant they are and to determine how to stay
ahead of—rather than follow—them.
Identifying and understanding what’s new and truly significant in this context
has never been more important—or more complex! Change is happening at
an unprecedented pace across the world, in all economies—whether they are
emerging or mature—impacting the very nature of work and how individuals
thrive (or not) at work.
The trends we discuss in this report therefore resonate across the spectrum
of workplace experience: for instance, the overlap of personal and corporate
brands, the evolution of learning at work, the workplace as a wellness
destination, the link to deeper societal issues such as migration and many
more. We are deeply grateful to the nearly 50 subject matter experts who joined
Sodexo in this endeavor and whose contribution was invaluable in shaping our
understanding. We sought out leading voices, experts from renowned academic
institutions, associations, consultancies, foundations, NGOs, research groups,

think tanks and more. They are authors, researchers, speakers, thought
leaders and influencers from organizations such as Accenture, the American
Psychological Association, Case Western Reserve University, Columbia
University, Cranfield School of Management, Harvard University, ESCP Europe
Business School, the International Federation of Robotics, the International
Food Waste Coalition, LinkedIn, McKinsey & Company, the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations
Foundation, University of Granada, USAA, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF),
among many, many others. We are honored that these experts agreed to
participate and that we had the opportunity to engage them and tap into their
insights to better understand the future of quality of life at work.
Identifying, exploring and researching these trends and distilling them into
this report has stimulated a great deal of thinking and conversation, but this
is not the end. We see this as the beginning of important discussions. With
this report we look forward to engaging our stakeholders in a dialogue and
to continue making progress in how we respond together to meet these new
challenges. We want this report to spark inspiration and spur wider audiences
into thinking and engaging in conversations about how to create the most
seamless employee experience and improve individual quality of life.
I hope you enjoy reading this report!
Best regards,
Sylvia Metayer, CEO, Sodexo Corporate Services Worldwide

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SODEXO’S
GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS REPORT
O
ur system is grounded in primary disciplines such as space design, wellness,
and secondary research. Initial intergenerational learning and corporate
identification of trend topics came responsibility to gain an edge.
from research and through our own insights
into workplaces around the world. We looked THE 10 TRENDS WE EXPLORED
at global news sources focused on HR THIS YEAR
and the workplace and selected 10 trends
1. The Agile Organization: Striking a
relevant to Sodexo based on the services we
Balance Between Speed and Stability
offer and/or the way we partner with clients.
Once we had identified global topic-area Organizations are seeking the holy grail
experts, we conducted more than 55 hours of of agility—speed plus stability—with
interviews, with two to eight expert interviews an ultimate goal of responding to new
per trend. Secondary source material and conditions, all while keeping employees
statistics were compiled from global news agile, too, with help from disciplines like
sources and research databases. mindfulness.
Our intention is for our trends story to 2. The Rise of Cross-Workplaces:

resonate with individuals and organizations Accelerating Innovation Through
across a spectrum of different workplaces. Chance Interactions
We want it to feed conversations that spur The newest iteration of collaborative
new thinking and dialogue around the way work spaces takes co-working to a
we live and work, the ways work is changing, new level, with organizations not only
and ultimately the environments and cultures sharing physical space and resources
that will define the workplace of the future. but also intentionally structuring
interactions across boundaries to
We have divided this 2017 report into 10 encourage problem-solving approaches
subject areas, although common threads run that combine strengths to address
through many of them. In fact, it has been complex issues.
striking to see how interrelated the trends are.
Technology and interactivity are increasingly 3. Employees Without Borders:
shaping how people work as well as where. Understanding the Impact of
As work becomes more about adding Migration on the Workplace
value than cranking handles and pushing The sheer spread and scale of the
food carts, organizations are learning that relocation of workers, in both emerging
communicating their values is imperative as and developed economies, is driving
they work to motivate and engage employees. new opportunities to demonstrate
And with a growing understanding that inclusive leadership by evaluating skill
many subtle factors influence employee needs, availability, location benefits and
performance, smart companies are looking to effective cultural integration.

4. The New Gen of Robotics: How Robots 8. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Are Transforming the Way We Work Development: Reframing CSR
Robots have been in the workplace Through a Shared Vision and
for years, and advances in artificial Common Purpose
intelligence have led to organizations The 2030 Sustainable Development
increasingly using them for jobs that Goals (SDGs) call on organizations to
humans used to perform. The newest work together and with government
discussion: exploring the success of toward a shared vision. The way
robots, especially as they collaborate businesses interpret and adapt practices
with people on uniquely human jobs. will affect not only the progress toward
meeting the SDGs but also the needs of
5. Intergenerational Learning: A New a workforce hungry for positive change.
Model for Talent Development
As people continue to live and 9. Unlocking the Potential of Millennial
work longer, all workers are forcing Talent: A New Understanding of What
companies to think differently about Drives This Generation
hierarchical and traditional employee Why do we need to better understand
learning. Employees of all generations millennials? Grasping the unique set of
are teaching one another from their own attributes that this generation brings to
experiences and driving a new culture of the work table gives us a view into the
personal development. future of the workplace.
6. Personal Branding Goes to Work: 10. Wellness 3.0: The Workplace as a

A Powerful Tool for Employees and Wellness Destination
Employers Alike Moving beyond “fixing” or preventing
Personal branding is taking on a new health problems, the current approach
life and getting deeper scrutiny, as to wellness features the workplace as
employers look to leverage the power a potential catalyst for healthy living
of employees’ personal brands for the for employees, their families and the
good of the company. community at large.
7. Redefining Workplace Experience:

Putting Design Thinking Principles to
Work
From physical space and technology
to virtual work considerations and
amenities, the way workers experience
their surroundings is key to a happy
workforce. Design thinking can help
optimize this experience so that it
supports employees both within and
outside of the workplace.

THE AGILE ORGANIZATION
STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN SPEED AND STABILITY
As 21st-century organizations become increasingly agile, so must individuals.

This can be challenging and require practice, but mindfulness is a discipline
that is proving useful.
I
n the past 10 years, corporate norms That shift brings new approaches to
have evolved steadily toward the agile addressing challenges: new forms of
organization—that is, businesses that collaboration and more inventive and
are nimble and responsive enough to faster ways of delegating and sharing
get ahead with technological progress responsibilities. For some employees,
(or at least adopt it very early); work adjusting to the new order creates a fair
increasingly across cultures, borders and amount of discomfort. But according
workplaces; and move quickly to market, to Michael Bazigos, Ph.D., Managing
among so many other entrepreneurial Director at Accenture Strategy and
tactics. Adjunct Professor in the Department of

The old sense of “rules and procedures”
functioned like “historical layering of sedimentary
rock, which can ossify organizations over time.”
—MICHAEL BAZIGOS, Ph.D., Managing Director,
Accenture Strategy; Adjunct Professor, Department of
Organization and Leadership, Columbia University
Organization and Leadership at Columbia The next phase: transversal organizations,

University in the United States, the future that is, those that focused on compressing
of businesses hinges on embracing that project and business activity life cycles,
agility.1 allowing products and services to be
created, refined and made available in
“In the context of a competitive,
ever-shorter time frames. Multidisciplinary
globalized market, we need to accept
teamwork became important here, with
that everything we believed about how
members from all corners of organizations
success could be achieved may change
working quickly toward a common vision
suddenly and all at once, requiring us
for specific projects.
to rethink the entire approach and to
aggressively and rapidly transform,” he Isaac Getz, Co-Author, Freedom, Inc.;
says. “Those management cultures that Professor of Leadership and Innovation,
give their people permission to wonder ESCP Europe Business School,
about, question and debate whether the says the subsequent evolution—the
way things are done today is the best liberated business—is “one in which the
way forward are the ones best equipped majority of people have the freedom
to deal with agility.” and responsibility to take any initiative
they think is best in alignment with the
THE RISE OF AGILITY
organization’s objectives.”2
The move toward agility has mirrored
workplace technological advances. In Today, the next iteration, the cellular
the 1980s, organizations started to shift organization, is on the rise, with
from being solo silos in the marketplace autonomous cells inside organizations
toward developing collaborative networks operating in a spirit of collaboration and
with partners such as suppliers. As a friendly competition, but joining forces
result, employees needed to embrace when necessary.3 It is poised to revive
flexibility, adaptability and a true the entrepreneurial/startup spirit in any
commitment to teamwork. size business.

Striking a Balance Between Speed and Stability
WHAT IS
Works
AN AGILE
across ORGANIZATION?
cultures, Nimble and
borders and responsive
workplaces
Moves Early
quickly to adopter of
market technology
THREE MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE AGILE
ORGANIZATION
HOW
MINDFULNESS
Helps achieve
balance CAN LEAD TO
between AGILITY
Principle of Emphasis on speed and
adaptive teamwork stability
performance
Creates
Common accountability
orientation
toward
organizational
goals
Helps
Promotes employees
compassion focus and
and sense of achieve
community greater calm
Source: “Work in the 21st Century: Agile and Mindful,” Institute for Quality of Life, Sodexo, June 28, 2016
10
“People don’t resist change; they resist being changed.”
—ISAAC GETZ, Co-Author, Freedom, Inc.; Professor of Leadership
and Innovation, ESCP Europe Business School
Each of these evolutions has taken may seem to be at odds—but actually they
big bites out of the barriers within are not: a stabilizing structural backbone
organizations, and that has translated and capacity for velocity. Most companies
into the need for greater agility, both still need hierarchy and structure; so rather
from organizations and the individuals than ‘blow up’ the structure, the question
who work within them. The old sense becomes: How do you become agile
of “rules and procedures,” Bazigos behind that?”
says, functioned like “historical layering
of sedimentary rock, which can ossify We can thank the tech world for giving
organizations over time.” other business sectors a road map
toward—and multiple case studies for—
As recently set out in a Harvard Business successful agility. Software developers
Review case study, the danger of not outlined and pushed the importance of
recognizing and addressing those steady adaptation, steady output back
hardened layers of business bureaucracy
in 2001, signing and publishing the
can be significant. “At one Fortune 1000
then-controversial, now clearly prescient
company, for example, ‘flame wars’ broke
Agile Manifesto. Among its core edicts:
out between customer support units,
“customer collaboration over contract
desperate to respond faster to customer
negotiation” and “responding to change
complaints, and the technical design
over following a plan.”5
group, equally desperate to avoid ad
hoc fixes,” says the case study. “Neither Fast-forward to the present and, as HP
group could effectively solve the problems Technology Evangelist John Jeremiah
without the other, but their overlaps said on TechBeacon (an online
quickly became sources of conflict rather hub for developers and technology
than collaboration. That pathology isn’t
professionals), “agile is now the norm.”6
uncommon.”4
This circles back to the old adage that
“Change is the only constant,” but nudges
MAKING AGILITY FIT
remain necessary for companies all
It might seem as if agility and stability are across the corporate landscape.
pitted against each other, but Bazigos
sees a way forward: “When we look at In order to avoid ossification and
agility, there are two parallel systems that embrace agility, Bazigos squares in on

mindset. Businesses need, he says, to That embrace can be challenging
“innovate, be more productive, integrate for many employers and employees.
acquisitions and shorten time to value.” “Traditional organizations are built
It helps to start at the top: An agile
mindset embraced by management for cost reduction, optimization and
fosters adoption throughout an efficiency, imperatives that do not
organization; once adopted, agility yields necessarily underpin flourishing, creativity
benefits both inside and outside. and innovation,” says Bazigos. “And
the traditional workforce had been
To get there, businesses can set their conditioned to adhere to well-defined
sights on three principal characteristics:7 roles, which can put a brake on velocity.”
1. A common orientation toward Traditional organizations also tend to

organizational goals be helmed by traditional leaders, who
might struggle to adapt to a more tactical,
2. An emphasis on teamwork nimble approach much like you’d see
in a fencing match. “There are a small
3. A principle of adaptive performance number of organizations whose leaders
have the ability to make decisions quickly
AGILITY AT WORK and adapt to a changing environment,”
For the workforce, agility definitely is Bazigos says. “They also have a flexible
as empowering as it is demanding: structure that allows them to move fast
Along with calling on employees to take without disrupting the very structural
responsibility for acting in line with the support that allows for this ability to move
company’s objectives, it allows them to quickly in the first place.”
experience freedom, and it encourages
and rewards proactivity and creativity. Bazigos points to the business rewards
of optimizing both: “Of 277 companies
Bazigos says that in order to tap into we studied at Accenture, the ones with
the potential of an agile workplace, higher levels of both stabilizing structural
“employees need to embrace ambiguity.” backbone and velocity were 436 percent

“Agility is not limited to a sector or geography. If we
allow people to have freedom and the responsibility
to work out the challenges of today, we’ll see a surge
in innovation and creativity. The potential of human
beings remains largely untapped.”
—ISAAC GETZ, Co-Author, Freedom, Inc.; Professor of
Leadership and Innovation, ESCP Europe Business School
likelier to be seen as outstanding financial functional silos,” says Getz. But that’s
performers in their industry than those just one of many challenges. He offers
that lacked both. This is consistent the example of Brazilian manufacturing
with published research in professional company Semco as showing great agility
journals that documents the contribution when facing the external pressure of a
of agility to operational and financial national economic crisis. More than half of
performance, and finds that agility’s power the company’s 500 employees accepted
roughly doubles in volatile environments an offer to leave Semco’s payroll. Some
compared to stable ones.”8 took their severance and left; about 200
stayed, and another 200 became satellite
To gain insight into agility, companies can
employees, working in positions that were
look for inspiration from their in-house
once contracted out, starting their own
pros who are immersed in the agile
businesses with the support of Semco
tech world: their information technology
resources (but perhaps not even with
team. “Agility has long been essential
Semco as a client) and other scenarios.
to creating usable software quickly,
It’s one of dozens of innovations the
and chief information officers have
company has used to keep employees
developed a suite of agile approaches
engaged, creative, loyal, productive and
and tools to address long delivery
happy—and Semco profitable.10 For many
cycles and inflexible legacy systems,”
companies, intentionally developing into
says Paul Willmott, a Director at global
an agile organization comes with swift,
management consulting firm McKinsey.
clear dividends.
“Many of these approaches can be
expanded well beyond the perimeters of
WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS
IT and applied across an organization.”9
As Getz tells us, “People don’t resist
“Bringing agile philosophy beyond IT change; they resist being changed.”
function is hard for many companies Organizations that recognize the
because it requires the transformation challenge to their workers created by
of their structure, such as hierarchy and the need to pivot and adapt quickly are

striving to help employees embrace benefits of participating, tends to
agility by introducing them to practices encourage employees to take advantage
such as mindfulness. Marc Benioff, CEO of opportunities to learn mindfulness
of U.S. tech company Salesforce, for techniques and practice them.13
example, has added a meditation room to
Among the perks of the practice of
every floor of the group’s San Francisco
mindfulness: It can make it easier for
office tower, while European beverage
employees to focus, strengthen their
manufacturer Carlsberg has engaged a
sense of community, promote compassion,
mindfulness consultant.11
create accountability and help them
As a type of voluntary, intentional mental achieve greater calm.14 It can also help
training, mindfulness can be a space employees achieve the necessary balance
for balance and a counterweight to the between speed and stability that makes
agility work—something companies across
information/responsibility overload that
all industries, and across all borders,
can cause workers to feel overwhelmed,
should be pointedly aiming for.
frustrated and even disengaged. New
studies show that making mindfulness “Agility is not limited to a sector or
a group activity could make it even geography,” Getz says. “If we allow
more effective as a productivity people to have freedom and the
enhancer.12 Here, too, it helps to start responsibility to work out the challenges
at the top: Engaging a high-visibility of today, we’ll see a surge in innovation
individual in the organization, and and creativity. The potential of human
clearly communicating the facts and beings remains largely untapped.”

15
THE RISE OF CROSS-WORKPLACES
ACCELERATING INNOVATION THROUGH
CHANCE INTERACTIONS
As innovation moves from optional to essential, organizations are seeking

to structure environments where employees generate new ideas by virtue of
interacting across boundaries.
T
here will always be room For consumers, this innovation has
for incremental change and become so normal, so expected, that
improvement, but no discussion people have started taking much of it for
about economic growth and prosperity is granted. Increasingly, we assume that
complete without mention of disruptive whatever need we might have, someone
new ideas and those who make them somewhere has probably concocted
work. Innovation is the drumbeat of the a smart way of meeting it; it just takes
relentless change that’s such a feature of the right online search terms to track it
21st-century work and life: new products, down. Most of the time, we don’t see an
new processes, new services, new ways innovative product and wonder, “How did
of organizing and new ways of thinking. they come up with that?”

“Creating places and programs where people from
different teams can collide and bond is also a good idea,
be that through hackathons, off-sites or other types
of social collisions. It can also be beneficial to design
physical spaces that funnel people into the same area,
forcing constant, unplanned interactions.”
—GILLIAN TETT, Author, The Silo Effect
For employers, it’s a different matter. cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary and the

They can’t afford to take innovation for boss of them all, cross-pollination.
granted, to simply “consume” it. They
have to generate innovation if they want THE MAGIC OF CROSS-POLLINATION
to get ahead of competitors rather than When people work in silos, things tend
be overtaken by them. They can’t just to stagnate. Working with the same
watch and wonder where people get new people sharing the same assumptions
ideas; they must understand how to do develops groupthink. Everybody is
it for themselves, to find a magic formula concerned with getting along with one
that enables them and their employees to another, so new ideas and people who
pluck brilliant new ideas as if out of thin air. think differently are resisted as potentially
disruptive. In her book The Silo Effect:
Of course, no self-respecting organization The Peril of Expertise and the Promise of
thinks in terms of “magic.” They want Breaking Down Barriers, Financial Times
logical, tried-and-tested processes Columnist and U.S. Managing Editor
that appear in publications such as Gillian Tett shows how organizations can
Harvard Business Review,1 are taught in systematically get people from different
innovation management courses2 and use disciplines to interact and cross-pollinate.4
innovation tools.3 Still, despite the faith that
organizations put in systems and processes, “One lesson,” she says in the book’s
they have a lingering belief in a missing conclusion, “is that it pays to keep the
ingredient: the spark of creative genius. It boundaries of teams in big organizations
might not be the genius of an individual but flexible and fluid, as Facebook has
rather the unpredictable magic that happens done. Rotating staff between different
when the right ingredients come together. departments, as in the Hackamonth
The buzzword for this is emergence, and program, makes sense. Creating places
the formula involves permutations of “cross”: and programs where people from

CROSS-WORKPLACES
THE RISE OF CROSS-WORKPLACES
ACCELERATING INNOVATION BY PLANNING CHANCE INTERACTIONS
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18
“Globalization, the democratization of new
technologies and their increasing sophistication
enable … unmatched levels of cooperation, both
in terms of the number and variety of people
involved as well as the immediacy of the results.”
—FRÉDÉRIC CHEVALIER, Founder, thecamp; Founder
and Former Chairman, HighCo
different teams can collide and bond innovative solutions emerge when people
is also a good idea, be that through with different skills and backgrounds
hackathons, off-sites or other types of interact. This is part of the appeal of
social collisions. It can also be beneficial incubator hubs and meetups, where
to design physical spaces that funnel different startups bounce ideas off one
people into the same area, forcing another in hot locations such as the Silicon
constant, unplanned interactions. The Roundabout5 area of London, Station F6
corridors at Cleveland Clinic do this well. in Paris, Berlin’s Factory,7 Philadelphia’s
So do the squares at Facebook. Either Pennovation Works8 and many more.
way, people need to be mixed together
to stop them becoming inward-looking An upcoming example is thecamp, a new
and defensive.” ecosystem in Southern France, gathering
together private and public leaders,
Tett herself is an outstanding example students, entrepreneurs, children and
of bringing the thinking of one discipline artists, striving for a more sustainable
to bear on other fields. With a graduate
world and more humane societies. The
degree in anthropology, she brought
campus hosts a variety of living and
those tools into her analysis of the
“fab labs” (artificial intelligence, virtual
financial world, giving her the raw
reality, media…) that enable campers
materials to unpack the economic crisis
to experience innovative technologies,
of 2007-08 in her book Fool’s Gold.
appropriate them, imagine potential
Just as case histories and personal applications and prototype. thecamp was
experience confirm the downsides of founded by tech entrepreneur Frédéric
working in silos, so does the image of Chevalier (also Founder and Former
cross-pollination intuitively evoke the Chairman of tech group HighCo) to foster
creation of beautiful flowers and delicious collective intelligence that is primordial
fruits and vegetables. The promise when addressing the challenges of the
in businesses is that great ideas and contemporary world with a focus on urban

sustainability. Chevalier tells us: “The that “it is not so much about us needing
most fruitful collaborations are often the to further develop our models but rather
result of the most unexpected encounters. about having the opportunity to do so.
thecamp’s team itself is made up of Globalization, the democratization of
different nationalities, generations, skills new technologies and their increasing
and backgrounds, allowing for a constant sophistication enable us to achieve
flow of differing points of view, new ideas, unmatched levels of cooperation, both
and ways of addressing and solving in terms of the number and variety of
problems.” 9 people involved as well as the immediacy
of the results. These represent unique
As Chevalier explains, thecamp’s opportunities for creating positive impact
philosophy is based on the conviction that we need to explore.” 10
DO’S AND DON’TS OF CO-CREATION

Andrew Welch, Managing Director of Y&R’s Landor London brand consulting
and design group, offers some tips for co-creation initiatives (some relate
directly to the ad business, but all can be extrapolated to any industry):
DO’s DON’Ts
Build a strong community where Make your community
people share ideas, build on one too big, too fast
another’s work, critique, praise Underestimate the work required in
and compete keeping an online community energized
Get your top people involved Present co-created ideas to a design

team as a fait accompli—nothing will
Have an open mind and be alienate the team faster
creative about whom you recruit
as co-creators Run a “make us an ad” campaign; this
is not co-creation
Ask your co-creators to create
Criticize ideas
with pictures, life stories and
lifestyle images Take innovation for granted
Source: wpp.com/wpp/marketing/branding/collaboration-and-cocreation-brand-innovation

“Open innovation thinking, where companies
collaborate with suppliers, distributors and customers
to co-create unique value, is fast replacing traditional
thinking that viewed innovation as a proprietary activity
and marketing as a static, one-way broadcast.”
—GAURAV BHALLA, Author, Collaboration and Co-Creation
WORKING TOGETHER BENEFITS external brand ambassadors: we see

CUSTOMERS, TOO this as an activation effect. The second
“Collaboration and co-creation are advantage is the image of the marketer.
increasingly central to creating customer When a marketer can tell his colleagues,
value,” says Gaurav Bhalla, Author of friend and competitors that the consumer
Collaboration and Co-Creation: New is part of his decision process, he will be
Platforms for Marketing and Innovation. seen as an innovator by many.”11
“Open innovation thinking, where
companies collaborate with suppliers,
distributors and customers to co-create To reduce the risks of silo working,
unique value, is fast replacing traditional employers need to ensure that
thinking that viewed innovation as a workplaces and work processes are
proprietary activity and marketing as a structured to encourage employees to
static, one-way broadcast. However, interact with a wide range of people:
while there is significant advocacy and those from other disciplines within the
buy-in for collaborating with customers, organization, those at other levels in the
there is little guidance for companies group and those from outside.
on how to undertake the journey from
applause and appreciation to execution.” Nevertheless, it’s not enough for employers
to create conditions for random interactions
Futurist Brian Solis, a Principal Analyst at and just hope that they spark innovation.
Altimeter Group, a tech-trends research They must foster the mindset and
and strategy consultancy, says cross- skills that make fruitful cross-pollination
pollinating with groups outside your own more likely: curiosity for unfamiliar ideas
company offers two main advantages: “It from other people, listening skills to hear
will increase credibility for your products them out, lateral thinking to play with them
and services; it will allow participating and the belief that anybody can be an
consumers to develop themselves toward agent of innovation.

EMPLOYEES WITHOUT BORDERS
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF MIGRATION
ON THE WORKPLACE
As global migration continues to dominate the political discourse, businesses

that understand it are better equipped to demonstrate and benefit from
inclusive leadership that fosters a sense of belonging.
T
here is a sense in which we are We move for many reasons: in search of
all migrants. No matter how we better food and water; to find opportunity
arrived in our home country, and prosperity; or to escape inequality,
whether to accept a corporate promotion war or civil unrest. As we witness the
or escape conflict, whether to relocate highest level of displacement on record1
temporarily or permanently, and whether and the highest level of humanitarian
it was us or our great-great-grandparent need since World War II, UN Secretary-
who made the journey, migration is a General Ban Ki-moon has said, “This is
common and widely shared feature of not just a crisis of numbers; it is also a
our history. crisis of solidarity.”2

“[Migration] is not just a crisis of numbers; it is
also a crisis of solidarity.”
— BAN KI-MOON, Former UN Secretary-General
If we’re all to share in the responsibility, International Migration Division of the

then the most likely solutions to the Directorate for Employment, Labour and
challenges presented by migration lie Social Affairs at the OECD, suggests
in collaboration between governments, considering the dynamic and diversity of
NGOs and businesses. This is a position migration flows. Although the focus has
supported by the Organisation for recently been on refugees, people migrate
Economic Co-operation and Development for all sorts of reasons (employment,
(OECD), which is leading the call for study, family, etc.) and have diverse skills
businesses to support the successful labor profiles. Understanding this diversity
market integration of refugees. is key for employers to map migrants’
profiles to their skills needs. Indeed,
Though public law and policy are central to “New immigrants into the U.S. come from
discussions3 about migration, the business nations around the globe to work in the full
community has a role to play in helping to range of occupations, from construction
facilitate the integration of migrants. This is workers and cooks to computer engineers
more than corporate social responsibility; and medical doctors,” says Randel
seen in an informed and considered Johnson, Senior Vice President of Labor,
manner it can be about shaping the sort Immigration and Employee Benefits for the
of labor market that businesses need, one U.S. Chamber of Commerce.5
that is skilled, employed and engaged.
Most of the current attention is focused
not on high-flying corporate employees
AN INEVITABLE SHIFT
but on those who are looking for better
UN estimates put the number of migrants life opportunities at lower ends of the pay
across the globe at 244 million, or scale. Our attention is also necessarily
3.3 percent of the world’s population.4 drawn to those who are fleeing conflict in
For businesses in particular to know large numbers, having lost most personal
how to collaborate with stakeholders resources before facing myriad challenges
in government and nonprofits, Jean- in their new countries. Two factors—
Christophe Dumont, Ph.D., Head of the language and employment—are central to

EMPLOYEES WITHOUT
UNDERSTANDING BORDERS
MIGRATION:
Recognizing, Valuing and Developing Skills
Understanding the Impact of Migration on the Workplace
244 million migrants worldwide¹
73% of migrant population are working age2
MIGRANTS’ CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMIC GROWTH
Global Economic Growth Importing Skills Empowered

& Competitiveness Fills Shortages Consumers
¹un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/01/244-million-international-migrants-living-abroad-worldwide-
new-un-statistics-reveal
²www.ilo.org/global/topics/labour-migration/news-statements/WCMS_436140/lang--en/index.htm
¹un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/01/244-million-international-migrants-living-abroad-worldwide-new-un-statistics-reveal
24
²www.ilo.org/global/topics/labour-migration/news-statements/WCMS_436140/lang--en/index.htm
“Two factors—language and employment—are
central to migrants’ successful integration.”
—JEAN-CHRISTOPHE DUMONT, Ph.D.,
Head, International Migration Division of the Directorate for
Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
such migrants’ successful integration and Migration has compiled evidence-based

here businesses have a key role to play, arguments that demonstrate how recognizing
says Dumont. and valuing migrant skills can contribute
directly to company- and country-wide
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES economic growth. Its conclusions include:
FOR EMPLOYERS
• The easy movement of highly skilled
There is a perception that the private workers between countries contributes
sector has been difficult to engage to national, regional and global
with as set out in the World Economic economic growth and competitiveness.
Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council
on Migration report titled “The Business • Importing skills can fill shortages in
Case for Migration.” Reasons range from specific sectors in the short term so
the fear of negative public opinion to that skills don’t have to be diverted
uncertainty regarding its role in the public from other sectors.
policy discourse.6 The OECD’s work • Empowered migrants are better
has also sought to understand better the consumers who create often-untapped
barriers that businesses perceive to hiring markets.7
migrants. It has identified issues relating
to labor market access, language, and A number of public-private collaborations
skill and qualification transferability—all around migrant employment have
of which businesses, in collaboration with emerged, starting with the establishment
public sector and NGO stakeholders, can of a Business Advisory Board of the
play a part in helping to overcome. International Organization for Migration
(the UN migration agency) in 2005. This
As its challenges are acknowledged, the board encourages the private sector to
business sector’s role in addressing global play a relief role in migration emergencies
migration is becoming more highly valued. and post-crisis scenarios, in building
To this end, the Global Agenda Council on capacity and rehabilitating infrastructure

in times of recovery and transition, and in improve their English-language skills and
employing migrants to contribute to their strengthen cross-cultural relationships
long-term socioeconomic stabilization.8 with staff.10 In Luxembourg, Sodexo
In January 2016, the Tent Partnership provides employees with no-cost
for Refugees was founded to bring language classes and career coaching in
private-sector partners such as Johnson collaboration with the country’s national
& Johnson, LinkedIn and Mastercard employment service, and in the U.S.,
together with NGO partners such as Anand sponsored a learning module
Human Rights Watch, Kiva and Save the (“The Importance of Belonging and
Children in order to support displaced Being an Ally”) with support for Sodexo
persons and inspire more private-sector employees on how to create a safe and
partners to become involved.9 inclusive culture in challenging times.
Other companies making strides to

THE ROLE OF MULTINATIONALS
integrate migrants into the global
AND LARGE BUSINESSES
talent market include McDonald’s
Larger, multinational corporations are Deutschland, which has employed
uniquely equipped to leverage the more than 900 refugees across the
talent that migrant workers bring to country since 2015 and has provided
the workplace. As work processes and 20,000-plus online German language
standards across industry sectors have learning course licenses to the German
become globalized, it has made it easier Federal Employment Agency.11 Microsoft
for people to enjoy job mobility with has connected refugees to the digital
organizations that recruit internationally. economy by donating desktop computers
to refugees in Germany;12 the U.S.
Rohini Anand, Ph.D., Sodexo Global natural-food company Chobani can now
Chief Diversity Officer, shares some claim that resettled refugees comprise
examples of how the company has roughly 30 percent of its manufacturing
supported migrant integration over the workforce;13 Accenture set up its
years: In the U.K. business, Spanish- Refugee Talent Hub, an online platform
speaking Sodexo workers are paired for firms in The Netherlands that are
with English-speaking teammates to interested in hiring refugees;14 and

“Business has a responsibility to train workers
not just for commercial gain, but also to
contribute to the wider community.”
—World Economic Forum
elsewhere in Europe, Bosch Group, country language skills. It is also important

Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Siemens to assess professional and informal
and Uniqlo have all hired refugees as skills in order to identify employment or
paid interns.15 retraining opportunities. A car mechanic
originating from a less-developed country
WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS may be excellent in his job but may lack
Corporations that make demonstrable some of the skills needed to repair a
efforts to promote a sense of belonging car with lot of electronic devices. For
and a culture of inclusion among their such a case it is necessary to build
workforces will be better equipped to fill on existing skills rather than to ignore
talent shortages, enhance talent mobility them. Even in the most highly regulated
and facilitate the ease of movement of professions, such as medicine and law,
loyal and engaged workers between the transferability of knowledge and
countries and places of business. In experience can be lengthy and costly, but
the years ahead, those companies that worth investing in. Whatever their activity,
already have corporate cultures with deep businesses are called on to help manage
foundations in diversity and inclusion the hopes and aspirations of some, the
will be best suited to rise up to help their fears and concerns of others. As the World
communities and, in turn, their countries Economic Forum suggests, “Business has
by recruiting and integrating migrants. a responsibility to train workers not just for
commercial gain, but also to contribute to
To encourage more companies to follow the wider community.”16
suit, it is critical that business leaders
cultivate a better understanding of To gain an understanding of the many
migration and that they learn how to facets of migration is to start making
assess migrants’ skills so that they can sense of the contribution businesses can
be transferred in a way that ensures their make alongside public sector and NGO
long-term employability. International partners. A diverse, skilled, engaged labor
transferability of skills remains an issue, market with high levels of participation is
as Dumont remarks. First it is crucial that more likely to be resilient, adaptable and
recently arrived migrants invest in host competitive.

THE NEW GEN OF ROBOTICS
HOW ROBOTS ARE TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE WORK
Workers around the world must figure out how to share space with their
new “co-bot” colleagues—and smart companies will be those welcoming
the change.
T
he rate of technological progress is the future of the way we live and work
increasing exponentially. “Robots has become something of an unknown
and Retail,” for example, a white quantity.2
paper co-authored by Olivier de Panafieu,
Senior Partner at global consultancy Just how that future plays out in the
Roland Berger, tells us that by 2025, the workplace is the subject of conflicting
market for androids could reach opinion. On one side, organizations
10 billion euros (US$10.8 billion).1 As we hope that workers will embrace their
look at the advent of the fourth industrial new robot colleagues and that those
revolution—a main hallmark being “co-bots” will increase productivity and
the proliferation of robots, automated free up employees to engage in more
processes and artificial intelligence (AI)— creative tasks.3 On the other, there’s a

“Many people are anxious today thinking about
robots, but in 2030, people will have a good
understanding of robots and how they make life
easier and improve productivity. By 2030, robots will
be everywhere and commonplace.”
—GUDRUN LITZENBERGER, General Secretary,
International Federation of Robotics
strong contingent of anxious workers A McKinsey Global Institute report,

who worry that machines will take their however, found that positions will not
jobs, rendering human staff passé.4 Both necessarily be replaced wholesale by
factions have valid points. machines, but instead up to 45 percent
of activities that people perform in those
THREAT OF THE UNKNOWN positions could be automated.8 Viewed
Those at the lower end of the skill and in this light, it’s clear that robots and AI
education spectrum might be at greater are primed to take over a proportion of
risk; a 2016 study from the World Bank jobs, from hourly positions to those in
predicts that in developing nations, the C-suite, and that everyone must be
about two-thirds of jobs are in danger prepared to work alongside co-bots.
of being replaced by automation.5 And
the Roland Berger study “Of Robots Does that mean some positions will be
and Men—in Logistics” tells us that eliminated on a large scale? After all, we
over the next 10 years, the anticipated saw this phenomenon in the late 1970s,
robotization of logistics could mean when gas station attendants were put out
hundreds of thousands of unskilled of work en masse after the adoption of
jobs gone, over time potentially self-serve pumps.9 It is quite possible, if
affecting up to 1.5 million positions not probable, that we will see it happen
in the eurozone.6 Further, a study again as technology rapidly progresses.
from the National Bureau of Economic Just as those automated gas pumps paved
Research agrees, with a model that the way for new and different jobs that
“illustrates the range of things that couldn’t have been easily imagined before
smart machines can do for us and to their creation, though, the current wave of
us. Its central message is disturbing. technology will “augment jobs and allow
Absent appropriate fiscal policy that people to open up possibilities to better
redistributes from winners to losers, types of jobs,” says Bob Doyle, Director
smart machines can mean long-term of Communications for the Association for
misery for all.”7 Advancing Automation (A3).10

ROBOTS AND HUMANS:
THE NEW COWORKERS
The Benefits of Robotics
in the Workplace
ORGANIZATIONS
WORKERS ORGANIZATIONS
WORKERS
Fear that machines will Fear falling behind in the

Fear that machines will Fear falling behind in the
take their jobs global marketplace
take their jobs global marketplace
22
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mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/four-fundamentals-of-workplace-automation
1
digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/robots-replace-5-million-jobs-2020/
2
30
30
“AI will be developed further in all elements of life.”
—OLIVIER DE PANAFIEU, Senior Partner, Roland Berger
UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES Political Science Research Laboratory,

Some robots, for instance, need trained conducted empirical research to project
operators, which will require workers how robots will affect economies,
in higher-paying STEM positions. Not concluding, in part: “If the quality-
only will increased automation allow adjusted prices of robots keep falling at
for the creation and fulfillment of better a rate similar to that observed over the
jobs for people in these cases, but past decades, and as new applications
it will also save workers from “bad” are developed, there is every reason
jobs—those that are boring or, worse, to believe that they will continue to
unsafe.11 Many robots are designed to increase both labor productivity and
take over dangerous or repetitive tasks, value added.”14
allowing employees to enjoy safer, more
Gudrun Litzenberger, General Secretary
meaningful work. Laurent Cousin, Global
of the International Federation of
SVP of Research and Development for
Robotics, tells us: “Many people are
Sodexo, cites such examples as drones
anxious today thinking about robots,
in Poland or in Brazil being leveraged
but in 2030, people will have a good
to undertake building inspections that
understanding of robots and how they
might involve unsafe environments. Other
make life easier and improve productivity.
applications could include removing snow
By 2030, robots will be everywhere and
from roofs. Cousin shares that Sodexo
commonplace.”15
is piloting programs using robots to
perform parts of the service it provides ADDING INTELLIGENCE
to customers or clients—initiated both by
client request and by internal activation.12 Robots are increasingly able to execute
more complicated tasks with little to no
The consensus is that the increase human intervention, which is fueling
of automation in the workplace will anxiety in workers who can’t help but
necessarily change labor patterns feel uncertain about their job security. De
worldwide, and this will create unrest Panafieu tells us: “AI will be developed
in the short term.13 The Centre further in all elements of life.”16 Witness
for Economic Performance, an IBM’s Watson, which can process natural
interdisciplinary research center at language and learn from experience—
the London School of Economics and skills that have been used to traffic

“We do not want to lose the human factor, as this drives
quality of life; robots can help create stable delivery of
service but will not have the ‘human touch’ that can
make the difference to customers.”
—LAURENT COUSIN, Global SVP of Research and
Development, Sodexo
in the mundane (such as winning the rather than hurts humanity,” in the words
game show “Jeopardy!”) or dive into of one reporter.21
weightier issues (searching for the cure
to cancer).17 MAINTAINING THE ‘HUMAN TOUCH’
The world of robotics will continue to
Driverless cars, one of the most visible
evolve, yet some tasks and roles will
real-world manifestations of automation
in industry, have been heavily tested, remain uniquely human. And increasing
and yet the hottest debate surrounding acceptance of technology—including
them is theoretical: How would they robotics—will undoubtedly lead to
demonstrate ethical intelligence when progress. But at what cost? At Sodexo’s
choosing which life to save in a crash, Quality of Life Conference 2015, Michel
and who would be responsible in such Landel, CEO, Director and Chairman
an event?18 (An intriguing side note that of the Executive Committee of Sodexo,
might serve to stoke people’s seemingly reminded us that “the goal of progress
innate fear of robots: Google’s AI group should be to preserve the essence of
DeepMind is hoping to speed up robots’ what it means to be human and to be
learning process by enabling them to of greater benefit to humanity. New
“dream.”19) technologies should be an additional
opportunity to care for one another; they
But even proponents have concerns should be the engine for inclusion, and
about the future implementation of AI. this kind of progress—human rather than
Tech guru Elon Musk, for example, has dehumanized—sets out to respect basic
gone on the record with his belief that principles.”
trying to achieve artificial intelligence
is “summoning the demon.”20 His Cousin agrees: “We do not want to lose
fears haven’t kept him from doing just the human factor, as this drives quality of
that, though: He joined with OpenAI to life; robots can help create stable delivery
promote artificial intelligence that “helps of service but will not have the ‘human

touch’ that can make the difference to there’s a “wave of new opportunities for
customers.” With the movement toward small/medium companies to explore the
co-bots, companies are experimenting possibility of using robotics.” Small and
with how robots can collaborate with medium-size enterprises (SMEs), ranging
humans. In Germany, for example, a Ford from dairy farms in New York to logistics
factory has co-bots working alongside companies in Germany to injection
humans on the assembly line.22 Rather molding companies in Minnesota, are
than completely taking over work deploying robots to fill worker shortages
tasks, technology can complement and and enhance productivity.26
augment human capabilities, opening up
possibilities for exciting new work and All organizations must address the
ways of working.23 challenges that automation, AI and
robotics present to their workforce and
WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS help human employees embrace their
Machines won’t be taking over the new co-bot colleagues. Businesses
workplace entirely—at least not for will benefit from carefully considered
the foreseeable future.24 A recently adoption and use of technology in
updated guide to robotics in the United the workplace. Instead of wholesale
States reveals that even in this age of personnel downsizing, employers have
burgeoning work robots, 600,000 jobs a responsibility to train and develop
have been added in manufacturing their people, retraining as appropriate
in the past half-dozen years.25 And to empower workers to take on new
large industries won’t be the only ones and different roles. They also have the
enjoying the benefits of robotic help, global responsibility to be vocal about
Litzenberger tells us; we’ll also see an the significance of the changes in labor
“increase of robots that are easy to use patterns, being sure to collaborate with
in the production process by smaller other stakeholders who are looking to
companies.” Doyle agrees, telling us continue to thrive in a brave new world.

INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING
A NEW MODEL FOR TALENT DEVELOPMENT
As learning brings people together in the workplace and steers them toward
a shared purpose, look for a “back and forth” in which the skills of every
generation are valued.
W
orldwide, people are enjoying might be a necessity for some, it is a
longer, healthier lives than past choice for those who derive a sense of
generations. Children born in meaning and satisfaction from playing
2012 are expected to live on average six a part in the workplace. Elizabeth Isele,
years longer than those born as recently Founder and CEO of the Global Institute
as 1990.1 And by 2030, the percentage
for Experienced Entrepreneurship, sees
of the population aged 60 and over is
a major business upside to retaining
expected to leap, from 12.3 percent in
workers into their 60s and 70s: “This new
2015 to 16.5 percent.2
demographic, the ‘experienced economy,’
As we stay healthier longer, we stay is our only natural resource that is
working longer, too—and although this actually growing.”3

“This new demographic, the ‘experienced economy,’
is our only natural resource that is actually growing.”
—ELIZABETH ISELE, Founder and CEO,
Global Institute for Experienced Entrepreneurship
WHO’S TEACHING WHOM? life and work experience, well-developed

Historically, much of learning and sharing interpersonal and communication skills,
in the workplace followed a relatively wide networks of resources, insights and
linear and top-down model. But as the expertise; and deeply rooted ethics. This
makeup of our teams broadens, as diversity of skills and experience is similar
people have longer working lives, and as to that found in the mentoring model
the workplace very rapidly changes along where “mentors learn at least as much as
with new technologies and innovations, mentees,” according to Jodi Davidson,
the norms of work-related learning Director of Diversity and Inclusion
challenge the received wisdom that Initiatives for Sodexo.4
older people teach (before shifting onto
Intergenerational learning throughout
a pension around age 65) while younger
the course of one’s life puts the onus
people learn.
on workers of all ages to draw from and
Today’s workforce spans five contribute to one another, developing
generations, and employers who promote nonlinear work lives and establishing
intergenerational learning initiatives longer, more dynamic careers that defy
for their employees optimize the value generational stereotypes.
of these five generations in their
organization. Catalyzing intergenerational CONNECTING THE GENERATIONS
experience is a new source of The diversity of the intergenerational
competitive advantage that benefits all workplace isn’t just a development—it’s a
generations and organizations. Youth creative opportunity. To Peter Whitehouse,
have specially focused knowledge, M.D., President of Intergenerational
while older adults often bring collective Schools International and Professor of
knowledge about the culture and Neurology at Case Western Reserve
dynamic of work. In a world that points University in the United States,
increasingly to artificial intelligence, today’s baby boomer workers are an
oceans of data and the internet of things, experienced, engaged resource that
we need ways to keep human needs and should be fully tapped. He believes we
potential front of mind: Older adults bring should value this group’s accumulated
analytical skills honed throughout their experience and knowledge, and celebrate

INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING
A New Model for Talent Development
IONS IN THE
RAT W
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Employees learn 70% of what they know about their

jobs from the people they work with.2
1
http://www.thehartford.com/sites/thehartford/files/millennials-leadership.pdf
2
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/sept.nws.htm
36
36
it in intergenerational relations with sees a future where workplace learning
“intergenerativity”—the creativity that will be transformed. His prediction:
emerges from reciprocal exchanges “Organizations will try to retain people
across diverse identities, professions, by creating an accredited scholastic
ethnicities and ages.5 achievement process.”8 Similarly,
universities are starting to offer degree
Workplace-approach changes like this can courses spread over a lifetime.
come with pitfalls and wrong turns; there’s
a danger of replacing linear learning by As the five working generations stay
clumping workers into social groups based on the job longer—and as those jobs
on age. But Professor Mariano Sánchez of are marked by an increasing amount
the University of Granada in Spain hopes of complexity, uncertainty and change
we can push past that inclination, instead (co-working and the gig economy are
considering the idea that “generational two current standouts)—lifelong learning
identities” are about life trajectories, skills will drive all of them to keep up. This
and experience, not just age. is consistent with the United Nations’
concept of a “society for all ages”
At home, a millennial daughter might play introduced in the late 1990s as a way
software mentor to her grandmother, and for generations to invest in one another
apprentice to her master-chef dad. In the and share in the fruits of that investment,
workplace, we can similarly move beyond guided by the twin principles of reciprocity
the temptation to label based simply on and equity.9 This theme was further
age, says Sánchez.6 The focus instead is developed by the UN in 2002 as education
best placed on “generational intelligence,”7 was identified as critical in connecting
the capacity to be aware of generational generations throughout the life course:
positions and to approach workforce “Education is a crucial basis for an active
management with a generational lens and fulfilling life. A knowledge-based
in mind. This doesn’t mean organizing society requires that policies be instituted
activities for different generations but to ensure lifelong access to education and
organizing activities that raise generational training. Continuing education and training
awareness, connect generations and help are essential to ensure the productivity of
them work better together—exchanging both individuals and nations.”10
knowledge, ideas, skills and more to
enhance the broad skill sets everyone Today, as we increasingly appreciate
needs in today’s jobs. the lifelong reciprocity that exists with
the fact that (in the words of a study on
Steve Toomey, Executive Vice President intergenerational programs that Sánchez
and Managing Partner for the U.S. led) “each person gives and receives
Midwest for BTS, a global professional throughout their lifetime and that people
services firm headquartered in Stockholm, of all generations have value and can

“Organizations and businesses
“This new demographic, must develop
the ‘experienced a language
economy,’
of inclusiveness
is our across
only natural the workplace
resource in relation
that is actually to the
growing.”
many generations represented in their workforces.
—ELIZABETH ISELE, Founder and CEO, Global Institute for
In the same way that we’ve become more gender
Experienced Entrepreneurship
inclusive, we need to be generationally inclusive.”
—MARIANO SÁNCHEZ, Professor, University of Granada
contribute to civic life,”11 the workplace than on situated learning, employees

represents a critical confluence for will not gain “meta-competences …
intergenerational learning. such as critical reflection and creative
thinking,” according to Donald Ropes of
THE ROLE OF THE WORKPLACE IN The Netherlands’ Centre for Research
INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING in Intellectual Capital.13 And that kind of
Employers must recognize the need for thinking is necessary for all generations
learning to take place at all generational in our rapidly changing, increasingly
levels and understand the barriers holding knowledge-based workplaces.
them back, which are rooted in culture, life
Expectations around workplace learning
experiences, values, vocabulary, thinking
have shifted significantly in other ways,
styles and organizational structures.
too. Take the added pressure on HR as
“Organizations and businesses must
just one example. According to Marc
develop a language of inclusiveness across
Effron, President of the Talent Strategy
the workplace in relation to the many
Group, “executives are demanding more
generations represented in their workforces,”
from HR now, particularly in the talent
Sánchez says. “In the same way that
space.”14 Board members and CEOs are
we’ve become more gender inclusive, we
all getting far more serious about having
need to be generationally inclusive.”
higher-quality talent, Effron tells us, with
Intergenerational learning programs in focus intensifying since the most recent
the workplace need to evolve and be economic downturn. The corporate mindset
endorsed by youth champions if they are has shifted from a traditional role-based
to successfully extend beyond the scope learning-and-development mentality to one
of aging specialists and not be considered that looks to all the organization’s assets—
as serving only the interests of the aging hard and soft—to empower employees
field.12 Furthermore, if such programs are to share in the design of learning and
still focused on vocational skills rather mentoring across the organization, and

across generations. As Héctor Martínez, to reconsider the 20th-century approach
Assistant Professor at INCAE Business to intergenerational learning and sharing,
School in Costa Rica, suggests, if training which is creaking at the seams because of
and learning become the norm throughout demographic pressures. Yes, challenges
the course of our working lives, employers abound, but we are already well-equipped
should be less afraid to “let talent go” to understand and tackle them, as pointed
knowing they also stand to benefit from the out by Sánchez and his research team: “In
accumulation of training and knowledge an aging and increasingly global society,
brought with external hires. we have a unique opportunity to build
awareness, shape attitudes and strengthen
From the office to the outside world,
relationships across the life span with the
complex challenges can be solved
aim of ensuring social inclusion for people
through intergenerational learning. Isele
of all generations.”15
saw that play out in Zimbabwe, where
young women learning to code helped Sean Haley, Regional Chairman and
older, rural women who were struggling to Managing Director of Service Operations
raise and feed their grandchildren through for Sodexo U.K. and Ireland, believes
subsistence farming (while mourning a that organizations will quickly see the
missing generation, lost to the ravages benefits of intergenerational learning. With
of AIDS). As part of their learning, the better communication and understanding,
younger women built an online network we see greater efficiency and greater
that helps the older women farmers productivity allowing us to be more
sell surplus produce to urban areas, by competitive, he says. Intergenerational
signaling when and where demand exists. agility is a critical piece of the employee
value proposition, and competitive,
WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS innovative companies are increasingly
Demographic and technological changes focused on successfully developing and
are giving us an unprecedented opportunity managing that kind of workforce.16

PERSONAL BRANDING GOES TO WORK
A POWERFUL TOOL FOR EMPLOYEES
AND EMPLOYERS ALIKE
Personal and corporate brands, once entirely separate entities, are now
overlapping, as organizations realize the value of the influencers in their
workforce.
Y
ou could make the case that expert, Gaurav Gulati, insists that
personal branding is an age-old everyone should1—and yet the formula
construct, but its modern iteration for success is challenging (witness the
was born alongside blogs and social new wave of personal branding books,
media, platforms that have evolved into training programs, podcasts and apps).
our fully realized presentations of self
and of our ongoing job desirability. The As more companies come to view their
personal brand is ubiquitous enough employees’ social presence and personal
today that anyone with access to a branding websites as always-on (and
computer can have one—Asia’s leading no-cost) marketing channels for the
personal branding and engagement corporate brand, they’re looking for new

“The personal brand should really be the essence of who
a person is, their relevant expertise and passion. Too
many social media ‘strategies’ today focus on tools that
will be implemented; impressions, friends or followers;
or campaign goals they will achieve. Too few social
media strategies specify the relationships they intend
to nurture and the business value that the organization
expects to accrue from those relationships.”
—SUSAN EMERICK, Author, The Most Powerful
Brand on Earth
ways to ride along with their social reach, research firm Future Workplace,2 say that
to shape personal messaging to the corporate and personal objectives can be
corporation’s benefit and to protect their accomplished in unison with respect—
interests when employees use social and benefits—for both parties.
media in ways that can be harmful to the
organization. This has given way to the Just how blurred are the lines between
rise of companies with social employee corporate and personal brands becoming?
advocacy programs, social listening It depends whom you ask. As the
programs and professional development virtual workplace grows, freelancers are
plans that include instructions and embracing the personal brand as a way
governance models on how employees to market themselves effectively, CEOs
can enhance their personal brands while are quite willingly welding their personal
supporting company goals. brand to the corporate one as a way to
start bigger conversations, and companies
This melding of personal and corporate are investing in executive branding as
branding has the potential to create a strategy to assert thought leadership
tension between the millennial who prides and form a more personal bond with their
himself or herself on brand ownership consumers. Further, HR departments
and the Chief Talent Officer who hopes are monitoring personal brands to recruit
to arrange a happy partnership between and vet new talent, and Susan Emerick,
the two. But branding experts such as Author of The Most Powerful Brand on
Gulati and Jeanne Meister, Co-Author Earth, tells us that they will soon take it a
of The Future Workplace Experience: step further, using predictive analytics to
10 Rules For Mastering Disruption in identify the people who have the skill sets
Recruiting and Engaging Employees and and personal brands they’re looking for in
Founding Partner of HR advisory and the marketplace.3 Robert Moran, Global

THE VALUE OF OVERLAPPING PERSONAL
BRANDS AND CORPORATE BRANDS
Organizations Recognize the Value of the
Influencers in Their Workforce
THEN NOW
PERSONAL
BRAND
Singular, built primarily

through personal contact Ubiquitous, online, global
CORPORATE
BRAND
Controlled and Leveraging influencer

managed from the employees and executives as
top down viable marketing channels
Brand messages are re-shared 24X more frequently

when distributed by employees vs. by the brand1
THE BENEFITS OF ENGAGING EMPLOYEES IN CORPORATE BRANDING

Engaged and socially valued employees are:2
More likely to feel More likely to believe
More likely to
27 %
optimistic about
their company’s
20% stay at their 40% their company is
company more competitive
future
1
scribd.com/doc/249863818/Infographic-Social-Employee-Advocacy
2
prophet.com/thinking/2014/10/relationship-economics-linkedin
42
“Personal branding is moving quickly
beyond hipsters and celebrities and into
mainstream culture. In the near future we will
all be searchable and ratable. Our world is
shrinking, and our digital presence will become
increasingly important.”
—ROBERT MORAN, Global Head, Brunswick Insight,
and Partner, Brunswick Group
Head, Brunswick Insight, and Partner, LinkedIn, where more than 467 million of
Brunswick Group, says employees and us currently maintain profiles (72 percent
job seekers will also grow more tactical of which are outside the U.S.),5 doesn’t
about their online personas and will begin mean we innately know how to maximize
using findings from behavioral science and its impact. As more people embark on this
neuromarketing to their advantage—for explicit and conscious commercialization
example, gaining small edges with the of social interaction—and the self—they’re
pictures they display on their profiles.4 wondering where to start or are already
going it alone.
For all these reasons and more, personal
branding itself stands to get a rebrand in Gulati insists on the importance of being
2017. Says Moran: “Personal branding authentic, pointing to Indian Prime Minister
is moving quickly beyond hipsters and Narendra Modi as an example of someone
celebrities and into mainstream culture. In who built his brand on the grounds of
the near future we will all be searchable honesty and won the heart of his country
and ratable. Our world is shrinking, (ushering in an era of personal branding
and our digital presence will become in India at the same time). In addition to
increasingly important.” Anyone who has embodying unflinching authenticity, Gulati
ever Googled himself or herself, or a says that truly great personal brands
colleague, knows just what Moran means. define a person’s unique value proposition.
Masterful personal branders are also
PERSONAL BRANDING TO BECOME purposeful about sharing good content,
MORE DISCIPLINED proactive at networking and aware of
building both the breadth and quality of
In this hyperconnected world, a website their online connections, says Meister.
can be put up and a social media profile
created at virtually no cost. But just Just as product branding had to become
because we can start a profile on more systematic beginning in the 1980s,

“Personal branding has the potential to make lasting
change. It is one of the new future job skills that cuts
across levels—as important for millennials who want to
grow and develop in their job as it is for boomers who want
to continue working in their job.”
—JEANNE MEISTER, Co-Author of The Future Workplace
Experience: 10 Rules For Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and
Engaging Employees and Founding Partner, Future Workplace
personal branding is set to become THE PERSONAL AND BUSINESS

more disciplined. A world where so many BRAND MEET
are competing for attention, work and
Not satisfied with employees taking
influence will demand higher standards
their personal brands into their own
of personal branding. For those who
hands, more companies are taking
can afford it, there are professionals
steps to merge and manage employees’
for hire with a global reach, such as
personal brands through the corporate
Gulati, Tanvi Bhatt, Tom Coelho and
lens. “Permanent changes in human
Silvia Sanchez. For everyone else, the
communication are making trust-building
growing wealth of books, articles
and online advocacy critical priorities
and videos on the subject provide a
for brands. Trust in traditional media
solid foundation.
is declining while trust in social media
In some parts of the world, people might is increasing. In addition, people trust
need more coaching than others. Moran information and official corporate channels
calls the United States a personal- less, while trusting employees more. The
branding hub, but Gulati says it’s not yet ways that brands connect with customers
second nature to those in Asia, where must change. Ultimately, brands that
personal branding is still used primarily empower their employees in social media
by speakers, trainers and résumé writers: give a tremendous gift to their audiences
“They need complete one-on-one support in the form of expertise, diversity and
at every level of brand building.” Different passion,” says Emerick.
cultures also mandate different personal
branding guidelines. For instance, Gulati Gulati tells us that every organization
offers the insight that Middle Eastern should assist its employees—from low-
women can’t use their social media profile level workers up to CEOs—in becoming
photos the same ways Indian or Western brand ambassadors. In this way, they
women can. can give the organization a sustainable,

competitive advantage while improving still make up three-quarters of the
reputation, improving employee average company’s workforce.10
satisfaction and retention, and, most
important, improving reach and visibility. But personal branding is also
Sociable brand Nokia uses tools like revolutionizing the way the HR engine
Agora, a social visualizer, and Socialcast, runs. A Jobvite survey of American
an internal social network, to empower its recruiters found that 87 percent search
employees to share their stories across LinkedIn to evaluate candidates,
social media networks.6 And at Adobe, 43 percent search Facebook and
after an enthusiastic employee drove 22 percent consult Twitter accounts.11
more social traffic to the website than the Meister says that for those who build
company’s official Twitter presence, the quality networking connections and
software company famously created a cultivate an admirable presence on social
program to train people in how to discuss media and websites like LinkedIn, Xing,
the company with friends and social Viadeo and Klout, jobs usually find them.
networks.7
This has led, Meister says, to the
Brand messages are re-shared emergence of a new type of job candidate:
24 times more frequently when posted by the continuous job seeker, as profiled
an employee versus the brand’s social in the book The Future Workplace
media channels.8 And employees who Experience. Different from the active
feel engaged with and valued socially by and passive job-seeker segments we’re
their company are 27 percent more likely already familiar with, these are people
to feel optimistic about their company’s who are always keeping their eye on and
future, 20 percent more likely to stay applying for jobs. They’re assisted by job-
at their company and 40 percent more matching apps like Anthology and Switch,
likely to believe their company is more modeled after Tinder to tempt people with
competitive.9 Yet unengaged employees attractive employment opportunities.

WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS reality, including more people requires
With more employers checking out a different approach, one that equips
potential employees online and vice employees to effectively share their
versa, Moran predicts that we’ll move expertise through brand building as well
away from an era of surveillance and into as effective engagement practices,” says
one of co-veillance, where employers Emerick. In a study of workforce listening
and employees constantly monitor one programs, the IBM Smarter Workforce
another. Emerick, who introduced a pilot Institute found that HR practitioners who
social listening program at IBM, tells use multiple listening methods rated
us the tech giant initially adopted it to their organizational performance and
identify prominent influential individuals reputation 24 percent higher than those
in key areas of interest outside the who do not.12
company, but it soon became a way to
uncover socially active IBM employees “Personal branding has the potential
who were earning stature as influencers to really make lasting change,” says
in their own right: “We started to look at Meister. “It is one of the new future
these influential employees and thought, job skills that cuts across levels—as
‘We should support them.’ Through important for millennials who want to
pioneering IBM’s social engagement grow and develop in their job as it is for
strategy it became clear that empowering boomers who want to continue working
employees and partners in social media in their job. We hear so much about
is not simple. You have to do more technology taking people’s jobs away and
than write a policy, publish training and disrupting, but this is a case where it’s
give people permission to engage. In favorably affecting people’s lives.”

REDEFINING WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE
PUTTING DESIGN THINKING PRINCIPLES TO WORK
With today’s employees expecting more from their employers, designers and
strategists are rethinking all elements of the workplace to put the employee
experience first.
“W orkplace experience
design” is an approach that
has seen rapid evolution
workplace strategists are paying more
attention to consumer behavior as it
relates to how people experience the
over the past few years. What began as a workplace.
novel way to address changing demands
of workers has become a critical strategic Keeping employees happy, healthy
imperative for organizations looking to and productive requires that
put the employee experience first.1 In companies consider numerous factors
Deloitte’s 2016 Global Human Capital about where they work—the built
Trends survey, 79 percent of executives environment, technology and virtual work
rated design thinking an important or considerations, amenities and how people
very important issue.2 With this in mind, experience their surroundings. However,

“Design thinking can make employees’ lives
easier along their journey in the workday,
ultimately improving quality of life.”
—RACHEL PERMUTH, Ph.D., Global Vice President of
Research, Corporate Services, Sodexo
it’s not just about physical space but a leader in using design thinking to
also about software, communications, leverage its assets and innovate to find
workflow, organizational structure, creative solutions. He agrees that it’s
rewards, learning and development, vital to keep the specific needs of the
performance management—in short, employees in mind, and consider what
any of a number of tools and resources happens throughout their entire day.
to enable employees to get through their Workplace experience “begins at home
workday. when workers are preparing to travel into
the office,” he says, “and ends when they
Dr. Rachel Permuth, Global Vice President are leaving for the day.”4 With this in
of Research, Corporate Services at mind, experience design strategists must
Sodexo, says the current approach to consider touchpoints that fall outside of the
experience design is “the practice of 9-5 workday and the “typical” workplace.
designing a service, journey or other
component of the workplace with the THE HUMAN-CENTRIC WORKPLACE
focus on the employee throughout. It
Rather than expecting employees to
starts with thinking about a typical place
adapt to workplaces, the discipline of
of work, whether that be an office or an
experience design/design thinking aims
off-site location. You might think about
to create workplaces adapted to the way
what the experience is like for employees
employees work and do their jobs. Tom
throughout their workday—from the time
Stat, Innovation Expert, Design Thinker,
they get up to the time they stop working—
Strategy Consultant and Entrepreneur
and all of the different touchpoints they
formerly with IDEO, touches on that
experience in between. Design thinking
human aspect when he describes design
can make employees’ lives easier along
thinking as a “mindset whose key traits
their journey in the workday—ultimately
are optimism, courage (to explore, fail
improving quality of life.”3
and learn), imagination, curiosity and
Mark Newlands is the Global Workplace persistence.”5 Design thinkers seeking
Experience Lead at Johnson & Johnson, to elevate the workplace experience

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE TOUCH POINTS
WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE
USING DESIGN TOUCH POINTS
THINKING TO OVERCOME
UsingWORKPLACE COMPLEXITY
Design Thinking to Overcome
Workplace Complexity
74%
OF EMPLOYEES RATE
THEIR WORK
ENVIRONMENT AS
EITHER COMPLEX OR
HIGHLY COMPLEX.1
40%
OF WORKERS BELIEVE
40%
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO
OF WORKERS BELIEVE
74% SUCCEED AT WORK, MAKE
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO
OF EMPLOYEES RATE A GOOD LIVING, AND
79%
THEIR WORK
SUCCEED AT WORK, MAKE
HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO
OF EXECUTIVES A GOOD LIVING,
CONTRIBUTE AND
TO FAMILY
ENVIRONMENT AS
RATE DESIGN HAVE
AND COMMUNITY.1 TO
ENOUGH TIME
EITHER COMPLEX OR
THINKING AS AN 1 CONTRIBUTE TO FAMILY
HIGHLY COMPLEX.
IMPORTANT OR AND COMMUNITY.1
VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUE.2
Design thinking can help optimize and simplify the employee experience so
that it supports employees both within and outside of the workplace. 79% of
Design thinking
executives ratecan helpthinking
design optimizeasand simplify the
an important employee
or very experience
important issue.2 so
that it supports employees both within and outside of the workplace.
1
https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/human-capital-trends/2015/work-simplification-human-capital-trends-2015.html
2
https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/human-capital-trends/2016/employee-experience-management-design-thinking.html
50
“Getting buy-in from workers on the design—i.e., reaching
decisions collaboratively—yields the best design
solutions and greatest acceptance from employees.”
—RANDY FISER, CEO of the American
Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
increasingly look for ways to make it the work experience affects worker well-
more human-centered, a concept that being, satisfaction and productivity.
Stat describes in his 2016 trend article on
“Humanizing the Workplace.”6 By improving quality of life, workplace
experience design also plays a significant
As a people-centered rather than process- role in the competition to attract and
centered discipline, design thinking retain the best and the brightest talent.
should be a catalyst for thinking of Becoming a sought-after employer is,
existing organizational roles in different in fact, a major benefit to organizations
ways—HR, facilities management, that focus on the employee experience.
corporate real estate and IT should Google has long served as a case study
champion the discipline and tap into its for this—its campuses enjoy legendary
signature skills of observation, empathy status as worker-centric domains while the
and insight. Increasingly, organizations company itself has gained a reputation as
are dedicating full-time staff members to one of the most sought-after employers in
lead the experience design function for the world.8
their workforce (e.g., a Chief Experience
Officer).7 However, the human-centric work space is
also designed to enable people to feel and
KEEPING A COMPETITIVE EDGE perform better, to remove unnecessary
Sodexo has used tools such as its workplace complexity and relieve the
proprietary Personix™ system to overwhelmed employee. In fact, two-
evaluate consumer needs states in the thirds of companies believe complexity is
built environment for years, and other an obstacle to business success and a
companies are long established in barrier to growing business productivity.9
reinventing the workplace based on this The human-centered approach contrasts
concept. With the rise of innovative Silicon sharply with the workplace shaped to
Valley companies, so too has arisen satisfy other imperatives, whatever they
a modern way to think about what the may be—production, business process,
workplace means and how the design of cost control, etc.

THE DESIGN THINKING APPROACH adds that design thinking is driven by
Improving the workplace experience can “looking for remarkable insights that lead
mean making changes to any service, to new inspirations—taking advantage of
process or aspect of the workplace that pattern recognition and the ability to see
and synthesize familiar things in entirely
affects the employee in some way. Design
new ways.” He likens it to the original
thinking first defines the problem (e.g.,
iPod, which featured no new technology,
employee engagement, productivity)
but rather brought together existing
and the end-use population(s) whose
technologies in new ways to address
experience is being considered (e.g.,
unmet and unexpressed needs.
employees, clients, visitors). The approach
then examines the experience of the target A CUSTOMIZABLE PROCESS
group(s) in more depth through methods
like focus groups, interviews, journey When it comes to experience design, there
maps, storyboards, service blueprints is no one-size-fits-all solution, especially
and prototyping. With enough insights for multinational organizations. Randy
gathered, solutions can then be developed Fiser, CEO of the American Society of
and implemented, always with the needs Interior Designers (ASID), emphasizes
of the user demographic at the core of the importance of climate when designing
concept development. and customizing the work space for global
locations.10 Culture, geography, workplace
When it comes to solution design, Stat size and industry type—and the breakdown
emphasizes that solving an obvious of employee population groups—all play
problem is rarely an effective approach a role in what will work in each situation.
leading to sustainable outcomes because Even the strategy for flagship locations
“then you’re focusing on the solution doesn’t always carry through to smaller,
to a specific issue, rather than taking a regional/satellite offices.
bigger-picture look at the surrounding
context and environment and imagining Brett Hautop, Head of Design + Build,
new-to-the-world opportunities.” He Global Workplace Services, LinkedIn,

“The goal should be not only to provide a genuine
experience but also to maintain consistency: Even if
no two spaces are alike, all should feel in the same
vein as the parent company brand.”
—BRETT HAUTOP, Head of Design + Build,
Global Workplace Services, LinkedIn
agrees that implementation varies by provide a genuine experience but also

region and location.11 Hautop, who is to maintain consistency: Even if no two
leading extensive renovations and new spaces are alike, all should feel in the
construction at LinkedIn facilities around same vein as the parent company brand.”
the world, emphasizes that expectations
around workplace amenities will differ, BEST PRACTICES
as will preferences for space utilization IN WORKPLACE DESIGN
and design. For example, features like Fiser notes that with people spending
open collaborative spaces may not be 93 percent of their time indoors and 70
appropriate or desirable in certain cultures. percent of their waking hours seated,12
The goal should be not only to provide a experience design should bring natural
genuine experience but also to maintain elements inside and promote health
consistency: even if no two spaces are and well-being—not just the “expected
alike, all should feel in the same vein as tactic of using plants, but also looking
the parent company brand. at how the environment encourages
people to move through the space.” He
Given that the core end user is typically
adds that “we’ll see more places use
the employee, Fiser tells us that “getting
circadian lighting to mimic natural light,
buy-in from workers on the design—i.e.,
which has shown to be beneficial to
reaching decisions collaboratively—yields
health and productivity.” Certifications
the best design solutions and greatest
like the WELL Building Standard™ can
acceptance from employees.” Newlands guide organizations toward a common
agrees that a collaborative approach is foundation for measuring wellness in the
key—a baseline must be established built environment.13
with the employees, understanding the
frustrations they feel and what changes With much of the global workforce
could be made to help them be happier, connecting to the cloud and working
healthier and more productive. Says from anywhere, workplace design is
Hautop: “The goal should be not only to also reflecting our nomadic desires and

abilities. Modern design in office layouts WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS
is heralding the end of permanent Going forward, there is a pressing need
workstations in favor of modular units, for organizations to make a strategic
lounge spaces and communal spots rationale for considering and implementing
that allow employees to wander and experience design strategies. One that is
collaborate with others throughout the likely to resonate is the desire to attract
environment.14 and retain talent by improving workers’
quality of life, as well as the need to reduce
Workplaces have also evolved to include
complexity in workplace processes in order
amenities and a sense of play (LinkedIn’s
to increase efficiency and productivity.
office in the Empire State Building even
has a speakeasy15). According to The In the future, every aspect of the workplace
New York Times, “Early offices were will be designed with the employee in
designed to extract relentless productivity mind—a process that calls for a human-
from workers. The prodigal offices of today centric, design thinking approach to the
are the logical endpoint of a decades-long workplace. Inspired by tech companies
backlash against this way of thinking.”16 and other best-in-class organizations,
workplace design will blur the lines between
The NYT article also illustrates how work, play and life even more in the years
the next generation of the workforce to come. Health and well-being will also
is influencing forward-thinking design move to the foreground, as a foundation for
principles. German design firm Studio designing workplaces that contribute to our
A/S says: “ ‘Generation Y’ is searching overall happiness and wellness.
for ‘greater meaning’ from office design;
a new generation ‘wants poetry, form It makes sense that the principles of
and atmosphere’ in its workplaces.” With design thinking are spilling over into our
work and life overlapping more than ever, workplaces—people are, after all, an
office design will increasingly reflect our organization’s greatest investment. But
interest in spaces that foster happiness, it’s not just about offering amenities or
playfulness and creativity. improving the built environment; rather,
the notion of workplace experience design
Silicon Valley has smartly created inspired involves examining all of the different touch
workplaces where employees can enjoy points in the workday and considering how
a sense of play: Google’s campus is these either enhance—or detract from—
famously packed with fun features employee quality of life. Through this lens,
like sliding boards between floors and it is easy to understand why the focus
cocooned meeting rooms, while Etsy’s on the holistic employee experience has
whimsical space in Brooklyn is a folksy intensified, and will undoubtedly increase in
nod to its handmade appeal. importance in the years ahead.

THE 2030 AGENDA FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
REFRAMING CSR THROUGH A SHARED VISION
AND COMMON PURPOSE
Once the preserve of the United Nations, leading NGOs and scientists,
sustainable development is increasingly recognized as the legitimate
responsibility of businesses—and employees are also playing their part.
I
n 1962, a lone U.S. scientist asked the Brundtland, chaired the United Nations
readers of her new book to imagine commission that gave us Our Common
what the countryside would be like Future,1 a report whose definition of
without birdsong. Her concern was sustainable development remains
intensive agriculture and, to many, Rachel hugely influential 30 years later:
Carson’s seminal work, Silent Spring,
“Sustainable development is development
sparked the modern environmental
that meets the needs of the present
sustainability movement.
without compromising the ability of
Exactly 25 years later, the former future generations to meet their own
Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem needs.”

“The SDGs have given us a new set of goals and an
unprecedented opportunity to redefine the notion of
sustainability by engaging all levels of our ecosystem,
starting at work. They affirm that Sodexo’s responsibility
as an employer is to foster a culture of responsibility and
create and support a workforce that’s reflective of the
people we serve in our communities.”
—NEIL BARRETT, Group SVP
Corporate Responsibility, Sodexo
Since then, the UN has continued to that businesses must play a pivotal role
make waves: at Rio in 1992, then with the in support of social and environmental
launch of the Millennium Development as well as economic ends. Starting with
Goals for human development in 2000, in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in
Johannesburg in 2002 and back to Brazil the 1990s, soon followed by “corporate
for Rio+20 in 2012. With the UN’s release responsibility” and “corporate citizenship,”
in September 2015 of the 17 Sustainable it is now clear to leading companies that
Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030,2 we their mission, their very purpose and the
now look to that year as our due date to products and services they sell can be an
deliver a better trajectory for present and integral part of sustainable development.
future generations. And for their efforts toward this end they
will be rewarded in terms of brand image,
The awareness created by the SDGs, and reputation and demand.
indeed by the UN’s decades of work, is
shaping a new way of thinking about the THE PIVOTAL ROLE OF BUSINESS
big picture of sustainable development. There can be no doubt that business is part
This cultural shift emphasizes the of the civil society that will carry and deliver
connectivity between the issues affecting the Sustainable Development Goals. “The
us all and contributes to an increasingly SDGs have given us a new set of goals and
global focus on the intersections between an unprecedented opportunity to redefine
human activity and the world we rely on for the notion of sustainability by engaging all
everything from clean air and fresh water to levels of our ecosystem, starting at work,”
awe and wonder. says Neil Barrett, Group SVP Corporate
Responsibility, Sodexo.
What’s new? One of the strongest trends
within the sustainable development agenda Sodexo may be particularly on-trend today,
over time has been the growing realization but sustainable development is something

the company has been committed to since Because businesses have come to be
1966, when Founder Pierre Bellon saw seen as part of the problem(s), they’ve
to it that the company’s mission included had to become part of the solution. “We
to “contribute to the economic, social and need businesses to work toward solutions
environmental development of the cities, for our communities and our planet,” says
regions and countries where we operate.”3 Jeff Malcolm, Director of Private Sector
While many organizations have made Engagement for the World Wildlife Fund.
sustainable development central to their “Working with companies on direct operations
mission and operations, others must join and sourcing of everything from forest
the call to action now if the SDGs are to be products to seafood makes the world a better
a success. place.”4 By being aware of crucial common

concerns such as food waste, Malcolm supply chain standards and traceability,
notes, the corporate world counteracts biodiversity, deforestation, the conditions
negative impacts of their operations. of workers and the health and well-being
of consumers around the world. Many
corporations have easily integrated
FOCUS ON THE PARTS, NOT
certain CSR principles into “business
THE SUM
as usual” due to the proliferation and
Organizations of all sizes and in all adoption of standards and verification
sectors have learned to navigate issues schemes that hold them accountable for
full of challenging trade-offs, such as the economic, social and environmental
energy production and procurement, sustainability of their operations.

Other organizations are looking to “Tech companies understand that we
external partners for guidance. Elisabeth are living in a social media reality, so we
Laville is the Founder and Director of need to talk to customers about specific
Utopies, an organization whose core issues and make conversations about
focus is to help companies identify which sustainability a part of their everyday lives
social and environmental issues they and feeds,” says Sherinian.5
should integrate into their strategy. “All
SDGs are relevant,” she says, “but in EMPLOYEES: CONTRIBUTORS AND
order to maximize impact, it is important BENEFICIARIES
that companies choose the most relevant The good news is that today’s
SDGs where they intend to focus their employees want to be part of the
efforts.” Laville adds that although there solution, too—they’re willing, committed
are specific targets in place for each and paying attention. In fact, a new
SDG, organizations should set their own generation of employees and consumers
goals regarding the level of performance have grown up demanding that the
they want to achieve. organizations that they work for and
purchase goods and services from
Aaron Sherinian, Chief Communications
contribute to sustainability. In response
and Marketing Officer for the United
to these values, corporations have been
Nations Foundation, says seeing
forced to react—Fortune Global 500
companies weave their commitment
firms now spend over $15 billion a year
to specific SDGs into the fabric of their on just one aspect of their responsibility:
organization isn’t a surprise. Before the corporate philanthropy.6
SDGs were adopted, Dell petitioned for
the passage of Goal No. 8 (“Promote Notably, building a company based on
sustained, inclusive and sustainable sustainable (and real human) values
economic growth, full and productive can attract and retain top talent—and is
employment and decent work for all”) particularly valuable for engaging the oft-
with its campaign #EntrepreneursUNite. discussed younger staff members. In fact,

“Employees feel more engaged and loyal when their
organization’s mission is shaped by the values of
CSR—and when those values extend to their own
health and well-being.”
—JESSICA ROSE COOPER, Executive Vice President and
Director of Sustainability, Delos
a 2016 survey of millennial employees creating an environment where workers

found that 75 percent would take a pay feel happy, cared for and connected to a
cut to work for a socially responsible larger purpose.
company.7 As Barrett says: “The SDGs
affirm that Sodexo’s responsibility as When it comes to sustainability issues,
an employer is to foster a culture of “employees need to feel that they don’t
responsibility and create and support a work in isolation but in collaboration,”
workforce that’s reflective of the people says Thomas Candeal, Sustainability
we serve in our communities.”8 Project Manager for the International
Food Waste Coalition. “Very often,
This sentiment is echoed by Jessica sustainability is about exchange—it
Rose Cooper, Executive Vice President provides a solid link between different
and Director of Sustainability for Delos, players inside the company who may
which pioneered the WELL Building not be used to talking to each other
Standard for measuring, certifying and or working together.”10 This need for
monitoring the performance of building collaboration is reflected in Goal
features that impact health and well- No. 17 (“Revitalize the global partnership
being9: “Employees feel more engaged for sustainable development”), which
and loyal when their organization’s drives home the fact that accomplishing
mission is shaped by the values of the SDGs will require all stakeholders
CSR—and when those values extend to to work together—sometimes in
their own health and well-being.” With unprecedented ways.
people spending so much time in the
workplace, the built environment must WHO’S KEEPING SCORE
support not only occupant wellness, A number of standards, certifications and
but also best practices when it comes industry initiatives provide a measure
to things like affordable energy, clean of commitment or external verification
air and clean water. By investing in a of claims that sustainability is being
sustainable workplace, employers are integrated into supply chains, operations,

“Very often, sustainability is about exchange—it
provides a solid link between different players inside
the company who may not be used to talking to each
other or working together.”
—THOMAS CANDEAL, Sustainability Project Manager,
International Food Waste Coalition
products and services. These contribute opportunity, responsibility and positive

over time to companies’ progress, outcomes as a matter of course.
disclosure and transparency, and many
have also become a badge of honor WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS
of sorts. They range from the likes of
As the SDGs provide a framework for
the Dow Jones Sustainability Index—
action in the lead-up to 2030, the notion
launched in 1999 and now assessing
of sustainable development continues
over 3,400 listed companies around
to anchor itself within business as a
the world on economic, environmental
natural part of a broader, more inclusive
and social factors—to industry-specific
conversation that business leaders can
initiatives such as the Extractive Industries
inspire within the workplace. It has even
Transparency Initiative (EITI)—a global
sparked the welcome development of
standard to promote the open and
integrated reporting for environmental,
accountable management of oil, gas and
social and governance performance within
mineral resources.
financial reporting, and prompted one of the
There are also ecosystem sustainability world’s largest and best-known companies,
marks in forestry and fisheries, the Unilever, to stop quarterly reporting of profits
ISO 14001 standard for organizational as it focuses on its long-term sustainability.
environmental management, and
the commodity-specific Roundtable Companies that are creative, committed
on Sustainable Palm Oil, which in and consistently visible when it comes
collaboration with the global supply to sustainable development, alongside
chain has been transforming the palm oil innovation and technology, are going to be
industry since 2004 to put it on a more more successful and keep better company
sustainable path. All of these point in in the years leading up to 2030. Theirs will
the same direction: the integration of be a culture of workplace satisfaction and
sustainable development into businesses collaboration that serves today for a better
by leaders and employees who take the business tomorrow.

THE 2030 AGENDA FOR
The Business Case for the Sustainable Development Goals
Companies can use the SDGs as a framework for their strategies, goals
and activities, allowing them to capitalize on a range of benefits.
Enhancing
the value of
corporate
sustainability
Identifying
future business
opportunities Strengthening
stakeholder relations
& keeping up with
policy developments
Using a
common
language &
shared Stabilizing
purpose societies &
markets
71% 90% 78%

of businesses say they of citizens say it’s of citizens say they would
are already planning important for be more likely to buy the
how they will engage businesses to sign goods and services of
with the SDGs up to the SDGs companies that had
signed up to the SDGs
Source: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/sustainability/SDG/SDG%20Research_FINAL.pdf
63
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF
MILLENNIAL TALENT
A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT DRIVES
THIS GENERATION
Employers who develop a better appreciation for this overanalyzed yet often
misunderstood generation stand to benefit the most from the collaboration,
creativity and authenticity they bring to the table.
A
2016 survey of 7,700 millennials For this reason, the generation born
from 29 countries found that between 1980 and the early 2000s has
one in four would quit his or her been labeled, among other things, the
current job to do something different “job-hopping generation.”
within the next year,1 and more than
20 percent of American millennials really This is but one of many misconceptions
did change jobs within the past year. This about them; when Dr. Jessica Kriegel,
is more than three times the number of Author of Unfairly Labeled: How Your
non-millennials who report the same.2 Workplace Can Benefit From Ditching

Generational Stereotypes, examined share of the labor market—32 percent—a
figures from the Employee Benefits percentage that will only grow over the
Research Institute she found that Gen next decade.7 By 2025, they will comprise
Xers had the same turnover rates as 75 percent of the global workforce.8
millennials do today.3 Most often we
hear millennials called entitled, lazy, By creating a culture where millennials
disrespectful, needy and disloyal— are engaged behaviorally and emotionally,
assumptions explored by Crystal experts tell us these workers will reward
Kadakia, a two-time TEDx speaker, in her employers with their honesty and their
book The Millennial Myth: Transforming highly collaborative approach. And
Misunderstanding into Workplace because they crave experiences
Breakthroughs.4 These and other and meaning more than things, and
misconceptions are affecting millennials’ put a high value on personal interactions,
performance and happiness within the many millennials make excellent
workforce. This may also have been managers. Joan Kuhl, Founder and
the case for earlier generations—baby President of training, research
boomers were once called spoiled5 and and consulting agency Why Millennials
Gen Xers used to be referred to as the Matter and the Author of Misunderstood
whiny generation.6 Millennial Talent: The Other 91 Percent,
says the members of this inherently
To break the cycle of generational tolerant generation are hands-on
stereotyping and capitalize on the and want to help their employees connect
opportunities uniquely presented by to a bigger purpose. They’re also natural
the millennial generation, companies in innovators (“millennipreneuers,”
emerging and developed nations alike as they’re called, are creating more
must cultivate a new understanding of companies than their parents or
them and why they matter. First, there’s grandparents9) and are the most highly
the sheer number of them to consider: educated (college enrollment rates
Millennials now represent the largest for millennials are higher than for

MILLENNIALS: THE CREST
OF THE
MILLENNIALS: TALENT
THE CREST WAVE
OF THE TALENT WAVE
Creating
CreatingaaSuccessful WorkEnvironment
Successful Work Environment
for This Generation
WHO THEY ARE WHAT MOTIVATES THEM
Human
contact
Seeking a
bigger purpose1
Continuous
feedback from
superiors
Natural
innovators Training and
development 2
Flexibility 3
Highly
educated
THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW
75% of the workforce will be millennials by 2025

4
1
deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-millenial-survey-2016-exec-summary.pdf
2
www.pwc.com/gx/en/managing-tomorrows-people/future-of-work/assets/reshaping-the-workplace.pdf
3
workplacetrends.com/gen-z-millennials-collide-at-work
4
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/sept.nws.htm
66
“We’re so fascinated with millennials because we’re
fascinated with the future of work and how we
think about future workplaces through the eyes of
generations. There’s something happening with this
generation that is fundamentally different from how
previous generations operated.”
—ELISABETH KELAN, Ph.D., Professor of Leadership,
Cranfield School of Management
boomers or Gen Xers). Finally, they are In a 2014 study of millennials and Gen Z
the most diverse generation to date employees across 10 global markets, both
(44.2 percent identify as non-Caucasian).10 generations chose health care coverage
as the most important employee benefit.
FLEXIBILITY TO BE YOU But by September 2016 (when a follow-up
Over the past few years, millennials study was conducted) their priority had
shifted to work flexibility, yet only
have been studied in detail by a world
34 percent of companies now offer it.13 The
that’s insatiably curious about how they
study was conducted by Dan Schawbel,
are faring in the workforce. After all, they
Partner and Research Director at Future
are the first digital natives, the children
Workplace and Author of Promote Yourself:
of helicopter parents, survivors of the
The New Rules For Career Success—who
Great Recession and bearers of the
has published 35 workplace studies, with
most cumbersome student loan debts on
an emphasis on millennials—who told us
record. Google Trends11 shows interest in
that the desire for workplace flexibility is the
millennials taking off in 2013 and ticking
biggest trend overall for this generation.14
up sharply in 2016. “We’re so fascinated
with millennials because we’re fascinated Matt Britton, Author of YouthNation, says
with the future of work and how we think the fact that Fortune 500 companies don’t
about future workplaces through the eyes offer the freedom, flexibility or mobility
of generations,” explains Elisabeth Kelan, that millennials attribute to startup culture
Ph.D., Professor of Leadership, Cranfield is precisely why millennials aren’t as
School of Management, and Author interested in going to work for them
of Rising Stars: Developing Millennial anymore. “They have no desire to spend
Women as Leaders. “There’s something their 20s stuck in one city, so if you can
happening with this generation that is offer them the ability to relocate and be
fundamentally different from how previous mobile, it fits their lifestyle,” Britton says.
generations operated.”12 “They want to live a largely nomadic

existence, and they want a workplace that things going on, they’ll see that they
supports that.”15 have someone working for them who’s
an entrepreneur, and that’s what every
To create a more flexible work environment, company wants,” says Britton. Employers
employers should look for ways to give can also take steps to encourage
millennial employees opportunities to travel
millennials’ entrepreneurial spirit within the
(they are by nature collectors of experiences
workplace—for example, allowing them to
versus things), offer flexible work hours or
work on projects that fall outside of their
the ability to work from home periodically.
primary performance goals.
Ron Alsop, Author of The Trophy Kids Grow
Up, says that while employers didn’t initially
GETTING PERSONAL
want to give their young employees, whom
they didn’t yet know and trust, these kinds Millennials are especially thirsty for
of benefits, they’re coming around to the connection and thrive in environments that
idea, especially since workplace flexibility is offer meaningful relationships. “They view
something that all generations are asking their coworkers as their work family and
for.16 Companies might also take steps their managers as their work parents,” says
such as allowing employees greater, Schawbel. “They prefer to work in teams.”
more personalized options for benefits
And when millennials, who are naturally
and compensation packages that address
more collaborative than competitive, make
the needs of a variety of generations and
these connections at work, they’re likely
stages of life, says Kadakia.
to be authentic. Schawbel told us that
Millennials will also feel more satisfied if millennials today value human contact
their employers encourage and empower more than ever. And in fact, their tendency
them to hone their talents outside of of being forthright is also one of the
work. “Old-world culture dictates that you reasons we’re starting to see the gender
can’t have side jobs, but if companies wage gap narrowing among younger
embrace that millennials have other generations. Millennial colleagues, he says,

“Employers should be creating new experiences
where millennials can learn so they don’t feel like
they’re stagnating. They will then feel disengaged.
This is why they always feel so insatiable in regard to
feedback. They have understood that only by receiving
feedback can they be at the top of their game.”
—ELISABETH KELAN, Ph.D., Professor of Leadership,
Cranfield School of Management
are more likely to reveal salary information they started to feel more connected—to
to one another and are more open to the organization and each other.”
talking about money with their manager.
Schawbel encourages companies to have
Millennials also seek continuous feedback a training curriculum that combines online
from their superiors. Because of this learning with classroom learning. Says
and the increased pace of change, Kelan: “Employers should be creating new
Kadakia says companies would be wise experiences where millennials can learn so
to phase out the traditional quarterly they don’t feel like they’re stagnating. They
review in favor of ongoing performance will then feel disengaged. This is why they
discussions; this creates opportunity for always feel so insatiable in regard to feedback.
more agile course correction. “When They have understood that only by receiving
you learn how to manage a millennial feedback can they be at the top of their game.
in a way that works for them, you really I talk a lot about the concept of companies
do get a great work ethic out of them,”17 ‘feeding forward’ millennial employees—it’s
says Christine Hassler, Author, Speaker, not about necessarily reflecting back
Coach and Consultant, whose website information but about helping them
is millennialexpert.com. She offers as an develop skills they will need for the future.”
example a global company that hired her
to address its retention problem, especially WANTED: LEADERSHIP
with regard to millennial turnover at offices DEVELOPMENT
in multiple countries. “One thing I did was One set of skills that many companies
have the C-suite executives come down don’t know how to nurture in millennials is
and talk to their millennial employees, to leadership. A survey fielded by Deloitte in
show them how their work mattered and 2016 found that 63 percent of millennials
how they impacted the business. We also don’t believe their leadership skills are
provided opportunities for them to interact being fully developed. In some markets,
with their colleagues, and because of this such as Brazil and the Southeast Asian

“Millennials are really driven by the idea of YOLO—you only
live once. … So the question for a millennial becomes, if I
only live once, why would I want to work for you?”
—CRYSTAL KADAKIA, Author, The Millennial Myth: Transforming
Misunderstanding into Workplace Breakthroughs
nations of Malaysia, Singapore and Don’t discourage millennial employees from

Thailand, the figure exceeds 70 percent. taking the initiative on a new project, or
even from having side jobs; this actually
“The average age that someone becomes makes them more entrepreneurial (good
a manager is something like 30 years for the company) and provides a sense of
old, but the average onset of leadership freedom (good for the employee).
development starts at 42, so there’s a
gap in leadership training and an urgency Multiple experts agree that millennials
to develop these skills before becoming make great managers, but employers
the boss,” says Kuhl. Deloitte found that must consider how to better prepare
mentorship levels for millennials were them for leadership roles. Mentorship
especially low in Australia, Canada, France, opportunities, training and skills
Germany and The Netherlands.18 development are highly sought out by
ambitious millennial employees looking
WORKPLACE IMPLICATIONS to quickly move up the ladder. Ongoing
By customizing approaches that address performance feedback is also a must.
their unique perspectives and ambitions,
And finally, organizations must understand
employers will help the millennial generation
and take action around the fact that
bring their best selves to the table.
this generation values purpose beyond
Millennials thrive in workplaces rich with compensation. Says Kadakia, “Millennials
regular human contact, and they work well are really driven by the idea of YOLO—you
on teams. Organizations that find ways to only live once. … Growing up with digital
open the lines of communication and technology constantly shows millennials a
encourage authenticity among colleagues whole world of choices that they could be
will enjoy greater collaboration and a more missing out on. At the same time they’re
positive working environment—benefiting seeing a lot of global, social and economic
employees from all generations. challenges. Impactful experiences become
the name of the game, rather than simply
Employers should also give millennials material pursuits. So the question for a
opportunities to put their entrepreneurial spirit millennial becomes, if I only live once, why
to work, both within and outside the company. would I want to work for you?”

WELLNESS 3.0
THE WORKPLACE AS A WELLNESS DESTINATION
Forget what you thought you knew about workplace wellness—look instead
for holistic approaches from employers that take all aspects of employees’
health and well-being into consideration.
W
ork used to be more of a and provide wellness-enhancing
social contract—“I go to work, amenities, programs and policies. As
you pay me for work done the boundaries between work and life
well”—that provided both employee continue to blur, employees expect their
and employer with a sense of continuity workplace not to be a source of stress,
and safety. However, today’s workers but rather a wellness “destination”
are seeking out a new and improved designed to enhance their quality of life.
employee value proposition, one that
includes a focus on all aspects of their Also contributing to this shift in
health and well-being. They increasingly expectations is the fact that the most
look to their employers to foster a culture common approach to workplace
of health, optimize the built environment wellness—often a compartmentalized

“Most workplace wellness programs are
not designed well, and employers are
beginning to realize the importance of taking a
customized, employee-centric approach
to workforce well-being.”
—NEBEYOU ABEBE, Senior Director of Health and
Well-Being, Sodexo North America
set of benefits packaged together—is in developed countries, are coming to

not working. “Most workplace wellness expect. The new approach will benefit
programs are not designed well, and not only workers but also employers
employers are beginning to realize the who are beginning to see more clearly
importance of taking a customized, how well-being is tied to business
employee-centric approach to workforce results. The Journal of Occupational and
well-being,” says Nebeyou Abebe, Environmental Medicine has shown that
Senior Director of Health and Well- companies that focus on the well-being
Being, Sodexo North America. According and safety of workers have, in multiple
to a Kaiser study, only 13 percent of studies, consistently outperformed the
workplace wellness programs in the stock market.4 5 6
U.S. are comprehensive in nature (i.e.,
providing extensive screening, disease Dr. Peter Wald, Chief Medical Officer at
management and other lifestyle services).1 USAA, tells us: “The old model consists
Among U.S. workers with access to a of wellness programs that are piecemeal,
wellness program, only 40 percent say not integrated—the more modern model
these programs actually improve their that we are working on is about creating
health/wellness, nearly one-third don’t use a culture of well-being focused on not just
them, and 10 percent don’t even know if physical wellness, but on the intimately
one is available.2 tied components of physical/financial/
emotional wellness—they all wrap
As the chronic disease burden continues together.” At USAA, for example, the
to grow, the way that businesses “Culture of Wellness” is evident from the
address the health and well-being of their moment someone walks onto one of its
workforces is also shifting out of necessity. facilities. There are digital billboards with
While disease-management programs are messages about wellness components,
effective at saving employers money on and the major USAA campuses have
health care,3 it is a wellness-enhancing fitness centers that are free for employees
approach that more workers, particularly to access. The culture of wellness is

“The old model consists of wellness programs that
are piecemeal, not integrated. The more modern
model is about creating a culture of well-being
focused on not just physical wellness, but on the
intimately tied components of physical/financial/
emotional well-being—they all wrap together.”
—DR. PETER WALD, Chief Medical Officer, USAA
further conveyed by shirts that are used must support a culture of well-being.
as first-level rewards, as well as a plethora Higher levels of employee well-being help
of devices—including Fitbits, which are drive organizational performance. And
also given as rewards. The onsite cafes when a company is functioning well, it
have been redesigned not only to present helps foster well-being—so it becomes a
healthy food first, but to display wall art virtuous cycle that feeds itself.”
of healthy food, people being physically
active and enjoying activities with their Employers seeking to establish
families. And by offering healthy food at themselves as wellness destinations
50 percent off the list price, the company know that amenities, policies and
is in effect providing a financial incentive programs also contribute to a culture of
well-being. In addition to USAA, some
to further reward those who make healthy
other organizations to look at include
food choices.
Google, whose menu of workplace
CULTURE IS KEY amenities includes onsite doctors,
physical therapists, chiropractors and
A shift in corporate culture that comes
massage therapists; Facebook, which
from the top is key in the new world
builds expansive parental leave policies
of workplace well-being, as it is a into its benefits package; and Patagonia,
company’s core culture that will define its which offers company bikes, volleyball
health and well-being strategy. “Creating courts and onsite yoga.
a culture is about what people see and
what they say—that’s very important. It’s Sylvia Metayer, CEO of Sodexo
important that senior leaders talk about Corporate Services Worldwide, says,
well-being,” Wald tells us. Dr. David W. “Talking about well-being at the individual
Ballard, Assistant Executive Director and organizational level is another way
for Organizational Excellence at the of talking about overall quality of life.
American Psychological Association, There are many ways employers can
agrees that “leaders in an organization improve this, in terms of how we shape

work environments for different functions. defines the Total Worker Health®
For example, thinking nontraditionally approach as “policies, programs and
about a manufacturing space—how practices that integrate protection from
can we optimize that environment for work-related safety and health hazards
better employee quality of life through with promotion of injury and illness
manufacturing process design, redesign of prevention efforts to advance worker well-
uniforms, innovative ways of flex-work or being.”7 She emphasizes that we must
job sharing, etc.” assess the physical work environment,
organizational policies, programs and
DEFINING THE NEW APPROACH practices, and individual behavior and
The current approach to well-being resources—all within the larger policy and
is all-encompassing, holistic and community context.
comprehensive—in short, it takes
into account the “whole person” in Sorensen adds that “the physical
the workplace. Several models and surroundings and social interactions of the
frameworks help illustrate the new workplace are increasingly being attended
approach and shed light on the notion of to as we think about well-being at work,
the workplace as a wellness destination. going beyond prevention of risk to explore
While common themes unite them, each how employees can thrive at work.”
examines and defines employee well-
Spotlight on the FitwelSM Certification
being through a different lens.
Joanna Frank is the Executive Director
Spotlight on the Total Worker Health®
of the Center for Active Design, operator
Approach
of FitwelSM, a cost-effective, high-impact
Dr. Glorian Sorensen, Director, Harvard building certification system that supports
Center for Work, Health and Well- the well-being of building occupants and
Being, notes that the National Institute surrounding communities. FitwelSM was
for Occupational Safety and Health developed by experts in public health

MOVING TOWARD
MOVING WORKER
TOWARD SAFETY AND3.0
WELLNESS HEALTH
Conceptual Model
Conceptual model for
for Integrated
integrated approaches
Approachesto tothe
theprotection
Protection
and promotion of worker health and safety
and Promotion of Worker Health and Safety
ENTERPRISE WORKER/
Characteristics WORKFORCE
Characteristics
INTEGRATED WORKPLACE POLICIES,

PROGRAMS & PRACTICES ADDRESSING
THE CONDITIONS OF WORK
CONDITIONS OF WORK WORKER PROXIMAL OUTCOMES
• Physical Environment • Health & Safety Behaviors

• Organization of Work • Engagement in Programs
• Beliefs
• Psychosocial Factors • Knowledge
• Job Tasks & Demands • Skills
WORKER ENTERPRISE
OUTCOMES OUTCOMES
Illness Injury Turnover & Productivity

Absence & Quality
Health Care
Costs
Well-being
Source: Sorensen, G., Mclellan, D. L., Sabbath, E. L., Dennerlein, J. T., Nagler, E. M., Hurtado, D. A., Pronk, N. P., Wagner,
Source: Sorensen,
G. R. (2016). G., Mclellan,
Integrating worksiteD. L., Sabbath,
health E.and
protection L., Dennerlein, J. T., Nagler,
health promotion: E. M.,model
A conceptual Hurtado, D. A., Pronk,
for intervention N. research.
and P., Wagner,
G. R. (2016).Medicine,
Preventive Integrating
91,worksite
188-196.health protection and health promotion: A conceptual model for intervention and research.
doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.08.005
Preventive Medicine, 91, 188-196. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.08.005
1
76
and design, led by the U.S. Centers for environment: air, water, nourishment,
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light, fitness, comfort and mind. WELL
and the General Services Administration Certified™ spaces can help create a
(GSA).8 Frank describes how promoting built environment that improves the
health through design, policies and nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns and
environmental changes can improve performance of its occupants.
employee health and productivity, with
potential savings in health care costs. The WELL Building Standard™ provides
The FitwelSM certification has considered the opportunity to design and build with
wellness holistically and identified a human-centered approach, which
seven health impact categories: impacts ultimately supports organizations in
community health, reduces morbidity and comprehensively addressing the health
absenteeism, social equality for vulnerable of their workforce. Employers spend
populations, increases physical activity, 90 percent of their operating costs on
promotes occupant safety, provides people—this means that even a small
healthy food options and instills feelings of impact on productivity, engagement and
well-being. satisfaction in the workplace can have
huge returns on investment.
Frank tells us: “Health is a system; it’s all
interconnected—individual and community Spotlight on the Psychologically Healthy
health, social health, mental health, Workplace
physical health, etc.—all of these things
A psychologically healthy workplace
work together.” Taking this philosophy
fosters employee health and well-
into account, FitwelSM identifies “areas
being while enhancing organizational
of opportunities” where work spaces
performance and productivity. Ballard
can take steps to improve their score.
tells us that the American Psychological
The areas are organized by potential for
Association groups psychologically
impact; for example, having a lactation
healthy workplace practices into five
room is ranked highest in terms of ways
employers can improve work spaces. categories—work-life balance, health &
safety, employee growth & development,
Spotlight on the WELL Building Standard™ employee recognition, and employee
involvement—and emphasizes that
The WELL Building Standard™ (WELL) is communication plays a key role in the
an evidence-based system for measuring, success of any program or practice.10
certifying and monitoring the performance
of building features that impact health and Ballard notes that this approach applies
well-being.9 WELL™ sets performance to any type of organization. “In health
requirements in seven concepts care and nonprofits, where we’ve seen
relevant to occupant health in the built a lot of focus on workplace well-being

“Cultural norms are very important to consider; employer
programs need to be customized to ensure that differences
are respected and incorporated, and not all programs work
around the globe.”
—DR. DAVID W. BALLARD, Assistant Executive Director for
Organizational Excellence, the American Psychological Association
programs, these values weave throughout workday. Sorensen also noted that
internal and external missions. Larger in her collaborations in India, it is
organizations are able to provide robust more challenging—“readiness for this
menus of offerings, giving employees approach requires first a foundation of
the ability to pick and choose what works work safety before progress can be made
for them. And even small organizations into well-being.”
are able to provide unique, customizable
options that work well for employees— Ballard agrees that “developing countries
they may not have as many offerings, but are in a different place in terms of
what they provide makes very good sense workplace well-being” (and in fact only
for their employees.” about 9 percent of workers across the
planet even have access to workplace
GLOBAL CONSIDERATIONS wellness programs11). He reminds us
that “cultural norms are very important
While many organizations are striving to
to consider; employer programs need to
move toward the wellness destination
be customized to ensure differences are
concept to employee health and well-
respected and incorporated, and not all
being, globally, the conversation is a little
programs work around the globe.” In other
different. Sorensen tells us, “There is a
words, what works in one country may not
long tradition in Europe, particularly in
Scandinavia, of considering the impact necessarily work in another.
of work on worker health outcomes.
We are also working with colleagues in
other countries, such as Australia, Chile Given that we spend about 30 percent
and Brazil, to explore comprehensive of our lifetime working,12 it makes sense
strategies to addressing safety, health that integrating well-being into the
and well-being in the workplace.” workplace will positively impact overall
Along these lines, Sweden has been health. However, many organizations are
experimenting with a mandated six-hour going a step further by striving to make

their workplaces healthy “destinations” prevent disease. USAA has consistently
for employees. This means adapting looked very deeply into the measurement
both work and the workplace so that issue—evaluating its holistic approach
both are truly wellness-enhancing and to come up with a baseline to measure
improve all dimensions of quality of life. against for the future.
It is these types of environments that are
increasingly being sought out and even With respect to measurement, there are
demanded by employees who understand many ways to show the efficacy of the
that work can and should contribute to components of a healthy workplace;
their health, not detract from it. several frameworks, models and
certifications have been described here.
As organizations look toward this new Given the limitations of the traditional
approach to workplace well-being, they ROI approach, there will be an increasing
must develop a clearer definition of the shift toward a VOI (Value on Investment)
desired outcomes and how to attain these model,13 which allows organizations
from a benefits, programmatic and built to measure qualitative outcomes like
environment perspective. Wald believes employee engagement and morale. As
that the next steps are more integration organizations seek to understand what is
of technology to support the workplace important to measure for worker well-
wellness movement, as well as analysis being, they will also look to evaluators
and measurement to know what is or to identify which components of their
isn’t working and how initiatives are approach are most effective. While there
affecting business objectives. He believes is still much work to be done to measure
measurement is going to play a much and achieve success, today’s business
greater role in the employee well-being leaders unequivocally know that a healthy
space, as it is critical for organizations to workplace is part of the new employee
be able to shift already-tight resources to value proposition that the “best and
solutions that enhance human health and brightest” expect from their employers.

More About the Experts Who Contributed
Sodexo conducted primary research through interviews with nearly 50 subject
matter experts to inform the topics in our 2017 Global Workplace Trends Report.
Below are brief biographies of these individuals.
THE AGILE ORGANIZATION consecutive years in the top 10 on the

Michael Bazigos, Ph.D., Managing DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity
Director at Accenture Strategy; Adjunct ratings and was recognized by the 2016
Professor, Department of Organization UN Women’s Empowerment Principles for
and Leadership, Columbia University. As championing gender equality.
the head of Accenture’s organizational Jean-Christophe Dumont, Ph.D., Head,
analytics business, Bazigos’ insights lead International Migration Division of the
companies to high-yield performance and Directorate for Employment, Labour and
organizational agility. Social Affairs, OECD. A development
economist, Dumont is responsible for the
Isaac Getz, Co-Author, Freedom, Inc.;
OECD’s annual “International Migration
Professor of Leadership and Innovation,
Outlook” and other publications on that topic.
ESCP Europe Business School.
Getz conducts research, publishes THE NEW GEN OF ROBOTICS
and speaks globally on the topics of
Laurent Cousin, Global SVP of Research
innovation, liberating leadership, corporate
and Development, Sodexo. With more
transformation and employee initiative.
than 30 years of diversified experience
THE RISE OF CROSS-WORKPLACES with Sodexo, Cousin addresses
multidirectional, key transformation
Frédéric Chevalier, Founder, thecamp;
challenges in service activities, client and
Founder and Former Chairman,
consumer interactions, service delivery
HighCo. Chevalier founded HighCo, a
protocols and process.
communication group focused on new
technologies, then started thecamp, an Olivier de Panafieu, Senior Partner,
innovation catalyzer where up to 250 people Roland Berger. With more than two
can live temporarily while collaborating. decades of experience in numerous
countries, de Panafieu now leads Roland
EMPLOYEES WITHOUT BORDERS Berger’s Consumer Goods & Retail
practice, which he also helped develop.
Rohini Anand, Ph.D., Global Chief
Diversity Officer, Sodexo. Anand is a Bob Doyle, Director of Communications,
pioneer in organizational change, diversity Association for Advancing Automation
and inclusion. Under her stewardship, (A3). Once an environmental engineer for
Sodexo has been recognized for its GM, Doyle has extensive experience in
diversity and inclusion commitments; for strategic communications for environmental
example, it has been ranked for eight and automation organizations.

Gudrun Litzenberger, General Secretary, Héctor Martínez, Assistant Professor,
International Federation of Robotics. As INCAE Business School. Martínez is an
General Secretary, Litzenberger works to experienced leadership development
promote and strengthen the robotics industry coach who applies the intentional change
worldwide and raise awareness; she also theory in his coaching and teaching.
oversees the collection of related data.
Mariano Sánchez, Professor, University
INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING of Granada. Sánchez led a study that
clarified the concept of a “society for
Jodi Davidson, Director of Diversity and
all ages,” designed to cover needs and
Inclusion Initiatives, Sodexo. Among
ensure well-being across generations.
Davidson’s many roles at Sodexo, she
has built a strong mentoring culture within Steve Toomey, Executive Vice President
the organization. and Managing Partner for the U.S.
Midwest, BTS. Toomey works for BTS,
Marc Effron, President, Talent Strategy
which is the business and talent partner
Group. Effron consults globally to large
that helps translate organizational strategy
corporations, created and publishes Talent
into personal behaviors to accelerate
Quarterly and co-wrote the best-seller One
business results for more than half of the
Page Talent Management.
Global 100.
Sean Haley, Regional Chairman
Peter Whitehouse, M.D., President,
and Managing Director of Service
Intergenerational Schools International;
Operations, Sodexo U.K. and Ireland.
Professor of Neurology, Case Western
Haley chaired the award-winning
Reserve University. Whitehouse helped
Generations workstream, which seeks to
discover fundamental aspects of the
forge understanding and better working
dementia pathology that led to the
relationships between the different
development of our current generation of
generations in Sodexo’s global workforce.
drugs that treat these conditions.
Elizabeth Isele, Founder and CEO,
Global Institute for Experienced PERSONAL BRANDING GOES
Entrepreneurship. Isele is the go-to TO WORK
expert on senior and intergenerational Susan Emerick, Author, The Most
entrepreneurship for the White House, Powerful Brand on Earth. Emerick is
Congress, the EU, the OECD, and other founder of Brands Rising, where she helps
governments, universities and private business leaders establish employee
corporations worldwide. advocacy programs to drive company
brand advocacy.

Gaurav Gulati, Asia’s Leading Personal decades in property and facilities, now
Branding and Engagement Expert. focused on improving the workplace
Gulati is a consultant to some of Asia’s experience and delivering the best
most recognizable faces and world-class workplaces for Johnson & Johnson.
companies.
Rachel Permuth, Ph.D., Global Vice
Jeanne Meister, Co-Author of The Future President of Research, Corporate
Workplace Experience: 10 Rules For Services, Sodexo. Permuth brings her
Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and specialties in research and insight,
Engaging Employees and Founding experience design and behavioral
Partner, Future Workplace. Meister psychology to align the needs of Sodexo
founded consulting firm Future Workplace and its employees around the world.
to help organizations in rethinking,
reimagining and reinventing the workplace. Tom Stat, Innovation Expert, Design
She is also the author of three books. Thinker, Strategy Consultant and
Entrepreneur. Formerly an associate
Robert Moran, Global Head, Brunswick partner at IDEO, Stat works with global
Insight; Partner, Brunswick Group. Moran companies in a wide range of industries
is a data-driven strategist, author and as a business and strategy consultant,
frequent speaker on emerging trends in innovation thought leader, speaker and
public opinion. innovation adviser.
REDEFINING WORKPLACE THE 2030 AGENDA FOR

EXPERIENCE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Randy Fiser, CEO, American Society of Neil Barrett, Group SVP Corporate
Interior Designers. Fiser leads ASID in its Responsibility, Sodexo. Barrett is
quest to raise awareness of the power of responsible for sustainable development
design to transform the human experience throughout Sodexo, including its Better
in all spaces. Tomorrow Plan, which focuses on the
environment, supporting the development
Brett Hautop, Head, Design + Build, of local communities and nutrition, health
Global Workplace Services, LinkedIn. An and wellness. Under his leadership,
award-winning architect, Hautop works Sodexo has been named the top-rated
with LinkedIn to make employees’ lives company in its sector on the Dow Jones
better through the process of design. Sustainability Index (DJSI) and has
earned Gold Class distinction
Mark Newlands, Global Workplace
as an Industry Leader and Industry
Experience Lead, Johnson & Johnson.
Mover in the RobecoSAM Sustainability
Newlands has worked for almost three
Yearbook 2016.

Thomas Candeal, Sustainability Project talked-about milestones in digital global
Manager, International Food Waste engagement around causes and UN issues.
Coalition. For this collaborative approach
against waste throughout the food UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF
services value chain, Candeal is a project MILLENNIAL TALENT
manager who implements reduction Ron Alsop, Author, The Trophy Kids Grow
projects in a variety of settings in Europe. Up. A longtime reporter and editor for The
Wall Street Journal, Alsop’s latest book
Jessica Rose Cooper, Executive Vice
is about the millennial generation in the
President and Director of Sustainability,
workplace. He currently writes “Generation
Delos. Cooper works at Delos—the pioneer
Work,” a column about generational and
of Wellness Real Estate™ and founder of
other workplace issues, for the BBC.
the WELL Building Standard™—to bring
health-related design and policy solutions Matt Britton, Author, YouthNation.
to the built environment across sectors Britton founded global digital marketing
around the globe. agency MRY, part of Publicis Groupe, and
consults with Fortune 500 companies on
Elisabeth Laville, Founder and Director,
youth marketing strategy.
Utopies. Recognized as a European
expert in sustainability, Laville runs this Christine Hassler, Author, Speaker, Coach
consultancy’s efforts to help businesses and Consultant. Hassler has written
integrate sustainable development into various books about millennials, including
their strategy and practices. The Twenty-Something Manifesto. Her
websites are millennialexpert.com and
Jeff Malcolm, Director of Private Sector
christinehassler.com.
Engagement, World Wildlife Fund.
Malcolm works with companies to Crystal Kadakia, Author, The Millennial
integrate sustainability into their business Myth: Transforming Misunderstanding
operations and supply chains in support into Workplace Breakthroughs. Kadakia
of WWF’s mission: conserve important is a two-time TEDx speaker, founder
ecosystems and preserve vital natural of Invati Consulting and expert on the
resources for generations to come. modern workplace and millennials.
Aaron Sherinian, Chief Communications Elisabeth Kelan, Ph.D., Professor
and Marketing Officer, United Nations of Leadership, Cranfield School of
Foundation. Sherinian leads the Management. Kelan is the author of Rising
foundation’s PR efforts, media relationships, Stars: Developing Millennial Women as
strategic outreach and online presence, Leaders and a keynote speaker on topics
helping to build some of the most- of gender, generations and leadership.

Joan Kuhl, Founder and President, Why Joanna Frank, Executive Director, Center
Millennials Matter; Author, Misunderstood for Active Design. Previously Director of
Millennial Talent: The Other 91 Percent. A Active Design at the City of New York’s
mentor and coach, Kuhl founded training, Department of Design and Construction,
research and consulting agency Why Frank is the founding Executive Director at
Millennials Matter to raise awareness to CfAD, which oversees the Fitwel healthy
employers about Gen Y. building standard.
Dan Schawbel, Partner and Research Dr. Glorian Sorensen, Director, Harvard
Director at Future Workplace and Author, Center for Work, Health and Well-Being.
Promote Yourself: The New Rules for The core of Sorensen’s research is
Career Success. Schawbel has conducted worksite- and community-based studies
three dozen studies on the future of work that test the effectiveness of theory-driven
and generations. interventions targeting individual and
organizational change.
WELLNESS 3.0
Dr. Peter Wald, Chief Medical Officer,
Nebeyou Abebe, Senior Director of Health
USAA. Wald is a physician executive with
and Well-Being, Sodexo North America.
30 years’ experience in population health
Abebe is responsible for developing
and prevention, occupational medicine
Sodexo’s enterprise-wide health & well-
and medical data infrastructure.
being strategy, advising clients on their
workforce and community health and well-
being goals, creating and empowering
an organized community of practice
for well-being within the organization,
and establishing mutually beneficial
partnerships with private, public and
nonprofit entities.
Dr. David W. Ballard, Assistant Executive

for Organizational Excellence, American
Psychological Association. An expert
on corporate wellness initiatives, Ballard
directs the APA’s healthy workplace
program, designed to enhance employee
wellness and organizational functioning.

Endnotes
5 hoxtonmix.com/silicon-roundabout
6 stationf.co
1 Original interview conducted October 2016
7 bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-28/berlin-
s-startup-hub-wants-to-prove-it-s-more-than-just-
3 “Work in the 21st Century: Agile and Mindful,”
a-scene
Institute for Quality of Life, Sodexo, June 28, 2016 8 pennovation.upenn.edu/about-the-works
4 hbr.org/2016/08/how-the-big-data-explosion-has-
9 Original interview conducted November 2016
changed-decision-making
5 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/
dd997578(v=vs.120).aspx 11 briansolis.com/2012/05/from-co-creation-to-
6 techbeacon.com/survey-agile-new-norm collaboration-5-pillars-for-business-success
7 “Work in the 21st Century: Agile and Mindful,”
Institute for Quality of Life, Sodexo, June 28, 2016
1 unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html
8 “Competing perspectives on the link between
strategic information technology alignment and 2 refugeesmigrants.un.org/response
organizational agility: Insights from a mediation 3 whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/20/
model”, Tallon, P. P. & Pinsonneult. MIS Quarterly,
remarks-president-address-nation-immigration
Vol. 35, No. 2 pp. 463-486, June 2011.
4 un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
9 mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-
blog/2016/01/244-million-international-migrants-
mckinsey/our-insights/want-to-become-agile-learn-
living-abroad-worldwide-new-un-statistics-reveal
from-your-it-team
5 micci.com/downloads/digests/eberita/2013/11/
10 hbr.org/1994/01/why-my-former-employees-still-
wef.pdf
work-for-me
6 Ibid.
11 cio.com.au/article/595916/mindfulness-
corporate-saviour-crock
12 fastcompany.com/3065488/work-smart/why- wef.pdf
8 iom.int/private-sector
group-meditation-might-improve-productivity-at-
your-workplace 9 tentpartnership.org
13 “Work in the 21st Century: Agile and Mindful,” 10 Original interview conducted October 2016
Institute for Quality of Life, Sodexo, June 28, 2016
11 state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/12/264982.htm
14 fastcompany.com/3065488/work-smart/why-
12 cnbc.com/2016/07/01/we-need-us-companies-
group-meditation-might-improve-productivity-at-
your-workplace to-hire-syrian-refugees-state-department-official-
commentary.html
THE RISE OF CROSS-WORKPLACES 13 whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/30/
1 hbr.org/2014/12/build-an-innovation-engine-in- fact-sheet-white-house-launches-call-action-
private-sector-engagement-0
90-days
14 refugeetalenthub.com/nl/werknemers/home
2 masterstudien.de/Master-Technologie-und-
15 devex.com/news/the-role-of-the-private-sector-
Innovationsmanagement/Deutschland/FOM
3 imaginatik.com/news/innovation-tools-evolution- in-alleviating-the-refugee-crisis-87901
innovation-management-imaginatiks-perspective
4 amazon.co.uk/Silo-Effect-Expertise-Breaking- wef.pdf
Barriers/dp/1451644736

21 Ibid.
THE NEW GEN OF ROBOTICS
1 rolandberger.com/publications/publication_pdf/ 22 techrepublic.com/article/co-bots-fords-
roland_berger_tab_robots_retail_en_12.10.2016. experiment-in-robot-human-collaboration
pdf 23 forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2016/11/29/
2 telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/11/28/uk-ill- what-technology-can-teach-us-about-the-
prepared-fourth-industrial-revolution-manufacturers- employees-of-the-future/2/#7438b15f5f71
warn 24 hbr.org/2016/11/robots-and-automation-may-
3 time.com/4277517/grappling-with-the-right-role- not-take-your-desk-job-after-all
for-robots-at-work 25 jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/contextualrobotics/
4 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/ docs/rm3-final-rs.pdf
archive/2015/09/jobs-automation-technological- 26 zdnet.com/article/how-robots-are-filling-
unemployment-history/403576/ worker-shortages-replacing-bad-jobs-and-
5 documents.worldbank.org/curated/ making-work-more-rewarding
en/896971468194972881/pdf/102725-PUB-
Replacement-PUBLIC.pdf INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING
6 rolandberger.com/publications/publication_pdf/ 1 who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/world-
of_robots_and_men___in_logistics.pdf health-statistics-2014/en
7 nber.org/papers/w20941 2 un.org/en/development/desa/population/theme/
8 mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital- ageing/WPA2015.shtml
mckinsey/our-insights/four-fundamentals-of- 3 Original interview conducted November 2016
workplace-automation 4 Original interview conducted October 2016
9 newsweek.com/2016/12/09/robot-economy-
artificial-intelligence-jobs-happy-ending-526467.html
7 researchgate.net/publication/285988033_
11 zdnet.com/article/how-robots-are-filling-worker-
Generational_intelligence_a_critical_approach_
shortages-replacing-bad-jobs-and-making-work-
to_age_relations
more-rewarding
12 Original interview conducted September 2016
9 Ibid.
13 techrepublic.com/article/6-ways-the-robot-
10 un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/
revolution-will-transform-the-future-of-work
14 cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1335.pdf CONF.197/9
11 intergenerational.clahs.vt.edu/papers/jarrott_
weintraub_07_intergeneration_shared_sites.pdf
12 Ibid.
17 bloomberg.com/features/2016-ginni-rometty-
13 emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/EJTD-11-
interview-issue
2012-0081
18 littler.com/files/2016_wp_transformation_of_the_
workplace_through_robotics_ai_and_automation_2.
15 intergenerational.clahs.vt.edu/papers/jarrott_
pdf
19 extremetech.com/extreme/240163-googles- weintraub_07_intergeneration_shared_sites.pdf
deepmind-ai-gives-robots-ability-dream
20 recode.net/2016/11/15/13639030/microsoft-elon-
musk-nonprofit-open-ai-artificial-intelligence-robots

13 https://www.wellcertified.com/
PERSONAL BRANDING GOES TO
14 fastcompany.com/3054804/the-future-of-work/8-
WORK
1 Original interview conducted October 2016 top-office-design-trends-for-2016
15 slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2015/06/09/linkedin_
nyc_offices_by_ia_interior_architects_include_a_
3 Original interview conducted November 2016 hidden_speakeasy.html
4 Original interview conducted October 2016 16 nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/the-post-
5 press.linkedin.com/about-linkedin cubicle-office-and-its-discontents.html
6 linkhumans.com/blog/how-nokia-employees-
THE 2030 AGENDA FOR
brand-ambassadors
7 bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-
1 http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.
strategies/2016/01/how-to-turn-your-employees-
into-brand-ambassadors.html pdf
8 scribd.com/doc/249863818/Infographic-Social- 2 un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-
Employee-Advocacy development-goals
9 prophet.com/thinking/2014/10/relationship- 3 http://www.sodexo.com/sites/sdxcom-wwd/home/
economics-linkedin group/fundamentals.html
10 scribd.com/doc/249863818/Infographic-Social- 4 Original interview conducted October 2016
Employee-Advocacy 5 Original interview conducted October 2016

11 jobvite.com/blog/announcing-the-ninth-annual- 6 https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2016/07/07/ceo-
2016-recruiter-nation-report materialism-and-corporate-social-responsibility/
12 www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ bincgi//ssialias? 7 http://www.conecomm.com/2016-cone-
subtype=ST&infotype= SA&htmlfid=GBJ03042U- communications-millennial-employee-engagement-
SEN& attachment=GBJ03042USEN.PDF study-pdf
REDEFINING WORKPLACE 9 Original interview conducted November 2016
EXPERIENCE
1 https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/
human-capital-trends/2016/employee-experience-
management-design-thinking.html UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF
2 Ibid. MILLENNIAL TALENT
1 deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/
Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-millenial-survey-
2016-exec-summary.pdf
5 Original interview conducted October 2016 2 www.gallup.com/businessjournal/191459/
6 http://sodexoinsights.com/wp-content/ millennials-job-hopping-generation.aspx
uploads/2016/03/Humanizing-the-Workplace- 3 www.inc.com/kate-l-harrison/do-you-need-
Trend.pdf innovation-stop-hating-on-millennials.html
7 http://viewer.zmags.com/ 4 Original interview conducted November 2016
publication/17fda3ad#/17fda3ad/64 5 www.nytimes.com/1986/11/16/business/l-the-
8 http://fortune.com/best-companies/
non-savers-176286.html
9 https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/ 6 www.newsweek.com/whiny-generation-194042
human-capital-trends/2016/employee-experience- 7 dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/economy/
management-design-thinking.html
issues-by-the-numbers/understanding-millennials-
generational-differences.html
11 Original interview conducted October 2016 8 https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-
12 http://www.nature.com/jes/journal/v11/n3/ now/2014/07/17/brookings-data-now-75-percent-
full/7500165a.html of-2025-workforce-will-be-millennials/

9 group.bnpparibas/en/news/bnp-paribas-glob- 13 http://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/roi-vs.-
al-entrepreneurs-report-2016 voi-which-is-better-for-evaluating-your-wellness-
10 dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/economy/ program
issues-by-the-numbers/understanding-millenni-
als-generational-differences.html
11 www.google.co.uk/trends/explore?date=all&q=-
millennial,millennials,millennial%20generation
13 workplacetrends.com/gen-z-millennials-collide-
at-work
18 deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/arti-
cles/gx-millennials-how-to-earn-millennials-loyalty.
html
WELLNESS 3.0
1 http://kff.org/private-insurance/issue-brief/work-
place-wellness-programs-characteristics-and-re-
quirements/
2 https://www.globalwellnessinstitute.org/indus-
try-research
3 http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/
research_briefs/RB9700/RB9744/RAND_RB9744.
pdf
4 http://journals.lww.com/joem/Ab-
stract/2016/01000/Tracking_the_Market_Perfor-
mance_of_Companies_That.2.aspx
5 http://journals.lww.com/joem/Ab-
stract/2016/01000/Linking_Workplace_Health_Pro-
motion_Best_Practices.4.aspx
6 http://journals.lww.com/joem/Fulltext/2016/01000/
The_Stock_Performance_of_C__Everett_Koop_
Award.3.aspx
7 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/totalhealth.html
8 https://fitwel.org/
9 https://www.wellcertified.com/
10 http://www.apaexcellence.org/assets/gener-
al/2015-phwa-oea-magazine.pdf
11 http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/images/
stories/gwi/GWI_2016_Future_of_Wellness_at_
Work.pdf
12 https://www.reference.com/math/percent-
age-lives-spent-working-599e3f7fb2c88fca

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2017 GLOBAL

At Sodexo, we believe that when companies place people’s quality of life

The Physical Environment: Ensuring that employees are safe

Health & Well-Being: Providing opportunities to make

Social Interaction: Strengthening bonds among individuals and

Recognition: Making employees feel valued

Ease & Efficiency: Simplifying the daily employee experience

Personal Growth: Helping employees grow and develop

The Art and Science of

2017 Global Workplace Trends

The Agile Organization . . ........................................ 8

The Rise of Cross-Workplaces .............................. 16

Employees Without Borders .................................. 22

The New Gen of Robotics...................................... 28

Personal Branding Goes to Work .......................... 40

Redefining Workplace Experience. . ........................ 48

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development..... 56

Unlocking the Potential of Millennial Talent . . .......... 64

Wellness 3.0 ......................................................... 72

More About the Experts Who Contributed.................. 81

SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS 3

4 SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS

I hope you enjoy reading this report!

Sylvia Metayer, CEO, Sodexo Corporate Services Worldwide

SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS 5

Our intention is for our trends story to 2. The Rise of Cross-Workplaces:

6 SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS

6. Personal Branding Goes to Work: 10. Wellness 3.0: The Workplace as a

7. Redefining Workplace Experience:

SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS 7

As 21st-century organizations become increasingly agile, so must individuals.

8 SODEXO 2017 GLOBAL WORKPLACE TRENDS

Organization and Leadership at Columbia The next phase: transversal organizations,

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1. A common orientation toward Traditional organizations also tend to

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As innovation moves from optional to essential, organizations are seeking

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For employers, it’s a different matter. cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary and the

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Listening Curiosity Lateral Belief That Anyone

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DO’S AND DON’TS OF CO-CREATION

Get your top people involved Present co-created ideas to a design

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WORKING TOGETHER BENEFITS external brand ambassadors: we see

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As global migration continues to dominate the political discourse, businesses

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If we’re all to share in the responsibility, International Migration Division of the

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244 million migrants worldwide¹

73% of migrant population are working age2

MIGRANTS’ CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMIC GROWTH

Global Economic Growth Importing Skills Empowered

such migrants’ successful integration and Migration has compiled evidence-based

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Other companies making strides to

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elsewhere in Europe, Bosch Group, country language skills. It is also important