The report prepared by DTZ company in cooperation with Unwork titled “The Future of the Financial Workplace” contains prognoses of the most important changes in the environment of the work of financial sector in the following years.
Necessary changes
The global financial crisis in the last decade contributed to the ignorance of the work environment issue and its influence on functioning of the banking sector. Nowadays, the need for qualified employees and advanced technology are key factors which drive changes in the view of banks’ office area. Fundamental changes caused by global financial crisis have far-reaching influence on the banking sector. It coincided in time with changes in consumer demand as well as fierce and developing technological revolution. It means that portfolio of properties and workplaces has to be properly adjusted – confirms James Maddock, chairman in Global Occupier Services DTZ in the region of EMEA.
In fight for an employee
We cannot forget about the fact that currently over a half of workers employed in banks are professionally engaged in IT sector or occupy workplaces connected with technology, which enhances the rivalry for employees not only with competitive companies, but also with modern technological corporations which – like Google or Microsoft – have recently invested in work environments noticing in them a source of potential, productivity and engagement of hired people. The banks will be forced to invest substantial sums of money in places intended for work – create more flexible, innovative and conductive to environments’ collaboration places which enable work at different time and in different places inside and outside the office.
In a fight for a client
The experts who are preparing the report point out that a currently developing technology enables bank to own a complex offer available not only in stationary departments, but also by the Internet. The intimacy with a client through local offices generates great costs and it is not the only way to develop activity – modern banks facilitate almost all services online.
The less responsibility of retail departments will enforce on banks a development of a new retail banking model, in which a crucial role will be performed by interaction with a client, stimulated by departments’ interiors which favor socialization and enable, for instance, drinking coffee.
The business centers will not be a perfect place to run activity through bank departments any more. According to reports, banks will be transferring their points to urban environments, in which they will be able to function in proximity to local inhabitants. On the other hand, in accordance with the rule “building performs a function of a brand”, banks will still occupy attractive and modern structures.
Financial institutions should invest in development of work environments in order to meet expectations of clients and new generation of employees, for which the important factor while choosing an employer is the access to modern technologies and innovativeness of a work place. Therefore, the proper design of department and development of office space will be crucial for hiring the best employees and interest clients with a bank offer – sums up Alan Colquhoun, managing director in DTZ.