How your office design impacts team performance

Written by Admin on 24/01/2016. Posted in Workplace

A happy team is a productive team. Your office design has a substantial influence on your employees’ happiness so as 2016 gets into swing, Evoke Projects looks at how a new office fitout can improve the team performance in your workplace and also help you become an ‘employer of choice’.

Get motivated! Be productive!

If you have any doubts about the benefits of motivation in the office, think about your own performance when tasks need doing. Motivation will increase or decrease depending on your mood. Motivation affects your enthusiasm, concentration and ability to do a job well, which has a direct impact on productivity. If you undertake a new office fitout, you can expect an increase in productivity because staff are motivated. According to research, the productivity increase can be as high as 36%.

Why does a new office fitout improve motivation?

Over the years, clutter builds up at work just as it does in the home. An office fitout or refurbishment is usually the driver for a big clean up and employees will arrive each day to a fresh looking, clean workspace. Then of course you have the fresh interior décor and modern furniture, not to mention that ‘new smell’ that makes people feel good (think of a new car)!

Staff know that a new office fitout is a large investment in the business and in them. This gives them an emotional commitment to your business and makes them optimistic about their future prospects, driving motivation in the workplace.

Culture change

Over time, as you’re more motivated and productive staff work together and influence others, the entire culture of your business can actually change. Evoke Projects has had unexpected feedback from clients long after their office fitout has been completed. They have retained highly skilled staff that they were in danger of losing. They have gained a reputation for being an ‘employer of choice’ and can have the pick of candidates when hiring. All of this stems from a more positive can-do culture that is absolutely contagious and permeates the entire organisation.

Improved collaboration and teamwork

When undertaking a new office design, you have the opportunity to revolutionise the layout and office dynamics. Evoke Projects works with clients every day on implementation of new office designs for better collaboration. All businesses are different of course but interior design and layout solutions often include activity based working, flexible working, hot-desking and ‘hoteling’ desk reservation systems. For more on these office design and workplace models, please see Evoke Projects’ article on Bringing Collaboration into the Workplace.

Reduced office costs

An investment in an office fitout can reduce long term office space and running costs. Of course, an increase in work outputs and the quality of work performed will reduce business costs through more efficient use of resources and greater productivity. But you can also save cold, hard cash through a well-planned and designed office fitout or refurbishment.

These cost saving opportunities come from:

• Environmentally sustainable initiatives to reduce energy consumption costs (also see Evoke Projects’ recent article on office lighting)
• Office space planning to reduce the square metre space required per person
• Modular furniture that can be adapted to suit your requirements
• Office designs that include dividers and partitions instead of walls to accommodate changes in headcount
• Modern and efficient technology that accompanies a new office fitout.

Technology and flexible working

On that last point about new technology, investment in devices that enable more flexible working (e.g. from home or on the road) is rarely wasted. We no longer live in a 9-5 world and the easier you make it for your staff to work, the more work they will do! In particular, mobile technology encourages collaboration and completion of tasks because nobody likes the Unread Messages to build up. Do not restrict your office fitout planning to what happens inside the office, think about the big picture and how you can improve your team performance.

Please call Evoke Projects on 1300 720 692 to find out more about office design and office refurbishment to suit the diversified business.

Book a meeting Call 1300 720 692