Great Office Design equals better Employee Perfomance
Published by Niall Devitt, Btb Business Training
A recent survey by prominent corporate architecture firm, Gensler claims that half of all employees would work an extra hour per day if they had a better workplace. In fact many workplace studies have shown that a well-designed office is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to both retain employees and increase productivity.
While many large organisations know about and reap the benefits of designing great office spaces, smaller companies too often expect their people to work in badly lit, poorly ventilated, cramped and simply downright ugly working environments.
Elements to look out for when evaluating how well your office performs in relation to working environment and productivity are:
Spatial equity: Do workers have enough space to accomplish tasks?
Healthfulness: Does the workplace offer clean air and water, sufficient artificial and natural light, and freedom from distracting noises and smells?
Flexibility: Can the workplace be rapidly adjusted to respond to industry-related challenges?
Comfort: Can workers adjust light, temperature, furnishings, and acoustic levels to their preferences?
Connectivity: Can on- and off-site workers share the same networks and data and communicate easily? Is there connectivity for workers who change work modes often — such as working from home and rotating among offices in “hotel” cubicles?
Reliability: Are technology systems and physical plant systems (heat, cooling, water) reliable and consistent? Are upgrades necessary as an expanding office pulls on resources?
Sense of place: Does the workplace decor and atmosphere mirror the company’s brand or mission? Does the workplace create a culture appropriate to the work done there
Every company should audit their office space at least once a year to see if improvements can be made and Involving employees in this process is a good idea as it demonstrates to the workforce that you the employer care and value their working well being . Very often this is a win win situation for employer as it lightly to lead to increased employee productivity and ultimately profits in the long run.
Tags: Employee Performance, employee performance management, office design