Hughes Marino Shares How To Lure Millennials Back to the Workplace

When it comes to getting workers to return to the office in a COVID-19 world, the struggle continues to be real. From Apple CEO Tim Cook to Comcast’s NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, power brands have been eager to welcome staff members back into their offices, according to a CNBC report. But getting millennials excited about returning to the office after months, if not years, of WFH will take strategy, says an executive with Hughes Marino, a tenant representation firm lauded by Entrepreneur for its company culture.

Hughes Marino Senior Vice President and director Star Hughes-Gorup says creating a workspace millennials love is critical for today’s companies. “The millennial generation is now the largest generation in history as well as the largest generation in the U.S. workforce,” she explains.

According to the team at the largest tenant and buyer representation firm in San Diego, a company’s workspace matters and contributes to keeping a team happy and productive. At Hughes Marino, Hughes-Gorup says they’re working with hundreds of millennial-run companies at any given time.

“These companies want collaborative, creative, inspiring, innovative office space,” she says. “They also want natural light, a lot of glass, more open floor plans than we’ve ever seen before, residential-style furniture, high-end gourmet kitchens, community space, breakout rooms, and flexibility to work in teams. They want a place that their employees actually want to be.”

Millennial-Friendly Office Accommodations Are Innovative and Unique

She emphasizes that millennials are attracted to amenities, including conference centers, fitness rooms, shuttle service, restaurants, and game rooms. “Millennials also want an office that emulates their brand and invigorates their team,” Hughes-Gorup states.

With its headquarters in San Diego and offices in Orange County, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Walnut Creek, Seattle, and Denver, Hughes Marino offers its team members plenty of millennial-approved details. All of Hughes Marino’s offices are filled with open floor plans, original artwork, residential-style kitchens, sitting areas, and fun, cubicle-free work areas.

Hughes Marino has become such a leader in creating innovative work spaces, their culture consulting services have been sought out by dozens of other companies. In 2018, the firm was deemed one of the Best Workplaces for Millennials by Fortune magazine.

While motivating millennials continues to be a national challenge, the team at Hughes Marino understands the ever-evolving technological needs of millennials, and they recommend some additional ways to retain millennial talent.

Keeping Current Is a Millennial Must

Growing up with so much technology, millennials have been declared by Tom Brokaw as the “greatest generation since the 'Greatest Generation.’” Forbes reports that millennials have different workplace preferences than their older counterparts and making an impact matters most to them.

Hughes Marino Vice President Sean Spear, a millennial himself, says millennials prefer brainstorming ideas in less traditional spaces and are more apt to gather on a rooftop or over a ping-pong table than in a traditional meeting room. “Millennials don’t want to feel constrained at work and desire an office environment that provides a sense of comfort and looks more like a living environment,” Spear posted on the brand’s blog. “Hughes Marino makes it a top priority to provide outstanding spaces to make our teams as welcome and comfortable as possible. As workplace amenities have almost become expected, it’s important to invest in your employees’ happiness by investing in your office.”

According to Spear, health and wellness play a role in millennial workplace satisfaction — so much so that in-office gyms, healthy break room snacks, and yoga rooms are much more part of the corporate norm now than ever before. All of the company’s offices have weekly healthy groceries delivered to fuel team members with nourishing foods and beverages.

In keeping with the self-care theme, Hughes Marino invites motivational speakers, such as entrepreneur and bestselling author Jesse Itzler, to its offices to inspire team members and encourage personal growth and development. The company also teamed up with business coach Joe Calloway, who has worked with brands such as Coca-Cola and American Express, to come to its San Diego headquarters to discuss why having a leadership mindset matters.

“Eating healthy and working out helps cope with stress and has been proven to help increase focus,” Spear says. “By embracing health and wellness, employees will have even more reason to love where they work.”

Spear adds millennials are seeking out work opportunities packing a powerful social impact and that Hughes Marino continues to help its team members find purpose and meaning through its carefully crafted core values, which include delivering excellence in all endeavors, building lasting relationships on trust, nurturing personal and professional life roles, generously giving to others, and keeping a grateful perspective.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes