[pullquote align=”normal” cite=”Doug Conant, Founder & CEO, Conant Leadership”]To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.[/pullquote]
We live in the age of the modern workplace. Your environment is a factor in how productive your people can be – as either a multiplier or divider.
In 2013, Google led the trend when they introduced the flexible workspace, allowing their employees to collaborate in a new, creative way. Grey cubicles are quickly becoming a thing of the past as new office designs with specialized collaboration rooms and quiet spaces become more ubiquitous. Companies are also adding new perks to lift company morale. Like, Overit, for example – who introduced hourly exercise breaks to keep their employees fit and happy, and companies like Amazon and Etsy who let employees bring their pets to work.
So is the best work environment one where you can do yoga in the conference room or bring your cockatiel to your desk? Maybe. But more specifically, the best work environment is where your people can be productive and satisfied, and it may not look the way you might have imagined.
Productive Trends to Watch
Recently, it’s been discovered that open floor plan offices may do more harm than good. Many women reported that offices with these plans make them uncomfortable because it gives them the feeling of constantly being under surveillance.
Another interesting fact is that more than 80% of employees don’t feel like being in the office is synonymous with their productivity. According to a study conducted by Fuze, most office workers believe that they could be equally or more productive at home than they are at the office. Many employees find open floor plan offices so distracting that they work remotely whenever possible.
So what does this mean for the modern workforce? Growing companies now more than ever have the option to take these trends and create choices for their employees. They have the option to let their employees work from home or from anywhere with a wifi connection. There’s also the phenomenon of temporary office share spaces like wework, where companies can rent out spaces to use as needed. Employees can come into the “office” for weekly conferences or to meet clients, even if they work remotely the rest of the week.
Ultimately, the modern office is a evolving entity that can fit the unique needs of your employees. Many companies have chosen to change the look of their workspaces as a way to boost morale. Other companies have integrated hybrid versions of remote workspaces, adding in ideas like “remote Fridays” where employees come into the office four days a week, but work from home the fifth day.
The Bottom Line
The most important thing is that you are taking into account the elements that will make your team happy. Do you have a mix of introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts? You’ll need a mix of spaces where internal processors can think without interruption as well as spaces where external processors can bounce ideas off of others. Do you need to add a kickboxing class or give your team access to the company yacht? Maybe not. But you definitely need to take their ideas into consideration if you want them to be both happy and productive in the workplace.
About Grow Business Now
At Grow Business Now, we work with senior leaders of privately held companies with scalable business models who want to overcome the 6 big obstacles to growth in record time.