There’s been no end to the articles touting workplace amenities as a way to attract workers back to offices. Free beer Fridays, ping-pong and foosball tables, meditation and wellness amenities, rooftop gardens, and in-house escape rooms are a few of the many. But these extras may be ignoring the importance of fostering community among the folks who actually occupy offices. Incorporating programming that spurs consistent employee gathering can generate a number of positive repercussions, among them team building opportunities and forums for impromptu organic networking among staff.
Among the entities helping spark such experiences is Sage, one of New York City’s most venerable owner-operators of premium office space, and a fourth-generation company that has withstood the volatile ups and downs of the office market for more than a century. Cognizant operations and experiences go hand in glove, Sage has long provided activation strategies intended to support productivity and engagement, yielding meaningful office experiences that go far in helping connect building occupants.
Altering views
Sage properties deliver amenities spaces intended to inject greater calm and ease into the typical workday, making workplaces more home-like havens. The company layers in building-wide programming intended to nurture connections and spark shared ideas and discourse. The firm’s ‘Member Experience’ slates moments of engagement such as on-site social festivities, manicure pop-ups and massage treatments.
The intention: To intertwine comfort with community, helping office employees maximize creativity and productivity. This approach to BOE (Building Operations and Experience), Sage officials believe, can help employers alter their teams’ view of the office.
“The office of today is so much more than a rooftop terrace or an on-site fitness center,” says Jonathan Kaufman Iger, CEO of Sage. “There’s been a dramatic shift toward the activation of these spaces, and the cultivation of community, which is a driving factor in the ‘back to office’ movement we’re continuing to see. Sage has always understood the power of experience, and this awareness is driving our branded office concept forward, as well as igniting our latest innovations, including partnering with owners throughout New York City to offer a turnkey office solution that doesn’t yet exist.”
Among those experiencing Sage’s approach to BOE is Sharlene Manore, marketing manager for Rose Associates, a Sage tenant at the brand’s 777 Third Avenue property for more than seven years. “The programming genuinely makes coming to work more enjoyable,” she says. “It’s like, ‘Oh, they’re in the lobby today. We’re going to get a treat and have an experience. The team does a great job curating these moments.”
Manore also likes the focus on wellness. “When our schedule allows, we can fit in manicures, hair blowouts or massages, and the Sage social events are great for networking. It really goes beyond the typical tenant-landlord relationship.”
Driving engagement
Manhattan’s limited supply of newly available commercial buildings has helped place Le Gallerie on West 14th Street among the city’s most coveted office settings. But it isn’t simply the newness of the property, nor its design, state-of-the-art smart technology or meticulously crafted amenities programs that has transformed it into a favorite. KPG Funds, developer of the boutique Class A office space, intentionally included meaningful experiences that help propel tenant engagement within the building.
For instance, a multi-tiered rooftop deck provides tenants with panoramic perspectives on the Manhattan skyline, while also affording the opportunity to avail themselves of outdoor conference areas, lounges, a bar and barbecue areas. Employees can also rub shoulders within the art gallery that graces the building lobby, featuring a specially commissioned objet d’art commissioned by internationally recognized artist Julian Opie.
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