Return to office plans are still up in the air for some landlords as the delta variant poses new health and safety challenges for the workplace. The U.K. is no exception: as of August 20th, fewer than one in five workers have returned to the physical workplace.
In order to combat this uncertainty, we’ve seen many organizations in the United States adopt flexible policies and innovative technologies. But is the same true for our colleagues across the pond?
Last week, Ian Mair, Managing Director of Digital Innovation at Grosvenor, sat down with Chase Garbarino, HqO’s CEO, to share his thoughts on the state of tenant experience in the U.K. For over 340 years, Grosvenor has remained a pillar of communities around the world. Based on insights gathered from their long and storied history, Ian noted that the industry’s current pace of innovation is far greater than it has ever been.
In fact, commercial real estate’s digital transformation has created opportunities for Grosvenor, going from solely providing physical space to creating valuable, sustainable experiences. When it comes to the challenges brought on by the pandemic, however, Ian asserts that nothing is set in stone: not enough time has passed for the industry to fully realize its consequences.
Chase and Ian also touched on the U.K. market, and how Grosvenor has been able to compete with data giants like Google and Amazon in the race to innovate. The key? Fully-connected customer experiences. Ian explained that Grosvenor seeks to provide employees “a service across all the parts of their life, where they live and where they work, and where they shop as well.” How do they do this? Through data-driven decision making.
In the challenging world of a global pandemic, this approach has far-reaching importance. A familiar example includes that of a residential tenant reluctant to commute an hour to work. Rather than brush off the concern, Ian’s team would pose the question: “Could we provide some workspace for them within 15 minutes of a residential building that we built?”
Creating thoughtful experiences extends far beyond the office and into all arenas of our lives. Achieving connected experiences will set leading landlords apart from competition by ensuring tenant trust, appreciation, and safety.
To learn more about Grosvenor’s workplace initiatives, listen to The Let’s Go Show’s latest episode.
Related Reading
- Find out how the workplace is adapting to the social and technological needs of the workforce
- Learn how experience is impacting the physical workplace of the future
On Today’s Episode
Chase Garbarino, CEO and Co-Founder at HqO, the only end-to-end operating system for commercial office buildings.
Managing Director for the Digital Innovation business unit, Ian Mair is responsible for the digital innovation activities around Grosvenor.
Want to learn more? Listen to the Let’s Go Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
