• 沃尔玛（Walmart）称，其新落成的占地350英亩（1.42平方千米）的豪华园区正吸引员工迁居阿肯色州。员工可享用游泳池、匹克球场、托儿所及十多家餐厅，与沃尔玛之前单调的总部环境相比，可谓焕然一新。它正加入亚马逊、谷歌和摩根大通的行列，凭借豪华设施吸引员工重返办公室。
人们可能会认为，这家连续12年蝉联《财富》美国500强榜首的公司，定然在硅谷或华尔街坐拥奢华办公场所，但沃尔玛却将奢华和魅力带到美国南部。这家零售巨头表示，重新设计的阿肯色州园区独具魅力，正促使员工接纳小镇生活的理念。
沃尔玛首席人才官洛林·斯托姆斯基（Lorraine Stomski）向《财富》杂志透露：“前来应聘的求职者，愿意迁居阿肯色州西北部的可能性是此前的三倍，原因在于他们实地到访、亲身体验了这一地区以及我们的园区，感受了我们的文化。”
这家市值6900亿美元的零售企业，正唤醒阿肯色州本顿维尔这座沉睡的小镇，一座占地350英亩的现代化总部拔地而起。沃尔玛园区内有12栋办公楼，营造出如家般舒适的氛围；还有健身设施，包括网球场、篮球场、游泳池以及长达两英里（3.2千米）的自行车道；园区内还设有托儿所和供来访宾客入住的酒店。该园区可能没有米其林星级餐厅或百老汇剧院，但它正在吸引许多渴望郊区生活与豪华设施双重享受的沃尔玛员工。
斯托姆斯基表示：“自园区建成以来，招聘人才变得容易多了。人们确实渴望相聚一处。前来此地的求职者都备受鼓舞。”
走进沃尔玛吸引员工的350英亩新豪华园区
沃尔玛于1月启用位于本顿维尔的新总部，且今年将分阶段持续吸纳更多员工。尽管这家零售巨头未向《财富》杂志证实建造这座豪华园区的具体成本，但据估计耗资数亿美元——成果已见分晓。
沃尔玛昔日的“总部”隐匿于巨大的仓库式建筑里，地面铺着油毡，以荧光灯照明，墙壁刷成灰色。如今，翻新后的总部采用了温暖的灯光、舒适的家具，并增添了一些趣味元素。园区内设有展示沃尔玛历史的展览，员工甚至能与公司创始人山姆·沃尔顿（Sam Walton）的全息影像展开交流。
斯托姆斯基表示，沃尔玛在打造新总部时，咨询了顶尖的技术与学习专家，秉持“以最终用户为中心”的理念进行设计。这一考量或许正是沃尔玛今年荣登《财富》“最适宜工作公司”榜单的原因之一。员工可以通过瑜伽和匹克球课程、水疗按摩和冷冻疗法、蒸汽浴室，或在郁郁葱葱的冥想花园中漫步来专注于身心健康。工作之余饥肠辘辘时，员工可以从12家餐厅中选择，包括餐车、咖啡店或屋顶休息室。
沃尔玛的豪华总部在这个人口不足6万的阿肯色州小镇上格外吸睛，而此地正是其发展的根基所在。但这家零售商认为，这可能正是其吸引力的一部分。
斯托姆斯基表示：“人们能在这里感受到小镇风情，真切体会到在建设、融入一个社区，同时又能享受诸多大城市的便利设施，这里真正做到了两者兼得。”
其他公司用一流餐厅和郁郁葱葱的人行道吸引员工重返办公室
沃尔玛并非唯一一家企图以豪华办公室吸引员工重返办公室的雇主。生啤与睡眠舱已难以满足员工诉求，企业正不断加大投入力度。
亚马逊在西雅图打造了未来感十足的总部，其气泡式露天球形建筑周边环绕着狗公园、绿色步道以及用于举办音乐会与户外活动的社区中心。谷歌在加利福尼亚州山景城的Googleplex总部，则配备了多家餐厅、健身设施与休息区。
今年早些时候，摩根大通为其坐落于纽约市、高达60层的新总部举行了揭幕仪式。摩根大通要求员工每周五天重返办公室办公，此举令许多员工深感失望，不过该公司认为，公园大道上的豪华设施将是一种激励。新的办公场地配备了高空露台以及坐拥19家餐厅的顶级美食广场。这家市值达6500亿美元的银行，将总部视作留住明星员工、吸引新员工的人才战略。
摩根大通全球房地产主管大卫·阿雷纳（David Arena）向《财富》杂志坦言：“人们愈发清晰地意识到，实体办公场所对个人而言意义重大，这关乎他们的精力状态、自我认知，以及对公司的感觉。”（财富中文网）
译者：中慧言-王芳
• Walmart’s new 350-acre luxury campus is wooing employees to move to Arkansas, the retail giant says. Employees have access to swimming pools, courts, a childcare center, and a dozen restaurant options; a complete rebrand from Walmart’s previous drab HQ set-up. It’s joining the ranks of Amazon, Google, and JPMorgan in drawing workers back into the office with luxury offerings.
One might think the No. 1 company on the Fortune 500 for 12 years running must have a luxe set-up in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street—but Walmart is bringing the glitz and glamor to the South. The allure of its redesigned Arkansas campus is bringing employees around to the idea of small-town living, says the retail giant.
“Our candidates that come in are three times more likely to be open to moving to Northwest Arkansas because they’ve come here, they’ve visited, they’ve experienced the area, they’ve experienced our campus, and they feel our culture,” Lorraine Stomski, chief talent officer for Walmart, told Fortune.
The $690 billion retail business is waking up sleepy Bentonville, Arkansas with a state-of-the-art headquarters sprawling over 350 acres. Walmart’s campus is flush with 12 office buildings, designed to feel as comfortable as home; workout facilities including tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool, and two miles of bike trails; a childcare center; and hotel for guests coming into town. The campus may not have Michelin-star restaurants or Broadway theatres, but it’s wooing many Walmart workers who may crave that duality of suburban life with plush amenities.
“The ability to recruit talent is so much easier now that we’ve built our campus. People really have the desire to come together,” Stomski said. “The candidates that we’re bringing here, they are inspired.”
A look inside Walmart’s new swanky 350-acre campus wooing employees
Walmart opened its new Bentonville HQ in January, and will continue to bring more employees into the fold in phases throughout this year. While the retail giant would not confirm with Fortune how much it cost to build the swanky campus, it’s estimated to be in the hundreds of millions—and the proof is in the pudding.
Walmart’s “home office” used to be housed in massive warehouse facilities marked by linoleum floors, fluorescent lighting, and grey-painted walls. Now, the refurbished HQ embraces warm light, plush furniture, and a bit of play. In an exhibit on campus curating Walmart’s history, employees can even speak with a hologram version of the company’s founder, Sam Walton.
Stomski said Walmart consulted leading technology and learning experts to create the new HQ, designed with the “end user in mind.” That consideration may be one reason why Walmart made Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For list this year. Employees can focus on their wellness with yoga and pickleball classes, hydromassages and cryotherapy, steam rooms, or by taking a stroll through the lush meditation garden. And after working up an appetite, workers can pick one of 12 restaurant options including food trucks, coffee shops, or a rooftop lounge.
Walmart’s luxurious HQ stands out in the small Arkansas town—with a population of less than 60,000—where it’s grown its roots. But the retailer thinks that may be a part of the appeal.
“People feel like it has that small town feel. It does really feel like you’re building, you’re coming into a community, but it does have access to a lot of the larger city amenities,” Stomski said. “It really does have the best of both worlds.”
Other companies luring workers into the office with top-notch eateries and lush walkways
Walmart isn’t the only employer looking to lure employees back into the office with luxury offices. Beer on tap and sleeping pods won’t cut it anymore—so businesses are upping the ante.
Amazon has its futuristic headquarters in Seattle. Its bubbly, open-air sphere structures are surrounded by dog parks, green walkways, and community centers for concerts and outdoor events. Google’s Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View, California touts multiple restaurants, fitness facilities, and lounge areas.
And earlier this year, JPMorgan unveiled its new 60-story HQ in New York City. After asking employees to return to the office five days a week—much to the dismay of many staffers—it figured a luxury set-up on Park Ave would be an incentive. The new space is complete with sky-high terraces, and a decked-out food court featuring 19 restaurants. The $650 billion bank sees the headquarters as a talent strategy to retain star players and bring in new workers.
“It’s become more and more apparent to everybody that a physical place is really important for folks,” David Arena, global head of real estate for JPMorgan, told Fortune. “For their energy, for the way they feel about themselves, and the way they feel about their companies.