The importance of employee satisfaction has been well documented over the past few decades. Employers across the globe are implementing innovative management and HR strategies to improve the workplace. But what part does office design play in making the office a happier and more productive place?
Office layouts can impact both influence employee happiness and productivity. Asking your employees what they want from a redesign can help drive a positive company culture and enable staff engagement.
1. What do they like about their current workspace?
The first question to ask is what they like about their current workspace. As the saying goes, ‘don’t fix what isn’t broken’. Some staff may love the ambience of an open plan office or love a spacious kitchen area. If there’s part of the office design that’s working well, don’t spend time and money changing it.
2. Do they work better collaboratively or independently?
It’s important to establish the working style of employees. This will help inform effective design choices. For instance, companies may think that their open-plan office is collaborative. But it may be the wrong environment for their employees.
Many have argued that open plan offices aren’t as suitable for collaborative environments as you might think. When it comes to brainstorming, people tend to prefer booking meeting rooms or modular office spaces – away from the noise.
Photo credit: Juan Fernando Castro
3. How important are transparency and privacy?
If transparency is important to your employees, then glass office partitions are an ideal choice. They provide confidentiality whilst also allowing natural light flow. For further privacy, glass partitions can be created with decorative glass manifestations. Which not only enhances branding but also offers extra privacy.
4. What is missing from the current office layout?
Employees may wish that there was comfortable seating in break rooms or that they had more desk space. When redesigning a new office, try to take everyone’s ideas into account. It will improve employee satisfaction in the long run, after most of us spend a lot of time in the work environment.
To discuss your office layout ideas and to find out more about how Applied Workplace can help you, get in touch with our friendly team on 01202 577 776. For a price for glass office partitions, use our free quote calculator.