The Possibilities of Workspace
If you’re a business leader or work in HR, you'll understand the importance of maximising staff performance. It's the biggest driver of overall company results.
In today's environment, your workspace is critical in driving employee productivity and satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to improved business performance. Yet, you may be overlooking the potential of your office space. The right office design can impact everything from employee engagement to innovation.
We've had over 15 years of experience in designing and building workspaces. In that time, we've seen countless times how a well-designed workspace can unlock the potential of people, teams, and companies.
Today, we'll go through 9 ways you can refurbish or redesign your office to unlock the potential within your people and your company. As a result, you'll understand how to create a workplace that maximises productivity and drives results for your business.
1) Implement Flexible Workspaces
One of the biggest ways that offices limit the potential of their occupants is through an inflexible design that limits how they can work. However, the inverse is also true. Creating adaptable spaces that can accommodate different working styles will foster productivity. According to Deloitte, 72% of employees believe a flexible workspace is essential for productivity.
To make your workplace design flexible, ensure you have a variety of different spaces. These must meet the needs of different staff and different projects. Your office should include a mix of collaborative and focussed spaces, all designed to suit the way your people work.
2) Optimise Lighting
It may seem a minor consideration, but lighting has a big impact on performance. Poor lighting will increase eye strain and headache risk. By maximising the amount of natural light in your space, you can reduce this risk. A study by the World Green Building Council found that offices with ample natural light can boost productivity by 15%!
To optimise the natural light within your space, make sure the most-used areas of your office are on the outside next to windows. Boardrooms and executive offices are used very little by few people, so are not an effective use of natural light. Using glass partitions can also increase the amount of natural light within your space.
3) Incorporate Biophilia
Bland workspaces are uninspiring environments that reduce the energy of your staff. This limits their potential. Integrating nature into your office, such as plants and natural materials will prevent this from happening in your office. Biophilic design reduces stress and enhances creativity. It can lead to a 6% increase in productivity and a 15% reduction in absenteeism.
The simplest way to improve biophilia in your office is to add plants. However, biophilia goes much further than this. Use natural materials, such as wood and stone wherever you can within your space. Even imitations of natural materials will have similar effects and are far more cost-effective.
4) Minimise Noise Pollution
Noisy workspaces are distracting, frustrating environments that reduce staff productivity and job satisfaction. Noise distractions can reduce productivity by up to 66%. Managing the noise levels will create a quieter, more focussed environment.
You can reduce the noise pollution in your space by creating a thoughtful layout that doesn’t overcrowd your staff and lead to task conflicts. Acoustic products, such as sound baffles and other soft materials, will absorb background noise. Sound masking systems will actively eliminate background noise. To learn more, read How to Reduce Noise Pollution In Your Office.
5) Optimise Space Utilisation
An inefficient office layout can both waste space and make your staff feel cramped. According to a study by Gensler, companies can see a 21% increase in performance by optimizing their workspaces. Optimising your space utilisation will ensure you get the maximum ROI on your real estate investment.
To improve your space utilisation, work with a consultant to understand how your people work. You can then refurbish your office to ensure it meets the needs of your people and company. To learn more, read How to Improve Your Space Utilisation.
6) Upgrade Technology
Outdated or ineffective workspace technology will reduce productivity and frustrate your staff. According to Cisco, 60% of workers believe that technology impacts their ability to collaborate. By ensuring your people have access to relevant technology, you will help unlock their potential.
The most important thing is to ensure you have a high-speed, secure wireless internet throughout your office. Otherwise, most other technology is ineffective. Exactly what technology you need will vary depending on your staff roles. However, it should match the needs of your staff, neither being outdated or unnecessary. Learn more about the future of smart workspaces here.
7) Foster Collaboration
Workspaces that have only desks and meeting rooms will limit the ability of your people to collaborate effectively. This will limit their potential. Companies promoting collaborative work are 5 times more likely to be high-performing. Designing spaces that encourage teamwork is central to unlocking the potential of your office.
The most important step towards fostering collaboration is creating spaces designed for it. Most collaboration happens informally in small groups, so your collaboration spaces should reflect this. It's also important to allow enough space for collaboration - most offices only have around 10%, when the optimum is 35-50%. To learn more, read 5 Ways to Improve Collaboration with Office Design.
8) Promote Wellbeing
Workspaces that are designed without consideration for staff wellbeing will have significantly lower productivity. This will lead to increased distractions, lower motivation, and higher absence levels. Companies that focus on wellbeing in their offices see a 25% reduction in absences and a 9% increase in productivity.
To improve staff wellbeing in your own office, ensure your people have a variety of spaces that match the way they work. Ergonomic furniture that supports good posture is essential. Fresh air and natural light are also crucial. Learn more by reading 9 Ways to Improve Workplace Wellbeing with Office Design.
9) Design for Culture
A generic office design will create a generic workspace experience, which will lead to generic performance. Instead, a unique office design that reflects and enhances your culture will help unlock the potential of your people. According to Knoll, 77% of employees believe that a workplace that reflects company culture impacts their work quality.
To create a workspace tailored to your culture, you need to start with the layout. Every step of the office design process should be taken with culture at the forefront of your thinking. The result will be a workspace that feels like your company personality brought to life. To learn more, read How to Create an Office Design Tailored to Your Culture.
Unlocking Potential in Your Office
Unlocking the potential in your workspace is about much more than just the aesthetic design. It's about creating an environment that removes limitations on your people, empowering them to perform to their best level.
By optimizing your space utilisation, embracing flexibility, enhancing lighting, and incorporating technology, you can transform your office into a driver of productivity and innovation. Studies have shown that each of these design factors can have a significant impact on staff performance. When all combined and optimised, these design factors will have a transformative impact on your staff performance. This will lead to significant improvements in the results of your company.
To learn more about creating a design that maximises the performance of your people and company, get your own copy of Office Design and Productivity - The Ultimate Guide. Inside, you'll get the full breakdown of the why, the how, and the what of staff productivity and office design. This includes why design matters for staff productivity, and design spaces and features that improve staff productivity. Get your Productivity Design Guide Here.
To keep learning about office design and company performance, read 8 Ways to Optimise Your Workspace, How to Create a Culture Of Performance in Your Office, and 5 Ways to Unlock Performance Through Your Office Design.
