Your company workspace is more than a collection of desks, laptops and chairs. The physical workplace environment shapes the way your employees work as well as their physical and psychological well-being and employees need to feel comfortable at work. For example, an employee that is subjected to a rickety desk everyday will lose productivity, even though it might seem like a slight irritation. Because every time it moves, they concentrate on their wonky desk instead of on their work. This demonstrates the importance of paying careful attention to your office spaces – your employees will thank you for it. We take a closer look at the affect office design has on your company’s corporate culture.
What is a company culture?
Physically changing your office space has the potential to drive an improvement. It can encourage a positive company culture and drive innovation and employee productivity. What is company culture? Simply put, it’s the collective personality of the company that everyone in the organisation creates. Going to a rock concert you would act differently than if you were attending a symphony orchestra. Although both are music events, there is a set of unwritten rules on how to handle oneself in each setting.
An organisation works in the same way. The culture of a workplace setting is made up of a system of shared beliefs and values that governs the way in which employees represent themselves and dictates how they act, dress and perform their jobs. Each organisation has its own unique culture whether developing, as in a startup, or established over generations and passed down from employee-to-employee.
According to Fast Company’s Co. Design, and co-CEO of Gensler, Diane Hoskins, “Design can connect people to the purpose of the organisation.” To accomplish this she suggests finding architectural and decorative ways to show off what the company is about. For a company that sells handmade products they could make use of locally-made furniture. A company with a deep history “could use environmental graphics to tie together the company’s past and present”. It’s about choosing decor that is appropriate. Decorating a law firm with beach-themed artworks, for example, would be out of place.
Listen to what your employees want
To meet the needs of your employees and clients, you cannot function in a bubble. As much as executives want to shape and control how the culture is developed they have to let go of the reins to some extent. You need to listen to what your employees want regarding their working environment. If you’re thinking about changing your office space, do a company wide survey to determine what your employees would like in terms of physical amenities. Some of the things employees might want include open-floor plans, more collaboration and dedicated office spaces, nearby food courts and convenient transportation.
You may be thinking, didn’t I read somewhere that open offices are a bad concept? According to Bizjournals, employees need to see each other in order to initiate face-to-face interaction. If employees cannot see their colleagues, they will alienate themselves and collaboration cannot take place. “When employees physically move about the office, conversations happen, new ideas are born and relationships are enhanced.” This is why the use of glass walls are so important, they “create a palpable sense of energy and revitalisation in the workplace.”
Add vinyl art to your glass walls or dividers to give your employees an unexpected surprise. Installing vinyl art in your office with give your workspace a fresh, chic and professional look, while promoting an uncluttered and neat atmosphere. Download our company brochure for more information.
Image Credit: http://architizer.com/blog/studio-tag/
