Help! How can I make the office more enticing for my staff?

Most of us enjoyed a lot more time outside in nature during the pandemic so could bringing nature into the office help lure workers back to their desks? In this episode, Isabel Berwick, Working It host and the FT’s Work and Careers editor, talks to architect Rick Cook about his ‘biophilic’ buildings. Rick creates buildings that don’t just look good, but stimulate us to smell, feel and touch the world around us, bringing beehives, greenery and even praying mantis into employees’ lives. Isabel also speaks to the FT’s New York correspondent and Working It regular, Josh Chaffin, about the cutting edge of US office design. There are hospitality groups contracted to make offices look and feel like cool private members’ clubs as well as ice-cream carts and new quiet spaces for introverts. Will it tempt back employees reluctant to give up working from home? What can managers do to make their offices even a little bit more alluring and healthy?  Want to read more? Josh Chaffin on Rick Cook’s ‘biophilic’ architecture https://www.ft.com/content/e032feee-6d3d-4773-b8b6-c0744bdadb49How New York’s offices are getting a post pandemic shake up https://www.ft.com/content/0fc60c68-7e8f-492d-ae4c-f66272793212Pilita Clark on why commuting to an office is still offputting https://www.ft.com/content/8d7e40da-0cf3-453e-9eb3-40036d4e2582Hot desking in offices is coming backhttps://www.ft.com/content/06f5e384-e278-4c30-8215-085512c6820dHow companies are luring staff back with restaurant-quality free foodhttps://www.ft.com/content/218e50fb-9bff-4589-bff2-7975ea354456HBR on the power of getting away from your desk for a walk https://hbr.org/2021/02/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-a-walk FT subscriber? Sign up for the new weekly Working It newsletter. We’ll cover all things workplace and management — plus exclusive reporting on trends, tips and what’s coming next. One-click sign up at www.ft.com/newslettersWe love to hear from you. What do you like (or not)? What topics should we tackle? Email the team at [email protected] or Isabel directly at [email protected]. Follow @isabelberwick on Twitter Subscribe to Working It wherever you get your podcasts — please listen, rate and subscribe!Presented by Isabel Berwick. Editorial direction from Renée Kaplan and Manuela Saragosa. Assistant producer is Persis Love. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Produced by Novel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.