Netherlands Oxygenz Report

Generation Y in The NetherlandsHow would they like to work in 2010?

Oxygenz Country Report: The Netherlands

Global WorkPlace Innovation

www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com Copyright © 2010 Johnson Controls. All Rights Reserved. Global WorkPlace Innovation

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Content

List of figures

Executive Summary: What are the implications for employers in South Africa? ....................................... 5Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 7Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 8Who is Generation Y in The Netherlands? ............................................................................................ 10Oxygenz The Netherlands Results ....................................................................................................... 12Result Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 15Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 21A workplace... the “Dutch” way .............................................................................................................23Further information ............................................................................................................................ 25

Figure 1: The Netherlands Demographic Pyramid, 2010 – Source – US Census Bureau 11Figure 2: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old individual space preferences 12Figure 3: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old preferences and expectations for working patterns 12Figure 4: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old preferred collaborative working environment 13Figure 5: The Netherlands: Comfort with space for 18 – 25 years old 13Figure 6: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old preferred catering spaces 13Figure 7: Location of the place to work, per country, 18-25 years old 15Figure 8: Mode of Transport to Work, per country, 18-25 years old 16Figure 9: Flexible Pattern of Work, 18-25 years old, per country 17Figure 10: Choice of desk space while at work, 18-25 years old, per country 17Figure 11: Choice of desk space while at work, 18-25 years old, per country 18


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Executive Summary

We are looking at a generation which is concerned

about the way they will work and which places a high

importance on the quality of the workspace, the people

they will work with, and their quality of life. The results

have shown that the Dutch generation Y is looking

for a high level of flexibility and quality of life in their

working life. The workplace is a social structure.

The results for The Netherlands revealed that a very

large majority (87%) of respondents would like to work

in a mobile way, rather than from a static location.

Interestingly only 62% would prefer to have their

own dedicated desk when they come into the office,

and 22% a shared desk and 17% a “hot-desk”. This

generation demonstrates a high level of flexibility:

53.5% consider the workplace as important to very

important to attract, recruit and retain them

49% want a modern environment with very subtle,

clinical and relaxing colors

64% would prefer to have a flexible working pattern,

while 51% expect to have a fixed or conventional

working pattern

87% prefer to work in a mobile way but 77% would

like to personalise their individual space

37% prefer to use team spaces rather traditional

meeting rooms (24%)

56% would prefer to have an employer which

provides a workplace which goes beyond

environmental compliance and 37% with very

advanced environmental measures on site

The implications for employers are significant and they

must respond to, or at least consider, their needs:

Design for the Well Being of employees – having

a good quality of life is important to this generation.

A strong focus on creating a green workplace is key

and providing the right infrastructure to enable a

green way of working is essential

Design for Flexibility – the workspace is no longer

static, but mobile: while access to their own desk is

a requirement, the generation Y of The Netherlands

wants to have more mobility in their working

environment, access to community spaces and a wide

range of facilities (gym, snack facilities, concierge

services, cafés and a collection of on site facilities)

Design for Collaboration – access to a

collaborative working environment is in high

demand, in the design of dedicated team spaces,

and additional breakout spaces in the working

environment

Design for Performance – creativity and

productivity are the major drivers of performance

and employers must understand that their human

capital and the workspace are central to this. The

synergy of People and Space is a key priority

The Oxygenz results revealed that designing a

workspace which addresses the need of the generation Y

is important in order to simply attract these employees,

retain them in the organization, as for them choosing

an employer is about having opportunities for learning,

work colleagues and the corporate culture and values

of their employers. The call is not to design for one

population of employees, but for several generations

of employees, including the Generation Y demanding a

different workspace and working arrangements to their

senior colleagues. The main challenge is to reconcile in

one single space the expectations and desires of several

generations, all working and behaving differently. This

diversity in the workplace is the most challenging design

aspect that architects will have to address, but also

employers, including HR Directors. The role of Facilities

Managers needs to focus on delivery a very high quality

of on site support services, maintaining access to a wide

range of amenities on site (food services, health and

fitness centers, communal spaces) and demonstrating

environmental compliance in the office.

Other challenges include:

Keeping up to pace with technological growth and

not falling behind

Reinventing workplaces which allow for private

reflection and collaborative tasks

Providing a green workplace – not only into its

design, but also in the way employees work

Dr. Marie PuybaraudDirector of Global WorkPlace Innovations

Johnson [email protected]


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The Generation Y: Like How They Work – Work How They Like

People aged 18 between 25, who are also known as Generation Y, are the newest and youngest members of our work forces. All over the world Generation Y is making their presence felt, causing businesses to rethink their working practices and starting new waves of social and business transformation. They are a remarkable generation and in our view, there are at least six reasons why we need to understand them, and how they relate to work:

There are not enough of them coming into the workforce They are transformational They do things differently They are techno-savvy They are challenging They are agile – multi-taskers

The Generation Y apparently believe they can achieve anything. They are strongly leadership focused, collaborative and seek meaning in work and opportunity to learn. Natives of the digital world, they are frequently portrayed as demanding, selfish, text-addicted and job-hoppers with little loyalty to their employers. On the contrary, they are under less financial threats than the previous generations and have grown up with green issues into their way of living. Besides, they are more urban focused and buy quickly into new concepts and ideas.

Oxygenz focuses on:

Workplace: the physical environment in which we work Workspace: the individual space in which

we work Ways of Working: the way we arrange our

working day Real Estate & Facilities Management

Services: the level of support services in the working environment

Creativity & Productivity: the triggers that enhance creativity and productivity

Introduction

What is...

OXYGENZ is a large-scale research project, which will make a significant contribution to companies’ knowledge on how they might use their real estate and facilities as strategic assets to attract and retain scarce talent. We must attach a great importance to diversity in our workplaces and the factors that must be taken into account when considering workplace as a likely strategic weapon in the battle to attract and retain scarce young talent.


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Oxygenz World Statistics Methodology

Oxygenz Partners

Research Question:

Generation Y and the Workplace is a research

project that seeks to understand the

importance the 18 to 25 years old attach to

their future workplace.

How important is the workplace in attracting,

recruiting and retaining Generation Y

workers and what factors contribute to

talent management per industry sector,

country and gender?

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USA: 1,304India: 905China: 675UK: 682Germany: 1,628South Africa: 402The Netherlands: 520

Engineering: 889Media, Marketing & Communication: 625Finance: 841Information Technology: 543Art & Design: 656

7,596 The total number of respondents including:

3,891 (18 - 25-year-olds)

2,402 (26 - 35-year-olds)

589 (36 - 45-year-olds){

www.thinkidea.co.uk

Industry:BBCDeloitteThe Smart Work Companye-WorkNEW WOWCorenet GlobaleOffice

Academics:CEPTChulalongkom UniversityCornell UniversityFraunhofer InstituteHope CollegeLiverpool John Moore UniversityTamassath UniversityTexas University

The Hague UniversityTongjii UnivesityUniversity of Central LondonUniversity of the West of EnglandUniversity of WisconsinWellingkar Institute

As of November 2010, the Oxygenz data sample comprises:

www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com www.ynno.com

The respondents were gathered over several months via an advertising campaign and directly with our target respondents within the specific age group we required (18 to 25 years old):

On-line campaign on the website of Oxygenz and YNNO and Johnson Controls

On-line advertising on the social network On-line advertising on Google Invitation to participate with students at The

Hague University

Our Current Global Sample

The world-wide survey includes special samples from:

And from various key industry sectors we have studied:


111110

The Netherlands is a nation of over 16-million people, including 2.07 millions of people aged 15 to 25 years old. A country of water, well know for living with, around and within water in cities and the countryside. Liberalism, independence and freedom are regarded as national assets in the Netherlands. That’s one of the reasons why the Dutch legal system differs from those of many other European countries. Traveling by bike is the way of getting around in the Netherlands, certainly for young people and students. The Netherlands has more bikes (and incidentally also more pigs and poultry) than people.

According to Sadik Harchaoui, chair of the Board of Directors of FORUM, Institute for Multicultural Development, youngsters in the Netherlands are happy.

Who is the Generation Y in the Netherlands?

“Netherlands, Europe’s

model for a successful economy”

“Happiness among the tulips”

“Happy as a Dutchman”

The Dutch population is ageing. The life expectancy has increased because of developments in medicine, and in addition to this, the Netherlands has seen increasing immigration. These developments combined with the population boom after the Second World War has created extremely low population growth: in 2005 saw the lowest absolute population growth since 1900 (Wikipedia).

Figure 1: The Netherlands Demographic Pyramid, 2010 – Source – US Census Bureau

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12Copyright © 2010 Johnson Controls. All Rights Reserved. Global WorkPlace Innovation

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Oxygenz Results for the Generation Y in The Netherlands.

254 are aged between 18 and 25 years old187 are aged between 26 and 35 years old49 are aged between 36 and 45 years oldThe rest of the sample is aged more than 46 years old

Top 3 priorities when choosing an employer1. Work colleagues2. Opportunities for learning3. Corporate culture and values

Top 5 factors to trigger Creativity: 1. Ambiance & Atmosphere2. People3. My company culture4. Workspace around5. Technology

520 The total number of respondents from The Netherlands {

Travel

41% by car (27% would chose an Hybrid car)

33% cycling

4% by motorcycle of scooter

10% by public transport

12% by walking

Level of services in the workplace: ● 41% would prefer to have a 7 star

reception services – very high quality services on site

● And more particularly communal facilities on site:

● 27% would prefer to have a gym on site and have a sport facility at their place of work

● 30% favour communal facilities (garden and open spaces to socialise)

● 20% prefer access to social venues (bars and clubs)

● 20% prefer access to shops and other communal facilities (banks, hairdresser)

Figure 2: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old individual

space preferences

87% prefer to work in a mobile way but 69% would like to personalise their individual space

Figure 4: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old preferred collaborative working environment

Figure 3: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old preferences

and expectations for working patterns

51% are expecting to have a conventional working pattern while 64% prefer to work flexibly56% would prefer to have an employer which provides a workplace which goes beyond environmental compliance and 37% with very advanced environmental measures on site

Figure 5: The Netherlands: Comfort with space for 18 – 25 years old

Figure 6: The Netherlands: 18 – 25 years old preferred catering spaces

Location73% would prefer to work in an urban setting

49% tend to prefer a modern workplace interior and 36% contemporary working environment with subtle, clinical and relaxing colours

Only 10% would like to see vibrant colours in their working environment.

65% prefer a natural and / or artificial lighting in their office

Workspace

60% would be comfortable in a space of 12 to 16 sqm

60% prefer a natural finish with wooden floors and 31% favour a soft finish with carpet

75% prefers to have a little art in their workspace

Top 5 factors to trigger Productivity:1. Technology2. Ambiance & Atmosphere3. People4. Workspace around + Working with a team5. My company culture + Where and How

they want to work with and with Who


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Results Analysis

The following pages present the analysis of the results of the Generation Y in The Netherlands. The sample (256 respondents between the age of 18 and 25 years old out of a total sample of 520 respondents for The Netherlands) and compare and contrast these results against our global sample (3891 respondents aged 18 to 25 years old).

It is clear that the Generation Y in The Netherlands is focused on learning and experience when choosing an employer. The Top 3 priorities when choosing an employer in The Netherlands are:

1. Work colleagues2. Opportunities for learning3. Corporate culture and values

These results support how crucial the right working environment is to influence people performance.

Top 5 triggers of Creativity: 1. Ambiance & Atmosphere2. People3. My company culture4. Workspace around5. Technology

Top 5 triggers of Productivity 1. Technology2. Ambiance & Atmosphere3. People4. Workspace around + Working with a team5. My company culture + Where and How

they want to work with and with who

The workplace is considered here critical to the Generation Y in The Netherlands. Location and travel choices also show that a city location should be a priority of choice for Real Estate decision makers and Human Resources managers. 73% would prefer to work in an urban setting. Attracting people to Cities will not be difficult in The Netherlands as 73% of the population live in an urban setting. Choosing an urban environment seems to be key to attract and retain young employees. However 27% still prefer a rural to semi rural setting, showing a clear potential for employers to open satellite offices outside of major urban settings and in cheaper real estate locations.

Figure 7: Location of the place to work, per country, 18-25 years old



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The Generation Y in The Netherlands is expecting far more flexibility in their working patterns: 51% are expecting to have a conventional working pattern while 64% prefer to work flexibly (see Figure 3). This difference between expectations and preferences needs to be addressed by Human Resources. They need to consider offering more flexibility in the working patterns and making it clearly more visible to young recruits and employees. The level of mobility is however aligned to our worldwide benchmark but lower than in nearer Germany. Amazingly 87% of the Generation Y in The Netherlands has expressed a desire to be mobile, rather than static and always at a desk. This very high demand for flexibility is significant and demonstrates that we are looking at a generation who wants to be in control of their way of working.

While the majority of the Generation Y in The Netherlands prefers a very modern workplace interior with very subtle and clinical colours in their working environment, few want vibrant/bright colours in their working environment. This is showing their aspirations to have a conventional working environment. The ambiance & atmosphere in the office are created partly by the design of the workplace and the layout and partly by the people within it and their culture of work. Soft and natural finishes are also a tendency for this age group, clearly looking for an inviting environment, open and light. The worldwide results tend to show greater aspiration for a natural and stimulating environment: modern environment, open, light, with some sparks of colours, natural finishes like wood, some art in their working environment, good social facilities... Figure 8: Mode of Transport to Work, per country, 18-25 years old

It is however worrying to discover that 41% of the 18-25years old in The Netherlands would chose a car to go to work. Unsurprisingly 33% would prefer to cycle to work, demonstrating the strong attachment of this generation to this very common way of travelling in The Netherlands. Clearly the excellent public transport infrastructure and cycling network has a influence on this behaviour. More respondents between 18 and 25 years old would prefer to walk to work rather than using public transport. Compared to other similar age groups in other countries, the Dutch are by far the most demanding in terms of cycling facilities and network to support their way of living.

Results Analysis Continued

Figure 9: Flexible Pattern of Work, 18-25 years old, per country

Figure 10: Choice of desk space while at work, 18-25 years old, per country



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The Dutch, like similar groups in other countries, want a working environment which reflects their aspirations: flexibility, openness, mobility, collaboration, interaction. The presence of people and face to face interaction is very important. The emotional engagement with their environment is important and they have shown it in the results we have collected:

62% want their own desk and 77% want to personalise it 27% are open to share a desk and 17% a hot desk, leaving good opportunities to increase desk to

people ratios close to 1 desk to 1.2 people. 37% want to have access to team spaces to run their meeting and 24% access to formal meeting

rooms and 39% to breakout spaces on demand and informal

These results are similar to our worldwide benchmark for this age group. The majority of respondents in The Netherlands also tells us that they are comfortable in much larger space than other countries (73% feel comfortable in a space of 12sqm to 20sqm metres).

Results Analysis Continued

Figure 11: Choice of desk space while at work, 18-25 years old, per country

The issue of space is definitely important to this generation in The Netherlands. As collaboration is getting more and more crucial, we asked our respondents what type of collaborative spaces they would like to access to while at work. 24% prefer access to formal meeting spaces while 37% prefer to access a team space and 39% prefer to access breakout spaces in the office. The pressure is on designers to design a workplace which support both individual work for business as usual activities and collaborative work in informal collaborative spaces and dedicated team spaces.

The preferences of the Generation Y in The Netherlands for on site services shows some striking results with 41% would prefer to have a 7 star reception services – very high quality services on site. They are one of the highest demanding workforce amongst the country we studied. Access to a broad range of facilities and services are also desired:

27% would prefer to have a gym on site and have a sport facility at their place of work 30% favour communal facilities (garden and open spaces to socialise) 20% prefer access to social venues (bars and clubs) 20% prefer access to shops and other communal facilities (banks, hairdresser)

The results are demonstrating how important the workplace is as a place to socialise. The workplace is a social structure.

Also more than ever before the Generation Y in The Netherlands is shouting out (94%) to their employers that they want them to be green, be sustainable and show it well above the standard environmental compliance: 56% want their employer to go beyond legal compliance and 38% want employers to be environmentally friendly demonstrating a major focus on environmental solutions within the workplace.



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Designing a workspace which addresses the need of the generation Y is important in order to simply attract young employees, retain them in the organization and boost their performance, as for them choosing an employer is about having opportunities for learning, having a good quality of life and work with experienced colleagues. The call is not to design for one population of employees, but for several populations of employees, including the Generation Y demanding a different workspace and working arrangements to their senior colleagues.

Our Oxygenz research has highlighted the generation Y uses space differently from other countries. The Dutch Generation Y has demonstrated that they are expecting a different deal from work:

Quality of Life: with 33% of the Generation Y on The Netherlands who wishes to commute to work by bike, and still 41% by car, employers will need to address both car parking facilities and cycling facilities and network for their employees.

Ways of working: Mobility and Flexibility are key in the working life balance of the Dutch and of the generation Y in The Netherlands. 56% would prefer to have a flexible working pattern. More women than men (67% against 60%) prefer a flexible working patterns and more women than men are expecting their employer to offer conventional working patterns.

Work settings: we found out that the 27% of the generation Y (18-25 years old) want to share a desk rather than working at their own desk, showing an excellent potential to introduce new ways of working in the workplace.

53.5% of the 18 to 25 years old in The Netherlands agree to strongly agree that the workplace is important to very important in attracting them. There is a clear preference for flexible working and being able to choose when and where to conduct work with the ultimate aim of achieving a sustainable work / life balance. Flexible working contracts should be the norm and is expected from most employees to enable a better work life balance, minimise constraint to work and reconcile family life with working life. Access to flexible working schedules and ad hoc working hours must be considered and widely accessible to all employees.

The workplace is important in attracting and retaining the generation Y in The Netherlands:

The type of workplace and its location could influence the choice for a company – an urban setting with easy access to commute to work

The workspace allocation and provisions contribute to productivity and creativity – a focus on people and collaboration and interaction to boost performance in the workplace

The working arrangements must be flexible and adaptable to satisfy a work life balance and fit a high requirement for mobility at work (87%).

The workplace contributes to the level of emotional engagement of individuals with their work – the generation Y is looking for a modern and contemporary working environment, with subtle and clinical colors, a lot of natural light and soft and natural finishes

Conclusion

LocationCost

EfficiencyInfrastructure

TravelSupport Services

ReceptionIT

Environmental PoliciesDesignImageStyle

AtmosphereWork settings

Individual spaceCollaborative space

Shared spaceSupport space

Virtual spaceWork style

Mobility statusHR Contract

Working patternsManagerial Style

Real Estate

Facilities Management

Workplace A Workplace to attract and retain

talent from the Generation Y

A sustainable and social

structure and a physical and virtual

environment in which people work, evolve and grow as

individuals and teams.

Human Resources

Social Structure

Technology Platform

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We are looking at a generation which is concerned about the way they work:

Why they choose an employer – Work colleagues come first and then Opportunities for Learning and the Corporate culture and values of the employer

Where they want to work – new offices should be in an urban setting as a priority

How they want to travel to work – car as a mean of transport to work is their first choice, but cycling to work is a very strong second priority

What environment they aspire to work in – a modern or contemporary environment is a preference with subtle and clinical colours

What pattern for work they prefer – flexibility and mobility should be offered to employees

How they want to collaborate – access to a wide range of meeting spaces is important, particularly dedicated team spaces to boost collaboration

How they want their employer to be – clear evidence of green policies is expected in the workplace

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Dr.Marie PuybaraudDirector of Global WorkPlace Innovations

Johnson [email protected]

A workplace... the “Dutch” way:

The implications for employers are significant and they must respond to, or at least consider, these needs:

Buildings should be located in an urban or slightly urban setting - There should be a provision for employees to drive and cycle to work - The ability to leverage public transport networks would be contributing to more sustainable ways of working

People should be allowed to work in a mobile way with the ability to flex their working hours

The working environment should:

Be modern with subtle, clinical and relaxing colours

Have a high level of natural light with some artificial lighting

Have natural floor finishes and soft finishes

Contain subtle art

The space allocated to each desk should be at average occupancy standards

Workstations should be dedicated to individuals with the ability to be personalised by the occupant. There is a good scope for desk sharing

The workplace should be designed to support social interaction and provide opportunities for learning

Technology in the workplace should be incorporated to maximise productivity facilitating virtual and face to face engagement

The ambiance and atmosphere of the workplace is also important – the workplace should be used to communicate corporate culture and values

Strong consideration should be given to environmental measures and sustainable ways of working

The workplace should provide a broad range of support spaces to support different ways of working but most importantly, should include informal space to breakout and collaborate with colleagues

The facilities services should be of a very high standard with access to a range of on-site catering services from formal restaurants to cafés

Access to communal facilities such as a gym, gardens, bars and clubs and commercial facilities like banks and hairdressers should be provided


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Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions is the leading global facilities management solutions provider. With over 50 years experience in the facilities management business, Johnson Controls has the expertise to deliver comprehensive Workplace strategies that support your global facility portfolio. Our approach to facilities management outsourcing is unique. We work with clients to understand their business needs and then we create tailored solutions designed to meet those needs. We are accountable for implementing our solutions and then for guaranteeing the outcomes promised by our recommendations. What we deliver are comprehensive solutions that are good for our customers’ organisations.

Global WorkPlace Innovation (GWi) is the research and development programme of Global WorkPlace Solutions and aims to drive innovation and thought leadership in workplace solutions, globally; support customers’ needs and deliver advanced solutions. GWi also aims to challenge the status quo, leading change and delivering added value through innovation excellence.

AuthorsDr. Marie Puybaraud Director - Director Global WorkPlace Innovation Global WorkPlace Innovation - [email protected]

Art & DesignAmber Pimm-Jones - iDEA - www.thinkidea.co.uk

This report was prepared with the support of YNNOwww.ynno.com

ContactDr. Marie Puybaraud Director Global WorkPlace Innovation Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace SolutionsLondon / UKParis / FranceTel: +33 (0) 632 879 [email protected]

For information about Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Innovation research and development programme, please go to: www.globalworkplaceinnovation.com

Further Information

www.globalworkplaceinnovation.comCopyright © 2010 Johnson Controls. All Rights Reserved.

Global WorkPlace Innovation

Netherlands Oxygenz Report

Documents

netherlands demographic pyramid

results analysis continued

company culture

dedicated team spaces

flexible working pattern

work life balance

flexible pattern

age group