How to Improve Company Culture Through Office Design:
There are many aspects to consider when trying to improve your company culture, and your office design is one of these important aspects. There are various elements of office design that need to be considered. We have highlighted four major elements below.
1.) Comfort.
When designing your office space, incorporating a sense of comfort and hominess that is conducive to a work environment is an important element. The use of ergonomically designed furniture, sit-stand desks, flexible work spaces and a clean and modern food area are a few examples of ways to allow comfort for your employees. Office furniture is a great investment, as it ensures that your employees are comfortable at all times throughout the work day, ensuring they are highly productive.
2.) Layout
When deciding on the type of layout that works best for your work environment, there are various options that need to be considered. To determine which option works best for your company, you need to engage with your employees or various departments to see what will work best for them.
An open plan layout with pause areas and some private areas is becoming very popular, as it contributes to both transparency and productivity in the office. Providing common areas such as cafés/canteens is an important consideration. Ensuring that people or departments who work closely together are placed near each other is an important consideration. Having a flexible work layout contributes to higher engagement and a more positive atmosphere overall. A workspace layout that allows for higher engagement leads to happier employees which leads to a better company culture.
3.) Lighting
Lighting in an office space has been found to have a major impact on the wellness of your staff as well as their productivity. Bright lighting has been proved to contribute to a decrease in overall wellness, whereas softer lighting can create a more comfortable working environment. The use of natural light is always ideal and should be incorporated if and where possible.
4.) Nature
To align with what was previously mentioned creating a sense of hominess and comfort, the use of nature such as plants in the office should also be used. Bringing the outdoors into the office can be done through the use of plants or large windows near outdoor gardens and views, having an impact on employee’s mental state.
When designing your new office space or redesigning your existing office space taking all the above aspects into consideration can assist in making your staff feel more comfortable and more valued resulting in higher productive output at work.
If you or your organisation need assistance with upgrading, revamping or re-evaluating your office needs and design, contact SSQ Design. info@ssqdesign.co.za. 011 792 1241