Fewer than a third of UK workers are happy with their office environments, claiming they are too noisy and detrimental to their mental and physical health. So, how can companies ensure staff remain fruitful, creative and, most importantly, happy at work?
In recent years, there has been a backlash against desk-based open-plan offices and a move towards a “palette of places”, according to a recent New York Times article. Noting the mounting research on building design and employee wellbeing, creativity and productivity, companies are providing standing desks, breakout spaces, individual pods or even areas where tech is banned – in a bid to give workers a variety of environments to work in.
It’s not just startups favouring activity-based workplace design over individual desks either. Companies across a range of industries are doing so, with the aim of boosting the exchange of ideas and, consequently, productivity. So, what concrete steps can small businesses take to overhaul their workspaces?
Offer varied workstations
“Not every employee works the same, so the office space should reflect this,” says Steve Taylor, project director at London-based office-redesign company Peldon Rose. “Offices should provide opportunities for employees to work in different locations, including quiet and outdoor spaces, with lower lighting etc. But you also need spaces where employees can create collaboratively, huddle and cross communicate.”
Taylor recommends removing 25% of desks and replacing them with inspiring spaces that encourage play and socialising.
To foster an atmosphere of fun and collaboration, US data firm Splunk has themed meeting rooms in its London office. “We chose to draw on influences from the local Paddington area,” says Matt Davies, head of marketing for EMEA. “This inspired everything from the original 1950s Pullman train carriage and the quintessentially British Tardis meeting room, to the London underground theme of our meeting spaces. Our teams often work cross-functionally, so most important was to create an open-plan space where staff could come together, not only to collaborate but also to have fun.”
Peace and quiet shouldn’t be overlooked, however, and private areas should be just as easily available. In its semi-open-plan office, betting exchange company Smarkets has soundproof booths for staff to think or make phone calls, plus a meditation room in which phones and electronics are banned. Likewise, ad agency Wieden+Kennedy London, created more quiet spaces during an office refurbishment last year, says Ronny Harmes, head of facilities. “We love the atmosphere in the agency, where nobody has a separate office and everyone sits together, but that vibrant, often chaotic environment needed some quiet space for people to escape.”
Let the outside in
One way companies can vary their workspaces is by enhancing the provision of sunlight and outdoor views and by bringing greenery into the office – all of which have been shown to improve wellbeing and productiveness. Students’ attentiveness is significantly higher in rooms containing plants, research by the Royal College of Agriculture in Cirencester found. What’s more, exposure to sunlight and outdoor views results in 6% fewer sick days, research from the University of Oregon indicates.
London-based health business Babylon has a tree in the middle of its office and various flowers and plants, evoking the hanging gardens of its namesake, says Rebecca Ingram, director of talent. “Not only does this help to create a tranquil and inspiring setting for our employees to work, it’s also a reminder of Babylon’s beginnings and our vision for the future.”
Get employees moving
Copious studies have touted the benefits of exercise and walking on creativity and wellbeing, so offices should reflect this. Peldon Rose designs environments to ensure employees won’t be tied to their workplaces all day with, for example, height-adjustable desks, a coffee bar or a gym in the building. In a survey it conducted earlier this year, 66% of employees said they’d spend more hours in the office if extra facilities were provided, highlighting how small changes could make a big impact on mood, relationships and productivity.
“We have sit-stand desks with wheels, so it’s easy for any team member to quickly move their workstation to another room if they need to work with another team,” says Jason Trost, founder and CEO of Smarkets. “Being able to sit and stand throughout the day is good for health and posture and we like to allow as much natural light in as possible.”
Create opportunities for bonding
Facilitating collaboration and bonding through workspace design is another surefire way to boost creativity and productivity. Offices that promote eating together, for example, are more productive because feelings of trust and comradery develop more easily, says Taylor. “Staff bonding also provides opportunities for [people] to share information, making it less likely that there will be repeated work or tasks in the future.”
Jon Wilkins, executive chairman of communications agency Karmarama, says that while staff still have individual desks, the office layout encourages cross-departmental teamwork. “Having every discipline – from our data team to the creatives to our PR department – across one floor means we can ditch emails and phones and speak to each other in person, making the office more efficient and personable.”
The most important thing?
Research by organisational psychologist Craig Knight suggests the key to productivity lies in an “empowered office environment”, in which workers choose their own conditions – a philosophy that’s easy to live by when there are plenty of different workspaces available. Such environments can increase productivity on cognitive tasks by 25% or more, he found.
“The most common problem with office design is that it’s too static – it doesn’t empower or engage staff,” says Taylor, adding that people need multipurpose spaces – which, luckily, are also space-efficient – to thrive. “Today’s modern employee doesn’t work in a traditional way, seated at their desk. The best work comes from socialisation, when employees have the opportunity to play, meet and have ‘spark’ moments where they can engage with colleagues socially.”
Peldon Rose’s survey also found that while 59% of employees feel most productive working in the office, 33% wish they were more trusted by their employer to manage how and when they work. It sounds like a no-brainer.
Content on this page is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with Kia Fleet, which also supports the Guardian Small Business Network Accessing Expertise hub.
.jpg?w=600)
