There are all sorts of reasons why companies experience a low level of employee engagement and productivity. Sometimes it is attributable to management style, toxic coworkers, lack of recognition, poor benefits, poor communication, too many meetings, pursuing confusing or contradictory objectives, not having enough time to do the work, fending off ruthless competitors, or trying to satisfy difficult customers.
With all of these potential productivity killers to worry about, it’s not surprising that many company leaders overlook one cause of bad productivity that is literally right under their noses every minute they’re at work — the office space itself.
The infographic below, How to Maximise Productivity in Office and Building Design, provides five fundamental design ideas that are proven to boost employee engagement and productivity (the two always go hand-in-hand). It is very important reading for company leaders, human resource specialists, and anyone working in the commercial property management field.
One area of office design that has been especially perplexing in recent years is whether to go with an open concept or maximise employee privacy with cubicles and high dividers. For a long while, open offices were all the rage — until reports began cropping up about how open workspace design was not exactly being embraced by employees.
Both extremes, wide open and closed-off workspaces, have their advantages and disadvantages, but the infographic describes the ideal solution, which is to provide employees with a variety of workspace options that best fits the various types of work that the staff engages in. All people desire a certain level of private space, but there are times when teams of various sizes need to meet — a good, productivity-enhancing office design incorporates spaces to accommodate both needs. If variety is the spice of life, a variety of workspaces is certainly the spice of employee engagement, and perhaps more.
Noise reduction is another very important area connected with productivity. Clearly, it is hard to concentrate when trying to tune out unpleasant and/or loud background noise. Reducing noise levels may be as simple as adding a lot of greenery (another important productivity-enhancing idea in itself), or it can involve installing new sound-absorbing building materials to floors, walls and ceilings. Whatever the case, improvements in this area, along with the others described in the infographic, will generate a solid return by bringing team performance up to a whole new level of productivity.
For more information about these office productivity issues, please continue reading.
How to Maximise Productivity in Office & Building Design from USG Corporation
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