Internaiconal. The Spanish Association of Facility Management recently held its tenth Workplace Summit, an annual meeting that aims to publicize the latest trends, disseminate good practices and quality projects implemented in all types of companies, promote networking among professionals in the sector and update wellness actions in the work environment.
The day, inaugurated by Hernando Gutiérrez, manager of IFMA Spain, and Jesús Paños, president of the College of Quantity Surveyors of Madrid, has revolved around the transformation of the 'work experience' redefining the psychological, technological and physical sphere in which workers currently move.
The common denominator in the new lines of innovation has been that, like the design thinking methodology, the development of solutions puts people at its central axis of action. In this sense, and taking into account that generational change is redefining this concept, one of the most captivating ideas of the meeting has been not to monopolize attention on the characteristics of each generation, and to take into account that the needs are transversal and variable according to each individual.
Following this line, the introduction of new profiles in the organizational chart of companies, such as the Workplace Experience Manager, is an example of the evolution of corporate cultures, which are moving towards flexibility and conciliation.
Undoubtedly, the digitalization of processes and the introduction of new technologies has had the greatest impact in terms of the change in workspaces and the way in which it is done: a change in the labor concept that goes through the breaking of spatial and temporal barriers and that draws a new profile of multitasking worker, with the need for permanent connection and a permeability between personal and work life. Precisely, it is this new way of understanding 'work as a way of life' and the 'value of time' that makes shared spaces much more demanding.
All this finally points to a conception of work environments where well-being, the ease of connecting multidisciplinary teams, emotional salary and flexibility must prevail to help the worker to make the day to day a satisfactory experience. Thus, 60% of employees think they would be more productive, if they were happier at work.
The meeting included professionals from the sector such as Soledat Berbegal, Director of Marketing and Communication at Actiu; Muriel Altunaga, Director of Workplace Consultancy at CBRE, and Pablo González, CEO of Pangea; Rosa María Jemez, Director of Facility Management at Mondelèz; Alfonso García, Director of Facility Management at Cuatrecasas; Gregorio Garvía, Purchasing Director at OESIA; Marcos Sanz, Finance&Administration Director at Ricoh; Raquel Cruz, IFS Director and Large Accounts at ISS; Manuel Sanz, CEO of SMDos; and Eduardo Arazola, CEO of EASAEDRO.
