What “the lunch factor” says about a building’s location

Where and what people have for lunch can be a really interesting indicator about getting the location of business premises right.

The midday meal or snack is very important to staff as it is their time out in the midst of increasingly busy days.

If you stop to think of the habits of the staff in your organisation; do they have a lunch room, eat out, grab takeaways, prefer a quick feed from a bakery, or a more health or gourmet orientated meal? Or is it a mix of several of the above?

People’s lunch habits and shopping habits can say quite a lot about the culture of an organisation and preferences and wellbeing of its staff.

My point is that working out the location and suitability of premises needs a great deal more consideration than simply constraining one’s thinking to the building, its size, the cost, and a once over lightly about location.

An example of a Fail
There was a classic case in Wellington where a company didn’t get it right about a location and had chosen a site in Kaiwharawhara with nothing much nearby except railway yards and motorways. Needless to say, there was nowhere to get lunch without jumping in a car. And the surroundings were not exactly conducive to a peaceful stroll at lunchtime.

The experience of staff at the building was so bad that staff (some of whom had worked there for years) left in droves. Finding new people to work there was difficult, to say the least.

Not surprisingly, the company relocated within a year, this time having consulted with their staff and clients.

The lesson learned by this organisation was that selecting new premises isn’t simply about finding somewhere cheap and loading the new premises up with new bells and whistles. They learned that they should listen to the needs and wants of their employees.

Today we also continue to hear more and more about Generation Y and younger professionals increasingly factoring in lifestyle to their choices about employment.

In Auckland the concept of distinct precincts is developing fast, all with their own character that may be drawn from heritage, or location to the waterfront or parks, or a collection of related activities.

For instance, the universities and art gallery sector close to High Street & Lorne Street retail, the Viaduct precinct, and the ‘creative’ precinct between Nelson Street and Victoria Park, and the financial district around Shortland Street.

Research in Europe and the United States found that the attractive amenities of a city’s district had a big impact on attracting the best talent to an organisation, as the lifestyle offered near where someone works has started to become a critical factor in choosing who to work for.

Likewise, proximity to transport networks and housing is also a critical factor.

My message is that broader and more in-depth thinking about where and what to lease for commercial premises and a careful look at indicators ‘outside the square’ can greatly assist the positive growth of a business through giving it the right profile in the right place to attract the right people.

And most important of all, being close to some good places for lunch might just make the difference!