The Power of Space: How workplace design can impact Organizational success
When you think about an office, what type of image pops up in your mind? Is it endless cubicles or is it an openly laid out office with no separations??Or is it a mix of an open space with few cubicles for the senior management?
While office space constitutes a significant portion of the expenses for an organization, its cost-benefit impact lies beyond what is evident in the numbers. In the modern workplace, money is no longer the sole motivating factor for employees. Many view their jobs as experiences, and companies can enhance that experience & ultimately employee productivity through thoughtful office design.
As per research, on average, workers are interrupted every 11 minutes, and it takes a shocking 25 minutes to return to their original task after an interruption. As a result, a great deal of productivity is lost in a day without even realizing it.??
One common office layout, found in almost 70% of offices, is the open-floor design and this layout comes with its own benefits & challenges. Additionally, the office layout and design are generally found to be similar across all divisions and verticals in an organization & little consideration is given to the job role-specific requirements.
Though, open office layouts have several positives that contribute to a more dynamic & collaborative work environment. They enhance accessibility, allowing easy communication with colleagues without leaving one's seat. Additionally, open offices foster stronger social bonds by encouraging interactions beyond work-related matters, leading to positive relationships and better support during tasks. Moreover, the open setup promotes a higher rate of exchange of ideas, facilitating innovative discussions and diverse opinions among colleagues, thereby enhancing creativity and collaboration within the team.
However, the challenges associated with open office layouts can sometimes outweigh the benefits.
Based on my experience, a few of the challenges encountered routinely are –
Privacy: ?Employees in such setups often feel continuously monitored, as passersby can easily glance at their screens, leading to discomfort when working on non-routine or confidential tasks. Moreover, the lack of privacy may prompt employees to step out of the office space, even for brief personal calls, ultimately impacting productivity. ?
Concentration & Focus Struggles: Knowledge-based job roles require concentration and focus, and constant background noise impact cognitive abilities, making it difficult for employees to concentrate on complex tasks that require deeper thought. I have personally experienced people delaying the "real work" until after office hours when they can concentrate without any distractions. This not only decreases productivity but as well as puts psychological stress on the employees. In the post-COVID era, this issue has been further exacerbated, especially as online meetings with external stakeholders have become the preferred mode of communication. While one has to be extra cautious not to discuss sensitive information within earshot, on the other hand during routine conversations it can unintentionally distract nearby colleagues, adversely affecting their productivity.
Employee Well-being: Open office spaces create unnecessary pressure on employees to remain at their desks most of the time, as both managers and colleagues can keep a watchful eye. The fear of constant scrutiny may also lead employees to stay late at the office until their boss leaves. Such circumstances impose undue psychological pressure on employees, where the number of hours worked seems to outweigh the importance of work efficiency. This can be demotivating for employees as it disincentivizes optimal performance and can significantly influence the work culture dynamics within the team & across the organization.
Though Tech. & New age companies have understood the importance of workplace design & have focused considerably on office design & layout, the traditional & core sector industries are yet to catch up even though knowledge-based roles have increased considerably.
For example, Microsoft, in 2014 began the remodeling of its 800 global offices considering the expectation of future workforce with the aim to foster a more collaborative & learning-driven culture. A similar approach has been taken by other companies in the tech space such as Google, Adobe, Meta, etc.
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Though not every company needs to take up office space transformation at such a large scale. They just need to move away from one size fits all approach & take an approach that is more job role specific.
Some companies in the traditional sectors too have already realized the importance of workspace design. Ford Motor Company has taken a cue from tech. companies such as Google & Microsoft in an aim to improve employee retention & workplace satisfaction and is creating a more flexible office layout with a mix of collaborative and private spaces at its Michigan Campus which houses most of the Research & Tech. engineers.
So, how can companies approach workplace design?
In my opinion, the key to an ideal workplace design lies in finding a balance that caters to the specific needs of employees and job roles. One approach could involve incorporating both open-floor layouts and private spaces where employees can retreat when focus and privacy is required. Although implementing such a design change may involve a higher upfront cost, the long-term benefits, including improved employee experience and productivity, make it a worthwhile investment. By creating a stress-free and comfortable environment that considers privacy, collaboration, and job-specific requirements, organizations can significantly improve workplace productivity and ultimately achieve their bottom-line goals.
References -
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System Simulations | Electromobility
1 年Workplace design reflects the philosophy of organisation. In my view, organisations should adapt and evolve to do minor changes in office layout for employee motivation. Very good analysis Tushar!
Product Manager, Connected cars, Hyundai India || Ex- Gomechanic || Ex Maruti Suzuki || Ex Hero Motocorp
1 年Well written..