The return to work(place): 5 ways your workplace can impact DE&I

Today's workplaces have evolved beyond the paradigm of productivity towards environments that emphasize human needs, connectivity, collaboration, and creativity. While discussions on the Return to Office (RTO) debate often revolve around productivity and collaboration, I propose a new objective: prioritizing diversity among people.

Picture an environment that empowers individuals to excel in their unique ways, where traditional productivity metrics take a back seat to human-centric measurements like attraction, retention, employee engagement, and promotion rates. Companies like Atlassian and Allstate are already shifting their real estate performance evaluations to include inclusivity, autonomy, and flexibility, highlighting the profound impact of office design on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

If work is no longer confined to the four walls of an office, how should organizations design office spaces to help their employees thrive?

Inclusive design relies on scalability—the idea that needs can be addressed within a set of principles and flexible solutions. A well-designed office can accommodate a variety of cognitive, cultural, and physiological needs, enabling individuals to work in the best way possible for them. In practice, it’s impossible to design a single space that is all things to everyone, but here are 5 aspects you should consider when evaluating the effectiveness of your workplace.

1. Accessibility & 2. Legibility

The workplace can and should be designed as a level playing field, enabling everyone to use it as they need, whether it’s every day, once a week, or once a quarter. Start with a location strategy that supports different modes of transportation, considering the possible physical and/or financial barriers of commuting. When selecting a building and space, ensure the availability of accessible entrances, lifts, and restrooms. Don’t forget that workstations, meeting rooms, and focus spaces should accommodate different mobility needs.?

Once your space is selected, create a legible floorplan (hint: avoid cubicle mazes or vast swaths of open desks) with clear wayfinding and signage. This helps to anchor users and allows them to better navigate the space. And if you’re creating different space typologies, consider how their design visually communicates their purpose and how they should be used. (There’s nothing worse than a neighbor taking call after call in a focus zone!)??

3. Neurodiversity

Understanding the different ways our brains process information, react to stimuli, and maintain focus are just a few of the considerations when designing for a neurodiverse workforce .

The most successful workplaces embed a combination of ambient areas for collaboration and social interaction, interim spaces for short-term focus (think emailing and admin tasks), and quiet zones for intense, deep focus.?

Don’t forget about the need for restoration; this can take the shape of solo rooms, outdoor spaces, and purpose-built corners. Bonus: offering both bookable and non-bookable workstations and spaces gives opportunity for those who thrive in familiar environments and regular rhythms to reserve them.

4. Cultural differences

Cultural differences at work can be influenced by a host of factors, including nationality, religion, age, gender, and even job role.

Be cognizant of how people work together, socialize together, and communicate with one another. Consider how different generations collaborate, communicate, and use the workplace.

National identity can impact the way people socialize and gather, the hours in which they use the office, and what spaces are most valued. Job roles and team dynamics can dictate how often teams come together and how formal and structured their collaboration is.

5. Physiological needs

It may seem obvious, but ensuring comfort, adjustability, and ergonomic support for a wide range of body types is a baseline necessity for inclusive workplaces. Beyond health and safety, studies have shown that access to natural light and outdoor elements can have a huge impact on reducing stress levels at work; critical to those in high-stress jobs or who struggle with a stress-related disorder.

Thermal comfort and control can affect psychological safety as well as physical well-being, especially for pregnant and menopausal individuals. Private lactation spaces can ease the return-to-work stress for new mothers and, as a bonus, can flex as spaces for individual restoration. Additionally, ensuring access to quiet and private spaces is crucial to enable individuals to work comfortably, free from additional stress.

Making work more human

If we want to be truly inclusive in society and commercially in business, organizations need to start thinking about how to create workplaces that reflect the diversity of their people. Then, when individuals do choose to come to the office, their environment can facilitate a positive, inviting experience and help them feel immediately at home - no matter what they have come there to do.?

While organizations are bringing much-needed change to the workplace, what will this step towards inclusive offices look like in the future? Follow us to explore this evolution in our upcoming article.