Embracing new realities
As financial services shifts to apps and other digital interfaces with customers, the sector is seeing growth of tech and digital innovation teams. Especially in tech-centric cities, competition for the best and brightest is intense. When the work is collaborative, the teams need workspace that’s atypical of the sector generally, but maps well to the desire of younger employees for settings that inspire creativity. The need to make protocols and policies more transparent in finance is leading US firms to embrace open plan. With the right features, it lets people “scan the room” and interact spontaneously, but also access spaces with privacy when needed. Asia’s limited stock of Class A buildings means activity-based work settings are necessary to accommodate future growth.