Our people are our biggest asset, without them the great successes you achieve would not be possible. With everything that we have been through this past year with the global pandemic, your staff deserve that added attention now more than ever. So, how can you encourage your staff to return to work safely in a place where they can feel at their best and be at their most productive to perform?

We often hear the word productivity, but what is it and how can it best benefit your business? Productivity in definition terms is the output per worker measured in specific timelines, contexts and situations. When employees become more efficient, less labour is required to produce the same amount of revenue. Simply an increase in productivity means more profit! Making it a key element for the future growth and expansion of your business. 

The question now is, how can you make your staff more productive? Well, your office design & layout plays an extremely important role in how it affects your staff's productivity. Let's break it down further, an environment can influence people's mood, behaviour and motivation to act. 

For example, a cluttered office managers desk filled with extra equipment and paperwork breeds the same type of behaviour in people, inviting the rest of your staff to treat their spaces in the same way. However, as the office manager is a lead example for employees to look up to if their space were minimal, bright and have ample storage space in order to keep everything tidy it would encourage people to keep their space and treat the rest of the office in this way too.

It is a combination of setting an example, introducing clean policy rules and smartly designing your environment to be efficient and stimulate productive behaviour. There has been thorough research done into the effects our environment has on our psychology. According to studies conducted on workplace productivity, it is said that a well-designed office actually equates to a 20% increase in staff productivity.

The best and most effective way you can invest in your staff's productivity whilst also investing in new implications required for the future of office life and complying with the 'new normal' is by redesigning your office space. Basically tackling two investments in one! There are many factors we need to consider on what makes a space productive for its users. Firstly understanding what motivates us as human beings is an extremely foundational factor. We have been able to distinguish this into 4 main influencing design elements, which are: Space Planning, Nature & Plants, Light & Atmosphere and Colour & Mood.

Let's further break these down:

Space Planning: 

Correct and proper space planning will ensure you are maximising the use of your office space. Creating a space plan that is tailored to the team's workflow influencing productivity by developing a way to simultaneously save time and add comfort. Having the appropriate distance and differentiation between workstations and break out areas is also extremely important, in order to fully switch off in one area and be completely focused in another. This can be created through floor design utilising different textures and colours for each space (for example deeper carpets create a more relaxing feel). Allow the space to be intuitive, creating effortless flow as you move through the space with everything your team needs on hand at accessible ease to perform at their best.

Nature & Plants: 

We all know by now the positive effects that biophilic design has on our wellbeing. To be specific and get sciency, plantlife increases oxygen levels in the workplace which in turn, decreases mental fatigue and increases concentration levels, and some would argue overall productivity. 

Light & Atmosphere:

Enhancing natural light for regulating our circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythms are our internal clocks that tell our bodies when to get up, eat and sleep through a 24-hour cycle. We believe that humans are genetically programmed to perform better under specific lighting, which is what allows us to react differently depending on our light environment.

Colour & Mood: 

Are you aware of colour psychology? Colours have a huge impact on our moods and behaviours. Simply picking a colour because you 'like' it actually is not beneficial to the impact it will have on your staff's productivity. With our expertise, we are able to balance out colour hues that are able to evoke positive and productive behaviours in people and still keeping the consistency of your companies branded colours.

We are at another pinnacle point of change in the evolution of the modern office. But, despite the office trends of the past, the one thing that will always remain is the impact that the office environment has on employee health, wellbeing and productivity. According to the Fellowes Workplace Wellness Trend Report, 87% of workers would like their workspace to offer wellness rooms, sit-stands, and ergonomic seating. With such a large percentage requiring more from their workplace, this may just make investing in redesigning your office space a top priority to ensure you are retaining and attracting top talent!

Has this made you think about where you should be investing your time and resources this year? We are on hand to help, book in a free consultation with one of our experts to dive in deep into your requirements and discuss how we can implement smart design throughout your office space that will ensure to boost your staff's productivity and in turn your revenue!