AWA Home > Workplace strategy
What we do
We’re experienced workplace strategists. We use science, evidence and ingenuity to establish the right conditions to support individuals, teams and communities to do their best work – wherever they’re based.
In a nutshell we…
- Collaborate with leaders to develop the future vision for work
- Understand your current workplace experience and lease break opportunities
- Research and visualise the future workplace experience you need for success
- Determine infrastructure needs
- Build the strategy
- Design the workplace experience
We've developed innovative workplace strategies for some of the most respected organisations on the planet
Why do you need a workplace strategy?
Implementing your unique workplace strategy is a crucial step on the way to business success
We provide answers to the questions our clients frequently ask us about workplace strategy:
- What purposes does our workplace serve?
- What forms of working would be best for us?
- Whats are our space requirements?
- Do we need an office and how much space do we need?
- Where should our office be located?
- How do we make maximise our commitment to sustainability?
- What services should we provide to staff who often work from home?
Surplus space
28%
Reduction in the space occupied by the British Heart Foundation as part of a cultural change made possible thanks to AWA’s guidance.
Case study: British Heart Foundation
Cost savings
$100m
Amount of money saved annually by WTW (Willis Towers Watson) in real estate costs around the world after acting on tailored analysis by AWA.
Case study: WTW
Trusted by leading companies
"AWA's workplace consultancy team are able to interact with our people at all levels and the service they provide feels personal and tailored to our needs. The diligence with which they explore our practices and provide us with insightful feedback is impressive, which is why we come back to them time and again."
"We were looking for a partner with a demonstrable global track record, deep understanding of workplace strategy and change with a community of real experts globally.”
"AWA has been a great resource of global data and research for us regarding agile, hybrid and the world of working. They are responsive, willing to question assumptions, and work as a partner to help us make good decisions."
“We have worked with AWA for more than five years and value the collaborative partnership we have with them. They have supported the ongoing evolution of our workplace, providing deep insights and extensive expertise. With their help, we've been able to create a transformational space which supports our hybrid working approach and transforms our culture and ways of working to become more agile and innovative.”
“Mintel has worked successfully with AWA for over a decade on several major projects. We chose them for their expertise and experience at the cutting edge of understanding workplaces. They lead the industry with well-crafted research to understand the dynamic workplace landscape and help solve the real-world issues of operating successfully in a changing world.”
“I have enjoyed working closely with AWA. I have felt supported, they have always been available to discuss challenges and options and have always responded promptly, constructively and positively with solutions and alternative ideas for consideration.”
“AWA’s insights allowed us to create a blueprint of alternative space types that we’ve used to inform the repurposing of space across our nationwide estate.”
OUR APPROACH
We take an evidence-based approach to workplace strategy to reflect our clients’ unique DNA
The battle to recruit and retain staff is more competitive than ever
Your workplace experience needs to set you apart from other organisations.
Get it right and your workplace experience sends positive messages about your business. Get it wrong and you lose the battle.
We regard employees as workplace ‘consumers’. Our approach to workplace experience design is underpinned by competitive research and science.
By incorporating creative design thinking and breaking the user experience down into a series of touchpoints, we deliver a combined plan of services, environments and leadership styles to provide unique workplace experiences.
WE LISTEN
We work with C-suite leaders
We work with leaders and people across your business to understand the organisation’s needs and, through an engaging discovery process, answer the following questions:
- What is your business trying to achieve?
- How does your organisation operate?
- How can work and place be used as a source of competitive advantage?
- What kind of workplace experience do you need for the future?
“AWA have become our trusted advisors in helping us understand our workplace.”
WE DELIVER
We maximise the value from your workplace
We undertake detailed forensic studies to inform strategy development. Our innovative strategies deliver increased staff productivity by enhancing the use of office space and workplace technology.
Our scenario modelling capability, for example, enables us to provide answers to questions such as:
- How will different workplace strategies impact carbon emissions?
- How can we prepare for the growth of artificial intelligence?
- Which locations will be most successful in attracting and retaining the best talent?
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35%
Average attendance in offices globally, according to our Hybrid Working Index 3 report.
OUR IMPACT
Creating a new workplace design that reflected Bupa’s priorities
“AWA are always willing to engage us in constructive debate and take time to understand our people and practices”
OUR IMPACT
Assisting Omnicom’s adoption of agile working
“AWA has been a great resource of global data and research for us regarding agile, hybrid and the world of working.”
HOW WE DO IT
We generate optimum workplace strategies triggered by property decisions
The expiry of a lease triggers a series of tricky decisions:
- Should you extend the lease?
- Should you look for an alternative space?
- Do you need all the space you currently have?
- Should you go completely remote-first?
Amid uncertainties surrounding AI, net zero targets and global economic trends, it’s important to have an expert partner in your corner. We work alongside organisations to find the best solutions. In doing so, we replace complexity with clarity.
01
Develop the future workplace vision
We discuss the organisation’s goals and the challenges it faces with your leadership team in order to create a vision of what the future workplace could look like.
- Agree organisational priorities and drivers
- Establish attitudes to new models of working
- Develop a vision with your leadership team
02
Uncover your unique DNA
We carry out a series of studies to understand how your company operates and what your strategic day-to-day needs are. This involves:
- Workshops and one-to-one interviews
- Desk utilisation studies
- Algorithm-assisted staff surveys
- Location analysis
03
Assess the data
We review the results from our studies. We use a variety of methods, including a space modelling tool, to demonstrate how the workplace could be adapted, depending on your business priorities.
- Analyse the data
04
Build your workplace strategy
We work with you to craft a workplace strategy that delivers on your business’ key drivers.
- Working practices and principles
- Workplace experiences
- Space volume and type
- Location strategies
- IT infrastructure
05
Support implementation
We work with you to implement a workplace strategy, working with your senior leaders and project team to help you select the right spaces and brief your designers and infrastructure experts.
- Building assessments and proof of fits
- Infrastructure definition
- Change management programme development
- Bespoke playbooks
Discover how our workplace strategy services can help you re-think your use of space.
WHY WORK WITH US?
At AWA we’ve been helping organisations navigate a path to agile models of working for more than 30 years.
Our research
Our scientific research and understanding of neuroscience underpin all of our work
Our tailored approach
We understand the challenges your business faces, but don’t arrive with pre-conceived solutions
We’re global, yet local
We have a community of expert consultants across the world who can be relied upon to deliver industry-leading advice that incorporates local sensitivities
We’re fiercely independent
Our solutions and advice are objective and evidence-backed. We're on your side and uninfluenced by commercial drivers
Our experience
Since 1992 we've been at the forefront in supporting some of the world’s leading organisations to implement new models of work
OUR SUCCESS STORIES
We’ve helped our clients get their workplace right
Our Impact
Evolving behaviours to optimise the workplace at the University of Manchester
Our Impact
How we improved wellbeing and increased productivity at the Central England Co-operative
Learn more about workplace strategy
FAQ’s about Workplace Strategy
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A workplace strategy is a comprehensive document that sets out how best to organise work and your workplace expereinc e and investments to meet business goals. It involves:
- Workplace Experience: defining a unique, second by sense multi-sensory competitive experience that delivers on pre-defiend purposes and missions Utilisation: Optimising physical spaces to support employee needs.
- Work Models: Designing flexible working models (e.g., hybrid or remote).
- Employee Wellbeing: Creating environments that enhance productivity and wellbeing.
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A well-crafted workplace strategy can deliver multiple benefits:
- Alignment: Ensures alignment between work, workplace investments and strategic business priorities
- Increased Efficiency: Streamline operations and maximise space usage.
- Enhanced Productivity: Foster environments that support employee focus and collaboration.
- Cost Reduction: Optimise resource allocation and reduce unnecessary expenses.
- Flexibility: recognises the degree to which work and workplace arrangements need to be capable of rapid change.
- Carbon: Defines the best ways to work and deliver the workplace in order to support sustainability and carbon reduction goals
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Offices are expensive, carbon generating inflexible investments. Before you decide upon your workplace investment it is best advised to use a Workplace Strategist to work with you to define your workplace strategy.
- A workplace strategy is essential to: In order to make sure you are deriving the maximum business benefit from your work and workplace arrangements
- Enable you business to adapt to Change: Stay agile in a shifting business landscape.
- Boost Employee Engagement: Create a work environment that supports employees’ diverse needs.
- Future-Proof Your Business: Ensure your workplace evolves with your company’s growth and technological advancements.