Agencies Give Their Workspaces Modern Makeovers

Kern Schireson wants to treat his employees with the respect and white-glove accommodation you would expect from a five-star hotel. As an advocate for corporate hospitality, the chairman and CEO of marketing agency Known is working to dismantle the strict workspace structures that have left employees feeling anxious about returning to the office. With amenities ranging from an in-house barista to doubling indoor and outdoor private spaces, Schireson’s priority is to make people feel supported while giving them the autonomy to reject a corporate lifestyle that does not serve them. “I don’t tell people how much to use Slack, and I don’t tell people how much to use their iPhones or Google Slides,” said Schireson, who hasn't mandated any sort of in-person work at Known. “They use their tools the right amount to be amazing at their jobs. Why would an office be any different?” Before the pandemic, few companies could boast office spaces that anyone might consider tools for employees. Most historically viewed their workplaces as physical spaces where work gets done, rather than an investment. In the past, the office space was not designed to make people feel comfortable, and workplace culture was defined by strict policies, isolating cubicles and awkward watercooler conversations. Known But in an environment where employees are rethinking their relationship with work, they have higher expectations for the in-office experience. A number of ad agencies either opened new locations or renovated existing spaces during the pandemic to help employees flourish in the workplace of the future. The end goal? Make sure people actually want to be there. Despite employees’ desire to stay home—56% of respondents in a Morning Consult survey said they want to be hybrid or remote—workers believe the office can benefit their careers. A 2021 Qualtrics study found that 45% of employees believed working in the office would give them a career advantage over remote employees, and respondents said their visibility with leadership would be a top advantage when seeking promotions or raises. Figuring out the right fit has become a balancing act for agency employees who fear working from home may hamper their efforts to advance in the workplace. Creating a space better than home When employees walk out of the elevators at New York-based independent agency Fig, they’re greeted with a copper-top bar stocked with top-shelf spirits to the left of the lobby. In the room behind is a library filled with books curated by a local bookshop down the street. While many agencies have built large lounges, Fig has a separate room that looks like a study with a large classroom used for company meetings and pitch sessions. While most agencies have created comfortable, collaborative spaces decorated like an apartment, CEO Judith Carr-Rodriguez said Fig strives to make the office better than home. “We can all have a desk at home and be productive at home,” Carr-Rodriguez said. “The idea of the office has to symbolize something else. For Fig, that’s connection, collaboration, sociability and community.” Fig Before the pandemic, New York-based Day One Agency occupied two floors of its Manhattan office. Currently, it's developing a third floor to complete the office space. The agency is designing it to be modular, with easily movable furniture that allows employees to create their own production spaces. Employees also wanted a podcast studio as an upgrade over their makeshift at-home recording spaces, so the agency is building one on the third floor. FCB assembled a floor with collaboration in mind. With an abundance of couches and lounge spaces, leadership levied one simple rule: no Zoom or video calls. “When people come down here to work on their own, they sort of replicate that couch feel that they have at home,” said Kelly Graves, president of FCB Chicago. Reflecting new realities Workers developed routines during the pandemic that aren’t easy to discard now, like walking the dog (especially after pet adoptions boomed during the pandemic) or hopping on the treadmill during their lunch break. New York agency Terri & Sandy made sure its space was dog-friendly way back in 2012. One of the agency's first clients was a pet food brand, in fact, and according to co-founder and CEO Terri Meyer, the shop tends to attract animal lovers. Terri and Sandy Austin, Texas-based Preacher has also made it easier for employees to get their exercise in, thanks to locker rooms that Rob Baird, co-founder and CCO, lamented are nicer than any bathroom he’ll ever have in his home. Employees also started a morning running club, and Baird said the agency is currently getting a mountain biking group together. “People are finding a way to use the office just as a hub for all activity,” Baird said. “They’re making the work, but also just meeting up with people to do some of the great things in Austin.” Many of the agencies that rethought their physical spaces during the pandemic also added outdoor areas. Known has already built its outdoor terrace, and Day One will finish construction on its open-air space later this year. Both will extend from their offices, 20-plus floors above the streets of Manhattan. Preacher and Norfolk, Va.-based Grow built extensive outdoor spaces for employees to congregate in. Preacher has a multilevel patio it plans to expand, while Grow has a rooftop deck with a bar that can host events. “We realized how many employees thrive at least having a good chunk of their thinking or writing or strategizing outside,” Baird said. Day One Trial and error The 2021 Qualtrics study also found that 55% of employees would be satisfied if their organizations opened satellite offices for smaller teams. Rain the Growth Agency identifies neighborhoods across the country with clusters of employees and tests out pop-up offices. Not only does this invite local employees to meet their teams, but it also allows the agency to connect with those who aren't interested in moving near one of the agency's main offices. According to president and COO Jane Crisan, offering flexibility while facilitating connection cultivates the ideal work environment. “Maybe we’re not getting it perfect,” she said, “but we are reacting to the workforce and implementing policies that are needed to attract and retain talent.” Investing in the community Preacher and Grow developed their offices to serve as not only hubs for employees, but also for the community. Grow launched Assembly, a campus for other businesses in the city. The agency redeveloped three historic downtown department stores to provide office space it rents to startups and coworking spaces. The result is 15,000 square feet of shared space that includes a rooftop deck and event space, a large boardroom, a mother's room and a recording studio, Grow founder and CEO Drew Ungvarsky told Adweek. Preacher When Preacher moved into its new digs, it reserved space in its art gallery for local artists to display their work and a recording studio for bands to use, which resulted in opportunities for Preacher’s creatives to design album labels and other marketing work for rising musicians. Preacher CEO Krystle Loyland noted that workers generally want a more transactional relationship with work and the office. But Preacher is investing in a more vibrant workspace to attract people still interested in an in-person workplace. "The people coming to Preacher still want to have more conviction in the work they do and want to get more out of it," Loyland said. "And that means they expect more from us and the experience we're providing."

The Future of Agencies

The Demise of the Miserable Cubicle: Agencies Give Their Workspaces Modern Makeovers

As open bars replace closed office doors, agencies are investing in bringing people back to work

Emmy Liederman

Jameson Fleming

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Emmy Liederman

Jameson Fleming