Well-designed workspaces have a direct effect on productivity
Posted by the International Business Timeson November 20, 2017:
One of the hallmarks of successful employers over the next few years will be their ability to make the most of their use of digital technology to improve the working lives of their people.
A combination of skill shortages and declining working populations in many developed economies will make human talent the key workplace component and the scarcest economic resource for the next decade. To attract and retain the best people (especially the creative ones), employers will need to make the daily experience of working as satisfying as possible.
But decision-makers in some organisations seem to feel that the potential for business transformation through taking this route is overstated.
In contrast, recruiters and facilities managers who deal with employees (particularly the younger ones) realise that the generations coming through take working conditions into account when they decide which job offers to accept.
The physical work environment — from the quality of the in-house cafe to the bike facilities to the flexibility of the workspace — is a central issue for this generation. Many of them even ask to see round the premises before deciding whether to join a particular employer.
And human resources directors who are in touch with their workforces are increasingly finding that employees want to engage with them in order to adapt the environment to their preferences. One global digital technology company has just added bike servicing in its HQ in response to staff requests.
Paying for the mechanic is worth the extra cost to that business since many employees cycle each day and the company wants them to be healthy and happy.
Relatively small decisions like hiring that mechanic, improving food and beverage provision or providing more flexibility have the potential to improve staff morale, creativity and productivity — especially when employers act on suggestions from their workers, monitor their use of the workplace and focus on continuous improvement.