As younger generations enter the workforce, more and more organisations are realising the connection between a positive employee experience and hiring the best talent. Recent research has found that millennials are the least engaged generation in the workplace, and companies are having to adapt their environments to increase retention.
Since there has been a growing interest around the type of workspace designs that work the best with millennials at workplaces we were intrigued to find out more. Here is what we found:
Adaptable Office Furniture:
Born out of the need for flexible working, adaptable office furniture ensures better communication and collaboration by encouraging employee interaction. A workplace or office space can become more effective, flexible, and efficient because adaptable office furniture supports a dynamic workforce rather than a static working environment.
There are huge gains to be made in employee performance with this solution, and the T-Mobile Offices Warsaw workplace design is a near-perfect example. They have incorporated a flexible workspace that can be used as an area to relax or work but also doubles up as a functional chess-set. It's the ideal place for employees to keep their minds stimulated and sharp during their downtime.
Though it is often suggested that this type of flexible working encourages employees to spend their working time less productively, research shows the inverse is true, and 58% of US companies reportedly saw an increase in profits after introducing a similar policy.
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Wall Murals:
It is widely agreed throughout the scientific community that the way in which the human mind perceives visual elements, including colours, can affect employee behaviour, productivity levels, emotion, and attitude.
Choosing the correct colour palette for a room can foster greater creativity, promote a better sense of purpose, or aid in employee relaxation, meaning that employees are more productive as a result.
Facebook’s Menlo Park Headquarters features a mural that captures the imagination of employees and visitors alike, and helps shape the identity of the workspace. It is also the perfect expression of the company’s culture and values, and helps to promote the corporate identity of the business.
Going Green:
Decorating a workspace with plants and shrubs is by no means a modern concept, yet a number of previously unknown benefits have only recently been discovered, and are far greater than just the aesthetics. Not only does greenery help employees feel rejuvenated and connected to nature, it also impacts wellness by enhancing the air quality of the office.
Urban Outfitters Campus Office has incorporated its own hanging gardens which employees can visit to get a breath of fresh air, relax, or conduct informal meetings. As humans are naturally drawn to areas with more greenery, such as parks and forests, having an office space with plants can help to increase employee communication and collaboration.
Going green can also have a positive impact on employee satisfaction levels, and experts from the Royal Horticultural Society say that bringing the outside inside can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue, resulting in a healthier work environment.
Health and Well-being Focus:
Workforce illness can be a challenge for any business. In an attempt to reduce these costs, lower absenteeism, and attract new talent, employers have begun to invest in their employees' health and well-being.
When looking at your well-being at work it is important to take an all-rounded approach. There are a range of smart ways you can incorporate good habits into your work-life. You can even go as far as suggesting a re-evaluation of the general office desking design and maybe even encourage an entire office refurb in an attempt to make your office more ergonomic-friendly.
After all, healthier employees make for a more productive and engaged workforce, as well as increasing cost-savings from reduced health care expenditure. It is for this reason that many organisations now employ on-site psychologists and massage therapists in their office space.
Other businesses run fitness class incentives or install gyms to encourage their workforce to lead a healthier lifestyle. Google Zurich takes this concept further still, with an indoor basketball court for its employees to use without having to leave the office.
Breakout Areas:
It’s become incredibly commonplace for majority of organisations to have a breakout area included in their office workspace. Past studies have shown that having an area in the workplace of this type surrounded with comfortable breakout furniture is supposed to greatly help with improving employee wellness.
The term breakout area simply describes any space open to employees that is separate from their usual working environment, and were first devised to improve wellness by providing an area for employees to relax and unwind away from their daily tasks.
Providing a space for employees to disconnect from their work not only helps to reduce their stress levels, but it’s also been found to increase productivity. This is because employees arrive back to their desk with a fresh mind-set and often a different outlook on the problem in hand.
Zynga's Headquarters is a great example of the type of breakout room that captures the imagination of its employees and can help them relax while away from their desks. The Zynga workspace is very animal-friendly and canine visitors sometimes make a welcome appearance in their breakout area, adding to the relaxation and fun-factor.
Although pets are proven to relieve stress, providing a place where your employees can play with dogs isn’t strictly required to reap at least some of the benefits!
To conclude:
Although some of the workspaces mentioned have gone to the extreme to motivate their staff, your organisation doesn't need to go to such lengths to improve employee productivity. Using workspace technology can encourage flexible working and help employees communicate and collaborate more efficiently. From desk utilisation to streamlined video conferencing, with strategic changes to your workspace, you can improve employee engagement, all the while saving money.
Collaborative Post
Aarti Ohri - Calibre Office Furniture & Ilvija Skerskane - Condeco
[Original Post]