Insights from the forefront of future of work thought leadership

Corporate offices today face numerous challenges in adapting to the changing work landscape. Key Issues include;

1. Choosing the right working model - mandatory five-day office attendance or flexible schedules? Each choice affects productivity, morale, and retention.
2. Underused office spaces are costly- what space is essential in this hybrid work era?
3. Remote work impacts culture - complicating staff bonding and collaboration.
4. The right mix of activity-based work areas - Teams often feel detached from workplace design, not understanding its purpose.

These challenges highlight the need for a strategic workplace approach—aligning the environment with business goals, employee needs, and growth. A strong workplace strategy helps companies support collaboration, culture, and efficiency while adapting to uncertainties. This article explores key steps to develop a strategy that integrates physical space, policy, and technology for a cohesive, productive environment.

How a Workplace Strategy Can Help

A workplace strategy supports your business’s overall strategy and goals. By fusing the two from the very beginning, you can ensure they remain aligned through office relocations, refurbishments and for business as usual too.

A good design is based on hard data and observations about how people work, and it aims to create a workplace that will support the business’s goals and strategy long into the future, as the business grows and evolves. 

A workplace strategy demands a significant amount of analysis, study and expertise. Some of the common areas to explore are office space utilisation and employee data, office design, facilities management and planning for the company’s future (considerations that may be missed if you jump to your office fitout requirements without a strategy in place).

But all of this research and data isn’t just to make your space look great, it has further implications—a clever and skilful workplace strategy:

• Prepares your business for external uncertainty through forecasting
• Identifies the best ways of working to improve efficiency and productivity, ultimately improving revenue and profitability
• Produces a plan and framework for smart organisation change
• Attracts talent and keeps existing staff happy by delivering a stable and well thought out work environment
• Supports broader business objectives and goals

The Key Steps to Developing a Workplace Strategy

Now that you know the benefits of a workplace strategy, let’s look at developing a strategy for your new office space. Some things to consider initially:

• Physical space
  The most obvious place to start is the actual physical space of the office. We’re talking about the different environments employees use to do their work – desks, breakout areas, offices, meeting rooms etc. Consider the furniture and how the office fixtures are laid out. How do these support your employees in their work?

• Policy
  As with any change, workplace strategy implementation will be met with resistance from some parts or people in the business. Backing up the reasons for implementation with your employees with internal policies around communication, behavioural change and training will support a smooth transition.

• Workplace technology
  As workplaces evolve with remote working becoming more popular and activity-based working being more widely adopted, technology is increasingly being used to ensure an effective and agile workplace. Consider how technology can aid your employees to work in their optimal style and how this process can be made as seamless as possible.

Keeping these things in mind, let’s jump into the steps to developing a workplace design strategy:

1. Audit your current work environment

Whether you are planning on an office relocation, a refurbishment or simply a refresh, it’s important to start with an audit of the current situation. Without solid data, any plans or strategy you put in place will be assumption and guesswork. A workplace audit will arm you with data to make informed decisions based on an understanding of workplace needs and wants across your employees of all levels.

Things to include in your workplace audit:

• The nature of work
• Where they work
• The hours people work
• The blend of work activities (collaboration, meetings, phone calls, private work etc.)
• The technology required to support the work
• Storage requirements and how technology should be implemented to go paper lite
• Any support services required

2. Understand how space is currently being used

An audit is a good place to start to understand how your office space is currently being used. But you’ll also want to talk with employees to identify trends in their needs and wants and compare these against best practice in workplace design.

A survey is an important tool to build an understanding of how the workplace is changing, growing and how employees’ patterns of work are shifting in your business. A survey can also give you insights over the dominant types of work activities in your business, and consequently the amount and type of workspace which should be dedicated to different kinds of activities.

3. Get input from a variety of people in the business

When you’re surveying employees ensure you are getting feedback from all levels of the business. Beyond surveying, it’s also a good idea to arrange personal interviews and/or workshops with a selection of employees in different roles, departments and with varying levels of responsibility.

Interviews, surveys and workshops can help you to understand the needs and desires of individuals, teams and departments. Remember, these activities are all about listening and gathering data. You can then use this information to analyse trends and make informed decisions in your workplace strategy.

4. Consider the future

A workplace strategy shouldn’t only be focussed on the current workplace situation, it should also look to the future of the business. With an ever-competitive market, many workplaces are turning to innovative and technologically advanced workplaces to attract talent and support their employees. With this in mind consider how you can support new work trends by asking these questions:

• How is the business going to evolve in the next 3, 5 and 10 years?
• What activities do employees currently undertake that won’t be required in the future?
• How will the way employees work evolve?
• How can collaboration be enhanced with more remote workers entering the mix?
• What are the options to improve workstation utilisation given new ways of working?

5. Select the right workplace technology

While it’s getting hard to keep up with technology, innovation through workplace design will look to the future and embed technology solutions that help employees work as efficiently as possible. It’s important not to get caught up in the ‘latest and greatest’ but to evaluate each tool, develop a clear understanding of the benefits it can provide and figure out if it will give you a good return on investment. Start with identifying what issues you are solving/supporting through technology, then analyse what technologies are available to solve and support the need.

Ask these questions:

• Will this technology increase efficiency and productivity?
• Does this technology align with our business goals and objectives?
• Is this technology the best tool for the job?
• Are there alternatives to consider?
• How can ROI be measured?

6. Consider costs

As with any business strategy implementation, costs need to be taken into consideration. The project budget is set in the early strategy session with the executives. Make sure there is detailed and continuously monitored budgeting to ensure costs are being controlled across the complete process of your workplace strategy being executed. 

Conclusion

Each company is unique, and crafting a comprehensive workplace strategy that tailors design decisions to fit specific work styles and models can be an intricate endeavor. Engaging an expert workplace strategist often proves invaluable, ensuring your business makes informed and impactful permanent changes.

Find out more here:

Around 59% of people say they’re disengaged from their jobs and this can lead to a barrage of challenges, including staff burnout, lower employee retention and major impediments to company productivity. When staff are engaged, they’re better equipped to fulfil their tasks, remain motivated and display company loyalty. To ensure that your employees remain engaged in their role and committed to your company’s greater mission it is fundamental to keep up with the evolving workplace expectations. 

In part 2 of this blog series, we break down the emerging workplace expectations and how organisations can better manage employee engagement to keep up and stay ahead.  

Creating a workplace as a service

Like its distant cousin Software as a Service (SaaS), Workplace as a service (WaaS) is driven by technology developments and evolving business demands but is focused on the work environment specifically. WaaS comprises cybersecurity, cloud services, software and hardware like laptops, printers, monitors and phones - so, everything an organisation and its staff needs to function in a workspace. Rather than being bought, these are leased by service providers. 

Not only does this offer greater data security, reliability and budget transparency, but this also takes employee flexibility to new heights which in turn, attracts top talent and caters to all working styles. This model allows companies to have a productive, tailor-made space that aligns with the needs and culture of the organisation. 

Neurodiverse spaces 

Many business leaders are well acquainted with the advantages of having employee diversity spanning across culture, gender, and disciplinary training. Perhaps lesser-known but equally advantageous are the benefits organisations can gain from neurodivergent talent as they bring fresh perspectives to a company’s mission and can recognise opportunities through a new lens. So, designing workplaces that nurture neurodiversity not only allows talent to feel included and function well, it’s an all-important aspect of good business. 

Workplaces can be designed to be inclusive of neurodivergent talent; from simple and intuitive wayfinding, to sensory stimulation, to the thoughtful use of colour and light, to limiting noise-induced distractions through considered acoustics. 

Hybrid working 

Now a widespread workplace expectation across the country, employees have taken a liking to hybrid working and have seen the merit in this model’s flexibility. In fact, 74% of the Australian workforce prefer working in hybrid environments. With this convincing figure, it’s imperative for organisational leaders to provide a variety of tools and resources that cater to both remote and in-office employees. 

This involves making technology, culture, security and company programs inclusive and accessible for each individual employee’s working needs. Value is best delivered through a workplace strategy that informs how to keep on-site and off-site teams motivated, engaged and productive. 

Smart buildings 

Again blending the physical workplace with advanced tech, smart buildings have revolutionised the role of the office to accommodate the workforce of the 21st century. And as tech-wise, Gen Z employees become an increasingly prominent percentage of the workforce, not considering what this demographic needs to be engaged and productive in their work would be a huge misstep for organisations. Smart buildings are an important tool for connecting employees and retaining them. The data obtained from smart building technologies provide insights into usage patterns and preferences and can include tech such as: 

• Real-time analytics of how people use spaces to help with the efficient and economical use of resources
• Lighting and temperature control so employees can choose a cool mellow space or a warm, well-lit area to conduct meetings or complete tasks
• Booking systems for tables or conference rooms, plus capabilities to sync schedules with other employees

Collaboration and social interaction 

Humans are inherently social beings. That’s why the efforts of creating workspaces that empower employee collaboration often bear fruit and contribute to surges in productivity. As much as 80% of businesses are already experiencing the business efficiency and process enhancing benefits of social interaction and collaboration. What’s more, this can also improve company culture and advance team faculties for critical thinking and problem-solving. Social interaction in the workplace can be achieved by establishing things like: 

• Central communication and social channels like Slack 
• Creating physical spaces with a variety of relaxed and comfortable seating options
• Investing in tools that aid collaboration and can securely perform data-sharing
• Creating a culture where ideas can be shared and where innovation is welcomed with open arms

As organisations contend for their relevance in the modern working landscape, it will no longer suffice to only manage workplace expectations - rather, it pays to exceed them. Pandemic or not, there were always bound to be transformational changes in the way we work and operate. The clincher then is to embrace the change, embody the willingness to adapt to evolving workplace expectations, and build the agility to respond to what the future holds in this space. 

The future is here

The role of the office is different, but it isn’t redundant by any stretch of the imagination. Businesses that recognise and prepare for this shift will remain attractive places to work. Explore more in our future of work in Australia guide.

Office meetings will be in the metaverse within three years, according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. He predicts that virtual meetings will evolve from the current 2D images to full 3D avatars.

“Metaverse” is the latest buzzword going around the tech industry that can potentially revolutionise the way we live, work and play. Some are saying the metaverse is the future of work, and the office will be a thing of the past.

But what is the metaverse, how will it impact the way we work, what's the best way to prepare and when will we actually see and experience it? And the big one:

Will the metaverse really replace the physical office?

Spoiler alert: the physical office will not only live on, but even be enhanced by the metaverse. 

What is the metaverse?

“We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet, we’ll be able to feel present – like we’re right there with people no matter how far apart we actually are.” (Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO)

Some are calling it the next evolutionary step for the internet - web 3.0. The metaverse renders everything in 3D rather than the current 2D visuals we currently see today. It “brings the internet to life”, and builds a virtual world of interconnected communities where everyone can meet, work and play.

Coined by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash”, the term metaverse refers to a digital environment that enables people to interact as avatars, using VR headsets and glasses. Think of it as a cyber realm where you can move and act in the same way as in the physical world, and directly interact with other people from any location on the planet as if they were standing right next to you.

How the metaverse will change the way we work?

The metaverse will go beyond the current Zoom or virtual meeting, and transform the way we work and interact with our colleagues and teams. Here are some ways the metaverse will change the future of work: 

More immersive experience and seamless collaboration

According to Mark Zuckerberg, the metaverse will open up new forms of work where people no longer need to be physically together to “feel present, collaborate or brainstorm.” Using 3D avatars, workers from different locations can meet in virtual spaces to interact, communicate and collaborate as if they were sitting side-by-side in the same meeting room. This will allow people to do more online like manage projects, design products or buildings, and other team-based activities. Also, with VR headsets and motion capture gloves, coworkers can see everyone’s expressions and body language.

Increased worker convenience and flexibility

Since the metaverse enables a work from anywhere model, employees are no longer confined to their workstations and cubicles. They are free to work at home, at a cafe, at regional locations, or at any other area where they feel comfortable and creative. Also, long commutes to work will be a thing of the past, since all interactions would be happening in a virtual environment.

New work opportunities

The metaverse will not only bring change in the workplace, but also open new work opportunities as businesses adapt to the new digital environment. There will be new jobs created that do not currently exist - similar to social media jobs that would have been unthinkable before the internet. Also, some jobs today may need to change to accommodate this new virtual world, providing workers opportunities to learn and re-skill. Lastly, there will be new types of companies that may emerge to manage and facilitate the metaverse, delivering more job opportunities for people in any location.

When will the metaverse happen?

That’s one difficult question to accurately answer. Although some of the needed technologies to enable the metaverse already exist, they are still in the early stages and have limited capabilities. Some say the full metaverse may take years to complete and launch. There are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed, including:

• The need for an online infrastructure that can handle millions, if not billions of people using the metaverse at the same time.
• Seamless and reliable internet connection for people in every location.
• The need for VR headsets and other necessary accessories to be more comfortable, cost-effective and easier to use.
• Threats to data privacy and security.

So, will the metaverse replace the physical office?

We know that it will take years before the technologies needed can mature and enable a full metaverse - but even if they do, the metaverse will not replace the physical workplace. Here are some of the reasons why the office will still play a crucial role in the future of work: 

In-person interaction is a fundamental part of being human

Our need for in-person or face to face interaction is the biggest reason why the metaverse will not replace the physical workplace. The office is not just a place to work. It is where people can collaborate, socialise, and build lasting relationships. Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has made people realise their need for some sort of physical connection. And the office provides a space where workers can establish this connection, have those ‘water cooler’ moments, and work creatively as a team.

Spending 8 hours each day in the virtual world won’t be practical (or healthy)

Online gaming is perhaps the closest thing we have now to experiencing the metaverse. Online games allow you to create your characters or avatars and interact with other people through a virtual gaming environment. This can be fun and exciting but highly addictive. And there are health risks associated with too much online gaming, including sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety. So, spending your 8-hour workdays in the metaverse may have similar effects, and probably will be detrimental to your physical and mental wellbeing.

People have different work styles

All employees need to be in the metaverse for it to work as a virtual workplace. However, this single working environment may not work for everyone involved. As we’ve seen during the pandemic, people have their own style of working. Some are more creative and productive at home, while others feel more focused and motivated at the office. Having the flexibility to work where people feel most comfortable, whether physical or virtual, enables them to not only be more productive, but also be more inspired to deliver their best work. 

With the hybrid work model becoming the norm across many industries, we believe the metaverse won’t replace the physical office, but can actually enhance the experience. The metaverse can bridge the gap between the digital and physical environments. It can bring both on-site and remote workers into an immersive and engaging virtual workplace, where they can collaborate, brainstorm, and work together as one team. This would allow people to work seamlessly between the metaverse and the physical office - creating a happier and more inclusive culture, as well as a more creative and productive work environment. 

Want to learn more about the future of work? Read our guide to the future of work in Australia.

Does a strategically placed fiddle leaf fig plant really help your employees to work smarter? Technically, yes, although a plant won’t achieve this on its own. More on the fiddle leaf fig later. The ultimate workspace design combines several key elements to create an environment where productivity, creativity and wellbeing thrive. A well-designed workplace is one that’s seamless; your employees interact harmoniously with their surroundings. One that facilitates focus, energy and efficiency. So as we begin to embrace the hybrid working model, there are ways you can optimise your workspace to not only bring your employees back into the office but increase their output at the same time.

Ask your employees

The first step is to speak to your employees – what do they like about the current workspace and what do they need to feel more motivated and operate more efficiently? At Axiom, our wrkx^TM data and strategy toolset measures the impact of workplace design on an organisation. We begin this process with an employee questionnaire – developed in collaboration with behavioural scientists – to assess how the current space could be adapted to help people work smarter. These insights tell us what is most important to the business, and what changes are needed, to deliver an intelligent design that motivates your workforce.

Place not spaces

Armed with your all-important employee intel, it’s time to focus on places, not spaces. Drawing on the principles of agile working, your design should offer a variety of purposeful places to suit the task at hand and/or individual preferences. In order to work smarter, sometimes we need a quiet place to think, while at other times we need a large, open place to collaborate. And after extended periods of working from home, employees are looking for an informal place to reconnect, relax and feel part of their workplace community. A workspace that pays homage to different styles of working can boost employee engagement and improve the overall enjoyment of office life. 

Engage, entice and thrill your employees

In addition to creating the right settings for tasks, collaboration and socialisation using the principles of agile working, there are other fundamentals to keep in mind. It’s all about designing dynamic workplaces which create the perfect environment for productive thinking. Here are some other elements to consider:

• Create the perfect atmosphere through a look and feel that is not only engaging but also aligned to your brand. Consider what feels welcoming and inviting - spaces you want to be in. Trends like resimercial design are especially pertinent as we return to the office from WFH.
• Bring in nature. This is where the fiddle leaf fig comes in; plants have many benefits including producing oxygen and adding colour to the working environment, bringing the outside in. Access to natural light is just as important and while facilitating this might mean a complete overhaul of your workspace, it could also be as simple as moving impediments such as office furniture blocking a window. Enhanced ventilation, essential in our pandemic recovery, has also been shown to help employees work smarter with direct links to alertness and cognitive ability. Increasing access to the natural environment is a key element of your intelligent workspace design.
• Design for intrigue and interest. Give your employees a brain boost by including elements that are a little unexpected: an outdoor BBQ area, game zones, a specialised lab or a tech zone.

So as people crawl out from under the ‘work from home’ shell, how do you create the workplace of the future? A place where your employees can reconnect, be efficient and productive, yet feel just as comfortable as they do in their homes? 

Gathering feedback is critical, asking your employees what they need will help make them feel valued, bring them on the journey and ultimately embrace their working environment. An intelligent design is a humanised design that recognises people need different places to work smarter – a diversity of purposeful places reflects the diversity of your workforce. And connection to the outside world, and the all-important benefits this brings to productivity and wellbeing, is just as essential as your floorplan. 

Find out more about the workplace of the future in Leading the Future of Work in Australia: Insights and Strategies

The pandemic has changed workplace expectations, unlike anything that has come before. But the appetite for change existed well before Australia’s first confirmed case of COVID-19. 

In 2018, SuperFriend’s Indicators of a Thriving Workplace report surveyed 5,000 Australian workers from different industries. 1 in 4 reported high stress in their current role. Of these, 1 in 5 said they planned to leave their employer in the next 12 months. These pre-pandemic figures hardly paint the portrait of a workforce satisfied with the status quo. 

If the world was walking towards the future of work then – it’s sprinting now. Two years of unprecedented disruption have changed the role of the workplace. As the workforce takes its first tentative steps back into the office, businesses need to work hard to keep pace with these employee expectations. Those who fail to do so may struggle to attract and retain talent in today’s competitive job market.

Here are the main changes and how your business can adapt. 

Spotlight on tech and data 

Tech and data will both have a transformative effect on the role of the workplace. 

Technology is already making workplaces more effective. Think of the impact platforms like Google Workplace, Slack and Jira have had during the pandemic (that’s not even mentioning workflow software like Trello, Monday and Asana). This software has been instrumental in managing projects and breaking down information silos. Post-pandemic, the continued use of these platforms will mean more time for creativity and innovation.

With staff likely to work from home at least once a week, workplaces will evolve. Videoconferencing is a great example. Software like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have forever changed the meeting, WIP and catch-up. Hybrid working models cater for these technologies with bespoke meeting spaces integrated with these platforms, so remote staff aren’t penalised.

Data can also be utilised to drive workplace change. For instance, a company may realise that with hybrid working arrangements only 50% of the workforce is in at any one given time. The company would then be able to change to a hot-desking working arrangement and dedicate other space in the office to collaboration and creativity.

Focus on wellbeing

For employees who have grown attached to the lifestyle benefits of remote work, a focus on wellbeing is less of an added perk and more of a prerequisite. 

So, it’s encouraging to see businesses evolve to meet this expectation. 7 in 10 Australian employees now believe leadership places a greater priority on wellbeing. There is a range of benefits to be realised by this focus shift, from greater productivity to reduced staff turnover. 

It’s not fanciful to think of the workplace of the future as a positive space employees relish spending time in, rather than a space they return to with reluctance. To achieve this, business leaders and office designers need to consider a range of questions:

• How can the space maximise sunlight and fresh air?
• What measures are in place to encourage activity?
• Can the acoustics be changed to avoid excessive noise?

You can find inspiration in Axiom’s showcase.

Commitment to sustainability 

Just as voters are pressuring politicians for tangible action towards sustainability, so too are employees expecting greater commitments from their employers. 

A 2021 survey of over 1,200 Australian workers by Atlassian and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found that 74% of employees think businesses should be just as concerned with their social impact as financial results (up from 69% from the same survey in 2020). 

There are many ways businesses can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, including:

• Going paperless
• Reusing items and having a recycling program in place
• Reducing energy with light-efficient fixtures and temperature regulation
• Adding plants and greenery to the office
• Working with sustainable suppliers.

The future is here

The role of the office is different, but it isn’t redundant by any stretch of the imagination. Businesses that recognise and prepare for this shift will remain attractive places to work. Explore more in our future of work in Australia guide.

The percentage of Australians working from home has jumped from eight per cent to forty per cent and productivity has endured. Many organisations have reimagined the way they operate which presents its own set of unique challenges. When implementing an effective hybrid workplace policy, striking the right balance between working remotely and in-office requires careful consideration.

The hybrid working model affords greater flexibility and freedom for staff but it’s essential that productivity, engagement levels, and inclusive working culture is maintained, in and out of the office.

There are many questions that employers have relating to hybrid workplace policy, implementing the right tech for efficient and effective workflow, and ensuring that productivity levels are upheld.

To help answer these questions we spoke with business and leadership expert Mandy Holloway. Mandy is the Co-founder and Owner of Courageous Leaders and her empathy-based approach to business leadership has helped mobilise different organisations to boldly rise to challenges and embrace them in their stride.

Through meaningful communication and understanding of employees, Mandy believes that organisations can inspire successful working environments, both face-to-face and virtually.

Striking the perfect balance – do what’s best for your company

When employers actively trust their staff, they are more likely to perform better. Mandy believes that leaders “have to embrace what it means to be a leader, which means empower people, trust people. You don’t need to see that someone’s sitting there to prove that they’re actually working.”

Policies for flexible working

The hybrid model is effective in future-proofing the workplace. Many studies conducted since the pandemic began show that working flexibility catalyses employee engagement, productivity, and positive wellbeing. 

Organisations that welcome hybrid workplace models are more likely to retain staff through giving them the option to work from home or in the office, or even allowing them to modify work hours. What’s more, creating a safe office environment that adopts adequate social distancing is paramount for organisational leaders and promotes the health and safety of everyone in the office.   

Incorporating flexibility into workplace policies by giving employees options provides them with a sense of empowerment. Through doing this, you’re “giving people accountability. So as a leader with responsibility, you want your people to take accountability for what you’re empowering them to achieve. There must be a high level of trust and belief from the top leadership team,” says Mandy. 

The right tech to support staff and aid productivity and efficiency

Organisations need the right tools to successfully manage change. Staff will need support when implementing new technology into working practices and to revitalise collaborative working cultures. 

Encouraging learning opportunities will give everyone the chance to understand the tools and tech they need whether they decide to work in or out of the office. It is essential for organisations to address any gaps in understanding the technology involved in creating seamless, hybrid working environments. It’s also critical to review existing tech and processes.

Employers need to ensure that every staff member has exactly what they need to work effectively and to organise or stagger their in-office working days, all the while supporting digital inclusion. For example, implementing flexible desk/space booking platforms helps to carve a smooth path to hybrid working for organisations. 

The importance of change management in establishing a successful hybrid workplace

Change management is a work in progress. Once people have settled into the new way of work and balancing days in and out of the office, it’s important to evaluate the hybrid model’s impact to see how your organisation is tracking and to sustain the model’s long-term benefits. 

Employers should consider the individual, team, and organisational impacts. Are staff able to successfully complete their work? Are teams able to communicate and collaborate easily? Are the organisational changes working as intended? What areas can be improved? 

Mandy believes that change management is as much about processes, as it is about bringing compassion “as well as information to support staff to transition from where they are now to where they need to be in the future. This creates a safe and powerful team.”

“And as leaders, we need to lead people to be able to make the best decisions to create these outcomes.”

The future is here and now. Australian workplaces are transforming at a rapid pace and the significant changes that come with this historic time are testing the ability of organisations to tackle challenges. The changes are gaining momentum and that’s why being prepared is more crucial than ever. 

So evolve, be open to transformation, and understand what the future of work means for everyone. Read our eBook: Wellness and Wellbeing in workplace design and strategy, to help you better navigate through these revolutionary times in the working world. 

The freight and logistics industry is facing many challenges including attracting and retaining top talent – particularly as the Millennial workforce typically looks to other industries for fulfilment. That’s where the destination workplaces come into play, giving F&L organisations an appealing edge.

Traditionally characterised by an aging workforce, filling positions with younger employees has become an accelerated requirement of an industry which sits within a competitive business landscape. While the F&L industry is not typically coveted as the most desirable, thanks to creativity, innovation, and collaboration, this is now starting to change.

What’s more, growth in the F&L industry has continued to rise at such a pace that skilled workers are necessary now more than ever. There is great demand for great talent, including tech-savvy personnel and automation engineers. These skilled digital operators will be the catalysts for helping reshape and reinvent the F&L industry.

To attract these kinds of employees into the F&L industry, organisations must embrace the future by incorporating modern methods of working and environments that aid workplace motivation and productivity like the destination workplace.

The destination workplace requires careful consideration and meaningful planning, including the physical office layout, furniture, and equipment. You want to attract the best? You’ve got to offer the best.

Wait, what is a destination workplace?

A destination workplace is more than just a place employees ‘have’ to come to in order to perform their job. Rather it is an environment that employees want to come to and enjoy working in. It’s much more than just desks dispersed around an office; rather, they’re workplaces that reflect the physical, cultural and social needs of the staff. With this kind of finger on the pulse of employee wants and needs, team morale is boosted increasing the overall work product. Applying the right workplace strategy to your organisation will allow employees the autonomy and flexibility to feel valued and appreciated in the workplace.

How to attract top freight and logistics talent with a destination workplace

Finding perfect equilibrium between working functionality and creativity is key to forming the ultimate destination workplace. This could take many different forms such as a social hub with a café-esque setup, an office gym or workout space, or an innovation zone with cutting-edge interactive tech and a blend of relaxed, comfortable seating. Maybe even some thought-provoking, and inspiring wall murals. The only limit is that of your workplace design partner’s imagination.

Workplace design

The F&L Industry needs working environments that are both purpose-built for the demands of today and the future, meaning the ability to adapt to advances in the industry is fundamental. Driving workplace strategy and design that better motivates employees will naturally compel the kind of skilled labour the industry calls for.

But it’s more than a pretty face. Workplace design and strategy supports not only the aesthetic appeal of the office fit-out but importantly, the framework that can improve workplace output, efficiency, culture, health and wellbeing.

Quality workplace design and strategy will not only attract, but help to retain the talent your F&L organisation needs to cultivate positive and productive working experiences that staff can feel comfortable in. This can even facilitate innovation, growth, and business resilience in the face of competition and demand.

Health and wellbeing

Millennial workers are increasingly drawn to companies that encourage employee health and wellbeing in the workplace.

But progressive F&L organisations are doing more than paying lip service with an on-paper wellbeing programme – they are showing their commitment to employee health by actioning initiatives that make a clear impact. For example, encouraging a healthy lifestyle can be as simple as providing sitting-standing workstations, subscriptions to meditation apps, providing access or perks for healthy food outlets along freight routes, introducing more staircases in the workplace, making use of natural light, and utilising outdoor spaces where possible.

Studies have shown that these measures can drive stress down and positively impact the mood and attitudes of staff – all of which contribute to optimal productivity. A workplace fit-out that interlaces practicality with creative consideration attracts the top talent.

ESG

People are increasingly sympathetic to social and environmental issues. Freight and logistics organisations that work to regulate their own impact and actively support constructive environmental and social governance (ESG) are the same ones that quality talent will be more inclined to work for.

By incorporating ESG in the workplace, organisations can do their bit for a greener planet while also aiding employee connection, commitment, and creativity and in doing so, drive results. Allowing employees to engage with a positive purpose, extending beyond the parameters of their individual role, marks a leap in the right direction for organisational success.

Flexibility

It’s what everyone wants. In fact, studies have shown that 50% of Australians feel that they are less likely to leave their jobs if their place of employment offers flexible working options. 

Flexible working environments can support a more collaborative, team-centric working experience that’s equal parts functional and innovative. Many studies have found that flexible work arrangements can also accelerate organisational productivity.

Effective workplace strategies considering the future of work can connect employees in the physical office to their remote colleagues with the right tech in place – like video conferencing, communication software, and space booking software that’s all reliable and easy to operate.

In this way, organisations can inspire autonomy and trust which is especially attractive to younger generations who value the freedom and flexibility that technology affords.

Young, skilled-up talent are looking for a modern and inspiring environment that’s built for speed and agility. F&L organisations must cater to this to ensure that they’re future-proofing their company and are equipped to retain talent. Be a proactive player in the growth and demand of the F&L industry with the right tools in your kit. For effective workplace design for your organisation, find a strategy-focused workplace design partner to help.

“Hybrid work is happening. Your culture will need to catch up — fast.” (McKinsey)

A hybrid workplace includes a mix of on-site and remote work, whether on specific days of the week or by specific teams. Given that basic framework, building and maintaining a positive company culture is more complex than in traditional office set-up, as it needs to encompass the different dynamics of the hybrid work model.

So how do you create a strong company culture and employer brand within a hybrid workplace?

Workplace culture and employer brand are intrinsically linked. Culture creates your brand’s purpose and values. These values are reflected in the way your employees treat each other and interact with customers. How your staff feel about the company and brand not only influences their day-to-day working decisions but also comes across in every customer touchpoint.

A strong, positive and inclusive culture keeps employees engaged and connected, whether they are working onsite or remotely. And this will help them make decisions and interact with customers in a way that ultimately delivers your brand values and promise.

Here are some things to consider when creating a strong company culture and employer brand within a hybrid workplace.

Deliver consistent tools, services, and experiences

Creating a digitally inclusive workplace is critical in a hybrid model. You need to provide the same conditions and opportunities for all employees, whether they are working in the office, at home or at a different location. This means being able to level the playing field for everyone, and delivering consistent tools, services and experiences.

In a hybrid environment, it’s important to provide staff with technology that works anywhere and enables them to access files and applications as if they were working at their physical desk in the office. Make sure they also have equal access to the right tools and services to plan their work, collaborate with colleagues, and conduct or join virtual meetings.

Finally, there needs to be established and consistent work patterns or processes in place that guide employees to get things done efficiently and effectively. This helps create a unified work culture across individuals and teams, no matter where they are working from.

Communicate, then communicate some more

Communication is key in building company culture in a hybrid environment. It’s important to communicate better and more frequently with employees, whether they are working at the office or remotely. Based on Gallup research, employees are more engaged and are likely to stay with an organisation if communication is open, timely and accurate.

Having open communication with both onsite and remote employees helps to build strong connections and create a culture of trust. So make sure you enable staff to have a voice and share their thoughts and ideas.

Remember to stay connected with the team through regular communication and across different channels – email, text or instant messaging. This way, everyone can have equal access to all important company announcements. It’s also essential to check-in and communicate directly with every staff member, through actual phone calls or 1:1 video meetings.

Creating meaning through values, vision, mission and purpose

A company’s values and purpose become critical in creating a unified, positive and meaningful culture. Especially with a diverse and dispersed workforce, employers need to not only build a supportive and inclusive culture, but one that inspires people with common values, mission and purpose.

According to Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Associate Strategy at Axiom Workplaces, “The role of the office is more important because of the shift of understanding – you’re going in with a purpose. And it all starts with leadership.” Yes, it starts from the top. So, make sure your leaders and managers set the example and live by your company values and purpose. They need to communicate these values as well as practice them at every opportunity.

Lastly, having a common purpose not only helps employees stay motivated and unified but also keeps everyone engaged and productive – wherever they are. Purpose can be the key to organisational performance. When employees understand their value and role in the company’s vision and mission, they become inspired to do their best work and contribute to the success of the business. Based on a recent McKinsey survey, employees expect their jobs to bring some sense of purpose to their lives – with 70% saying purpose is defined by their work.

Foster informal interactions within and across teams

Isolation is one of the biggest challenges when working from home or remotely. People want to stay connected and build social interactions with their friends and colleagues in the workplace. Although some employees do get a chance to see each other face-to-face when they are working at the office, it’s still important to have regular informal interactions across onsite and remote teams.

You can start by scheduling fortnightly or monthly events that’s open for all employees to attend, like trivia nights, games, and other social gatherings. Also encourage teams to have their own informal meetings and catch-ups. These social interactions not only improve employee wellbeing, but also keep everyone happy, connected, and engaged.

Plan for conflict and how to manage it

With employees working from different locations and often interacting through virtual platforms, any conflict that arises is often set aside or swept under the rug, without the chance of any resolution.

The key to managing conflict in a hybrid workplace is to build trust with employees and within teams, no matter where people are working from. Everyone should be able to speak out and talk about any conflict, disagreement or misunderstanding.

Opening the lines of communication is also essential in managing conflict. Leaders and managers need to be ready to listen and give sound and unbiased advice. A direct call, either through phone or video, is always better than sending an email or instant message. This way, team members feel that personal touch, even if they are working from a distant location.

Be clear and transparent

People can sometimes feel confused and overwhelmed when working in a hybrid environment. So, it’s essential for leaders and managers to set clear expectations for teams and employees. Make sure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities, whether they are working remotely or at the office.

Annelie added that once expectations have been set, it’s important for leaders to step back, trust and let employees do the work. “It doesn’t matter if they’re remote or in the office. Give them the power to do their best. It’s a whole different relationship – you don’t need them to be in front of you to see they are doing work.”

Trust is definitely critical when building a positive culture – but so is openness and transparency. Keep everyone in the loop, share regularly, and ensure every staff member is informed about what’s happening in the company, industry, and even in the wider community.

If you’d like to learn more about how to prepare for the workplace of the future, read our Progressive Leader’s Guide to the Future of Work in Australia.

At Axiom, company culture is central to what we do. Why? Because it is an essential component of business success, differentiating your values from that of your competitors, uniting your employees under a singular purpose, driving team performance, and promoting resilience.

Over the past two years, it’s fair to say company culture has had a huge shake-up, with employees forced to rapidly adapt to remote working due to the pandemic. This is something Australian businesses have done remarkably well, with many companies finding that productivity has actually increased over that time. As University of Michigan economics professor, Justin Wolfers, who is currently working from home in Australia, said to The Sydney Morning Herald: “Everyone is better off – no question. Total output has gone up.”

It’s no surprise, then, that as lockdown restrictions ease across the country, many companies are looking to continue the advantages of remote working with hybrid working environments. According to a survey by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, of the 50 companies they surveyed, 42 confirmed they will be permanently adopting hybrid working policies for office-based employees. This includes companies like the four major banks, Woolworths, Telstra and Afterpay.

So what does a remote company culture look like in a hybrid workplace model as we enter 2022 and beyond? To gain more insight into how company culture has changed, and how we can get the best of both worlds moving forward, we spoke to company culture expert and CEO of Culture Incorporated, Julie Alexander. Julie founded Culture Incorporated after her own demoralising experiences with company culture in the corporate world and is passionate about creating authentic company cultures where employees can bring their best selves to work and teams can thrive.

How has company culture and how we build that culture changed since the pandemic?

Looking back at this time of flux, it’s interesting to see how some companies have coped with this better than others. “Over time,” says Julie, “some of us have built life rafts, and some of us have built more permanent structures, but some of us are flapping around on the surface, not really sure what’s happening, and at the mercy of changing tides.”

One significant impact on company culture has been the loss of informal interactions. Managers have fewer opportunities to casually check in with employees, and those “watercooler” moments, where employees chat while making tea in the breakroom or on their way to a meeting, have been all but lost. “We’re getting less innovation, less spreading of ideas, less sourcing of ideas from other people, because we’re having less of those accidental incidental meetings and serendipitous chats.”

Remote working has also been particularly difficult for new starters, some of whom have never stepped foot in the office or physically met their co-workers, says Julie. Without the cues available in a physical environment – Is this an office where there’s lots of banter and laughter? Or do people prefer to sit quietly at their desks and get on with it? – it is difficult for new employees to get a handle on what the company culture is like. “There are also fewer opportunities to watch other people in action, to shadow them, and to be mentored on the job, in real-time,” she says. “Some of those opportunities haven’t necessarily translated well into the virtual environment – but there are other ways that you can do it.”

The companies that have managed the transition well are those that have been able to replicate those aspects of company culture in the virtual environment. PwC Australia, for example, use virtual reality (VR) headsets to train new employees, which they found was even more effective than training them in a classroom setting.

Canva was also able to take their social groups into the virtual. “These social groups were created by the Canva team, rather than being mandated from the top. Some people said, ‘I’ve got a love of wine’, and a social group was created around that. People would get together to have wine tastings, give each other recommendations and talk all things wine. When they moved to remote working, they carried the group on over Zoom, with bottles of wine being delivered to people’s homes.”

Similarly, “Zappos had a healthy eating club. And they translated that to remote working by sending people a kit that enabled them to grow their own produce at home. And they would all sit down and eat healthy meals together over Zoom.”

These examples show that there are ways to replicate even the most unique aspects of your company culture in a virtual environment – and retaining at least some of these moving forward to a hybrid work environment will be key to keeping remote workers engaged.

What is key to building a successful company culture in a hybrid work environment?

According to Julie, there are three things that are key to building a successful company culture in a hybrid work environment: a willingness to experiment, allowing for autonomy and flexibility, and providing an experience.

Experimentation

Julie says it’s important to approach building hybrid company culture with the right mindset, and that is “the mindset of ‘Let’s experiment.’ Nobody’s got the right answer. All we can do is try it.”

In this brave new world of hybrid working, it’s difficult to work out what will take, so employers need to think outside the box, be open to giving things a go, and be able to be agile when things perhaps don’t work out as planned.

“I think we need to have a sort of a broad vision for the future of how we think it might be, but then let people settle into that rhythm.”

Autonomy and flexibility

In the ‘old days’, it was more about ‘bums on seats’ – if people came in early, and left late, and spent the entire day at their desks, they were seen as doing a good job, whether their output reflected it or not.

But, as Julie puts it, “I don’t get paid to sit in a seat. You pay me to get a result, and to deliver on what it is that we’re trying to achieve overall – our vision, our goals.”

“I think we need to really push decisions out to the teams and start focusing on outputs,” she says. Workers should be able to decide what hours work best for them, and to work flexibly when they need to (e.g. to take half an hour off in the afternoon to pick up the kids from school), with the understanding that they have certain objectives they need to achieve in a given week.

She also strongly advises against using surveillance software that monitors remote workers. “When we start talking about how we can track the amount of time people are working and what they’re spending their time on, that for me is a massive red flag in terms of culture.”

Providing an experience

As shown by the examples of PwC, Canva and Zappo, there are ways in which companies can translate the employee experience to a virtual environment. The challenge for companies moving to remote company culture is how to create experiences for both in-office and remote workers while ensuring no one is getting left out.

Julie offers her own experience as an example: “I run these monthly sessions where I get people together to talk about company culture. We used to do them in physical office spaces all over Sydney CBD, so that people had a visceral experience of the culture in that location. When we went virtual, we asked ourselves, ‘How do we recreate that experience?’ Now, for some things, you just can’t. But we used to, for instance, provide a really healthy lunch. So we reached out to our caterer and said, ‘Can you create us a menu and then bring it to the virtual table, so to speak?’”

Of course, it’s not one-size-fits-all. What works for one organisation may not work for another. The key to providing good experiences for your employees, says Julie, is to involve the employees themselves. “This is an opportunity to get everybody to brainstorm and to think about what would make coming into an organisation better, what would improve the day-to-day and so on. This is also the opportunity to lead with questions, rather than try to provide all the answers.”

How can the physical office space support a strong company culture?

When it comes to a supportive hybrid working environment, it’s about enhancing those aspects that remote workers have been missing, but also providing those experiences they have grown to love about working from home. For example, you may think about increasing the areas where workers can socialise and collaborate, such as break areas, informal breakout rooms and collaborative workspaces.

Some workers have also been enjoying the peace and quiet of working from home, as well as the ability to mix things up by working in different areas of the house, such as at the dining table or in the backyard, so you may want to introduce quiet areas for deep concentration or provide places to work outside if you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor balcony or courtyard.

One of the challenges for many businesses will be dealing with the fluctuating numbers of employees in the office. You may, for example, have certain days of the week, month or year when all employees are expected to come into the office, and during busy periods more employees may opt to come in too. One way to manage this would be by creating flexibility in the physical office space – for example, moveable walls that allow you to accommodate large town hall meetings, and readjust to create more intimate meeting rooms. It’s also important that your tech is able to deal with this flux of employees, in order to promote digital inclusion.

Our recommendations for flexibility to be embedded in the office design and support the culture for whatever companies need, malleable & personalised workstations to suit an evolving work environment, walls that could be moved to create different-sized rooms, and agile meeting rooms with a user-friendly booking system to accommodate all types of meetings, from one-on-ones to 20-person meetings. “I think that’s the space of the future,” says Julie. “To support the culture, the space has to have that flexibility to morph itself into whatever people need.”

As businesses prepare to get workers back in the office, the hybrid company culture is right around the corner. Is your business ready? To learn more about the new norm of hybrid working, check out our comprehensive article, ‘Leading the Future of Work in Australia’.

The widespread shift from working in-office to working virtually has challenged leaders to effectively manage workplaces. The future of work will involve a blend of both in-office and remote working and it’s fundamental for organisations to cohesively manage this hybrid workforce while maintaining workplace culture.

Business leaders have a more challenging role than ever before. But threats to health, the economy and general uncertainty, have made the role of the leader even more important. With the dawn of the new hybrid work environment, it’s necessary for leaders to support employees no matter where they are working.

We spoke to business and leadership expert Mandy Holloway to offer a refreshing managerial perspective and provide some insights to help tackle the issues many leaders are grappling with as they move forward.

Mandy Holloway is a big advocate for positive workplaces that foster a supportive and unifying culture in a hybrid landscape. The future of work will look different, but according to Mandy, it’s up to managers to lead with empathy, equity, inclusion and empower individuals as they navigate the way ahead.

Why is the hybrid workplace a challenge for leaders?

It may seem daunting at first for leaders as they try to balance varying employee preferences while ensuring teams continue to work towards high productivity levels and constructively collaborate.

Some staff members may be enthusiastic to get back to working in the office while others may want to continue working from home. And for some, they’ll want a mix of both. It takes adaptability and willingness to trial new methods to successfully lead hybrid teams.

In the new working landscape, leaders may encounter difficulties with digital inclusion and ensuring all workers have the necessary equipment to do their job, maintaining workplace culture and sustaining effective communication with all staff, in and out of the office.

In this evolving hybrid workforce, Mandy says that leaders can better manage with trust and empowerment at the forefront of their processes. “Leadership now can’t be about control or power,” says Mandy, “It has to be about vulnerability, trust, and empowerment.”

Hybrid workplace leadership best practices:

Create company values

Company values are essential to impart guiding principles, common goals, and positive company culture for the sake of every individual.

Mandy believes that the organisational leaders who have struck gold are those that have acknowledged the wants and needs of all employees and called upon their input in formulating the company values. Mandy says that this helps to equalise and unify staff and as such, “upholds respect as well as inspiring empathy in the workplace”.

Encourage professional development 

Professional development should always be a priority in the workplace and shouldn’t ever be limited to the in-office work setting.

By heightening empathetic leadership, managers can assist individuals and teams to consistently “grow and develop their capabilities” which Mandy believes will make “employees feel valued and supported”.

Leaders should actively encourage their staff to strive to be their best. Through this continual pursuit for individual and organisational excellence, success is inevitable.

Promote autonomy, inclusion, and transparency 

It’s critical for leaders to “emulate the behaviour and work ethic they want to see in their employees. This helps staff to be more solution-oriented,” says Mandy.

There also must be intentional, genuine connection and interaction as this contributes to better communication and understanding in the workplace.

“Leaders need to have better conversations,” says Mandy. “This will empower their employees to make constructive decisions. It puts trust in them. The hybrid workplace will challenge leaders to converse and communicate better and sometimes, that means having hard conversations with emotionally charged content. It’s important for leaders to be prepared and skilled to do this, even via Zoom.”

Leaders need to connect with their staff at a human level in order for them to feel seen, heard and understood. This will boost the morale of individuals and teams which is extremely valuable in managing hybrid workplaces while supporting their overall output.

Deploy tech to support digital working

Employees need to have the right tools for them to successfully work in or out of the office. This means that all workers need to have equal access to technology and resources.

It’s important that technology functions as an enabler for all staff and not a deterrent. Making sure every employee is up to speed with the implemented technology can help leaders and their organisations stay ahead of the game. Workplace transformation can be more smooth sailing when staff are well-informed and onboard. This will help them to better engage with their work and be inspired to deliver results.

Cultivate learning agility and resilience 

Agility and the ability to not just adapt, but thrive, are key in achieving success. Leaders should make sure they’re regularly checking in with their employees to gauge what’s working well and what needs improvement within the hybrid workforce.

It’s also fundamental for organisations to prioritise the mental and physical well-being of their people. Mandy believes that this will reduce the “likelihood of burnout while strengthening the resilience of individuals” which is more crucial than ever.

Focus on connection across boundaries 

Connection is key and it should never be limited to face-to-face interactions. Leaders need to have an open and earnest dialogue to connect with staff and revitalise workplace culture, in and out of the office.

“We need to recognise that we’re dealing with whole people and really embrace human kindness,” says Mandy, “Leaders who are doing that are the ones who are charging ahead.”

As the ‘new normal’ that is hybrid working asserts its place, it’s imperative for business leaders to manage a hybrid workplace that’s applicable and practical to all team members. It’s important, now more than ever, for workplaces to adapt in ways that are considered rather than reactionary. To find out more information on how to successfully prepare for the new world of work, read Leading the Future of Work in Australia: Insights and Strategies.

Growth in Australia’s freight sector is estimated to outpace population growth over the next decade. In 2016, the domestic freight task grew by 50%, whilst the population grew by 18% over the same period. 

The increased demand has had a remarkable effect on freight operators nationally. Freight Australia says, “to meet the unprecedented parcels demand, Australia Post established 16 new or recommissioned parcel processing facilities, has chartered additional freighter flights, is operating some of its processing facilities 24/7 and has created more than 600 new casual roles.” 

With such major growth in headcount, facilities, and work volume, and corresponding investments in automation, robotics, and AI, there has been a rapid shift in the kinds of workers the industry seeks as well as the kind of work many are performing.  In addition, with transport roles experiencing long journeys, long hours and a sedentary lifestyle, and warehouse workers working in an implicitly dangerous environment, there has been pressure on the industry to invest more in the health and wellbeing of its staff. 

Workplace Strategy in Freight and Logistics 

The freight and logistics industry needs workplaces that are fit for today’s purpose but will also continue to adapt as the industry advances. In order to continue to attract the kind of skilled labour these organisations now need, we’ve seen the big end of town leverage workplace strategy for competitive advantage. 

This is because workplace strategy enables so much more than a good-looking office. It is a framework that helps organisations identify the ways a workplace can improve efficiency, productivity, wellbeing and culture. The right strategy delivers a workplace that can attract and retain talent via a productive, enjoyable and comfortable workplace experience – it can even help people deliver on broader business goals, such as innovation, or sustainability. 

Let’s take a closer look at the ways in which this industry can leverage workplace strategy and design for business benefit. 

Talent attraction and retention

The freight and logistics industry, like other sectors, has an aging workforce which is affecting the age profile of its employees. As these older workers leave the industry in the coming years, a challenge arises: matching younger workers to jobs traditionally done by a different type of employee. 

Unfortunately, the F&L industry has long been tarred with the brush of an ‘undesirable‘ career. But, with dramatic change has come a change in this image – with logistics organisations now needing every type of talent: from truckies to techies, from automation engineers to warehouse workers – they’re in demand. But perhaps the newer breed employee that’s required by this evolving sector is the highly skilled digital operator. 

These employees have come from different industries, and their needs and expectations are different from those who have grown up in freight; they require a modern, invested approach to culture, diversity, career development, equipment and environment. 

The environment component, therefore, requires careful research and planning. This includes a strategy for physical space – the actual layout, work environments, work furniture and equipment, and fixtures. But it also includes policies and technologies. Any workplace that is lacking or dated on any one of these will find it difficult to nab a world-class digital operator from Atlassian.  

Fulfil customer expectations

You already know, freight and logistics customers expect speed and agility in your service. Often new prospects and customers look for quality cues beyond the service you provide.  A modern workplace kitted out with automation, robotics, activity-based work areas, with health and wellbeing centres, stocked kitchens, and HVAC ventilation will signal more about your commitment to your people’s care and efficiency than your company bio on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

Whatever your business goal, workplace strategy can support it by defining the required facilities and layouts, specifying the appropriate equipment, and bringing it tangibly and visibly to life.  

Is workplace strategy for your organisation? 

Effective workplace design and strategy has many benefits. It can help your freight and logistics business to identify the best ways of working, support employees through change, attract and retain talent, and help people deliver to your commercial goals.

You can ground your workplace strategy by collating data and insights that first build the business case for your chosen path. Following this, your strategy, design and delivery will all be focused on delivering to those goals, and creating your future workplace of today, and tomorrow. 

If you want a workplace strategy partner to help you achieve these business objectives, before your competitors down the street, find a strong, strategic workplace design partner.

A meeting isn’t just a meeting anymore. In a hybrid working climate where people are working from home as well as in the office, you can’t simply just book a meeting room OR send out an invite to a Zoom call. Nor is it as easy to moderate participation and make sure everyone feels included.

So how do you host and facilitate a successful hybrid meeting?

To answer this question and more, we spoke with Trevor Ambrose, a sales training coach helping businesses and individuals in Australia and internationally to improve their speaking and presenting skills. Trevor will share the best practices for both facilitators and participants in running engaging, inclusive and productive hybrid meetings. We also touch on some practical tips to ensure your physical workplace can effectively support meetings in the new hybrid working environment.

From fully remote to hybrid

When the rapid uptake of working remotely began, there was uncertainty on how to proceed. According to Trevor, many were ‘technically challenged’ and had to learn and adjust to the new ways of working. “They didn’t know how to switch on. People were still fumbling around not knowing if their mic was on or off, how to switch on their camera, and even how to set up an account for video conferencing platforms.”

After several months working from home, some employees were getting ‘Zoomed out’ and overwhelmed by the constant virtual meetings. It became evident working full-time remotely is not going to be right for everyone or every role or business.

The need to bond and have physical connection with friends and colleagues signals that hybrid working will be the norm moving forward for most workplaces. “Even post COVID, it’s never going to go back to how it was where we would always do the physical face to face sort of meetings, but we’ll probably be doing a bit of both.”

Hybrid meeting best practices for the facilitator

With the higher risk of miscommunication and employee exclusion, managing hybrid meetings becomes more challenging than when everyone is physically present in the same room or all coming in virtually. Great facilitation is needed. One person, whether a team member or another participant, should be assigned to host or facilitate the hybrid meeting. Here are some best practice tips for the facilitator to help guide the meeting and keep things on track:

Plan an ice breaker or pre-meeting chat

Mandy Holloway, Courageous Leadership Facilitator, says that one way to get everyone comfortable at the start of a hybrid meeting is to have an ice breaker or a pre-meeting chat. This will get people settled and test their audio and video connections. More importantly, ice breakers can help remote participants feel included from the very beginning. You can start the meeting with some informal chats about the weekend or about a recent event. A short poll or quiz can also help start things off. But make sure your ice breaker is quick and doesn’t eat up the time for the official meeting.

Use people’s names

Like in a face to face meeting, it’s important to know every participant by name. In a hybrid meeting, it’s even more essential to know the names of participants coming in remotely. Trevor mentioned he writes down the names of remote attendees on a whiteboard. “So when I talk to people in the room, I always make sure to say ‘hi’ and ask them ‘what’s your take on this?’ And I would constantly bring them into the conversation so that they don’t feel excluded.” 

It’s easy for in-person participants to dominate meeting discussions. Knowing people’s names helps the facilitator to draw remote attendees in, keep them engaged, and ensure they have equal participation in every conversation.

Be interactive

Trevor highlighted the importance of making the hybrid meeting very interactive. If not, participants, especially the ones dialling in, will tune out and focus on other things in front of them. “As a facilitator, if I notice you doing something else or getting disinterested, I will begin to ask you direct questions to bring you back in. I will fish you back into that meeting, so that people will see I’m alert.”

You can also use some interactive tools like polls, Q&A or virtual whiteboards to keep participants engaged and focused. Facilitators can ask questions and have attendees answer through the chat box function within the virtual meeting platform.

Make the invite clear and stay on schedule

As a facilitator, it’s important to schedule the meeting properly for every participant. Make sure to send the invitation days ahead of time with the meeting room details for in-person attendees and the correct link to those joining virtually.

“Outline the purpose of the meeting and send a detailed agenda in advance. This can help especially when there’s more people attending. If there’s no clear direction in the meeting, it just fumbles around, and people get bored,” says Trevor.

Be prepared

This sounds obvious, but as a facilitator, you need to be prepared. You have to spend some time planning the meeting. Especially in a hybrid setting, you need to carefully plan an agenda and how to achieve the objectives of the meeting. It may also be worth readying some questions or discussion points to get conversations going. If you are doing some interactive activities, make sure remote participants can join in and have equal participation.

Before starting the meeting, be prepared with some guidelines and rules to guide participants. Set the rules about asking and answering questions, muting and unmuting, and who’s presenting and when. As a facilitator, you also need to be comfortable with the controls when sharing your screen, recording the session, and other technical aspects of the meeting platform.

Get your set up right

Nothing is more frustrating in a hybrid or virtual meeting than losing your audio or video in the middle of an important discussion. As a facilitator, take the time to test the audio-visual set-up for both the in-person and remote attendees. It might be worth doing a dry run to make sure connections are running smoothly, especially before a big and important meeting.

If you have a speaker or presenter, it’s essential to test their camera and microphone to make sure everyone, including remote participants, are able to see and hear them clearly. It’s also important to have the presenter position themselves properly – by having the camera at a good angle, centring themselves, and ensuring there are no distractions in the background. Trevor says, “I make sure that I’m positioned in a way that everybody can see me and I can see those people dialling in as well on a big screen. And that they can talk to me.”

Best practices for hybrid meeting participants

Hosting a successful meeting is not just dependent on the facilitator. The participants, whether attending in person or remotely, need to do their part.

Dress the part

“People need to step up more in professional meetings. Some people just look weary and tired with their body language, their posture and their attire. They need to realise that when they attend a meeting, even virtually, they are representing the brand of their company.”

Trevor encourages people to present and speak professionally, to look professional, and to have a professional demeanour when meeting with team members and clients.

Organisational leaders also need to set the expectations. They have to set policies for virtual meetings, communicate those policies, and even train employees how to look and sound professional. “I think companies should have a strong protocol. When you jump online, what is your dress code? If we’re going to do that in person, we might as well just do it virtually as well.”

Turn on your camera and get comfortable

Trevor noticed that some participants have been turning off their cameras during meetings. “This creates a barrier between people when you run hybrid meetings and presenting skills. You can’t see people’s reactions.”

Turning on your camera is essential in virtual or hybrid meetings. Seeing people’s faces, even virtually, establishes connection and trust. Similar to in-person meetings, it helps to see body language and understand when participants are engaged and focused or just getting bored and distracted.

Stay engaged

“I think the biggest problem is silent attendees. People are just sitting there and they just attend but they’re not engaged. They’re not actively talking.”

As a participant, you need to be involved in the meeting and ‘stay in the moment.’ Be engaged and don’t be afraid to speak up. Also, try to avoid in person cross-talks and impromptu side conversations as they can be distracting and confusing for remote attendees.

How your physical workplace can support hybrid meetings

Hybrid combines the physical and virtual environments. This means your physical workspace plays an important role in enabling and supporting hybrid meetings. Here are some things to consider when planning your workplace in a hybrid working environment.

Collaborative spaces for digital inclusivity

In a hybrid working environment, remote workers want to feel connected and that they are part of the team. It’s essential to design the physical workplace to have open collaborative spaces where both onsite and remote workers can work together as if they are sitting next to each other in the office. These collaborative spaces need to enable seamless connection to digital tools and virtual meeting platforms.

Axiom recently worked with Cisco Meraki to design and build workspaces that bring people together, which included a coffee bar area and tiered seating purpose-built for the monthly dial-in with San Francisco. These workspaces can also be used by onsite staff to meet and collaborate with remote colleagues, thereby enhancing workplace culture and community, even in a hybrid environment.

The right AV technology

Trevor cannot stress enough the importance of having the right technology to enable successful hybrid meetings. For best virtual connections in meeting rooms, make sure to invest in video conferencing and audio equipment. This includes quality web cameras, TV screens, microphones, speakers and soundbars. Also invest in digital tools that facilitate wireless content sharing, collaboration and communication. Make sure the tools and technology allow seamless integration so “people can just walk in, plugin, and boom, it’s on-screen.”

Lastly, it’s important to train everyone on the meeting technology. Help employees to get comfortable and familiarise themselves with all the technology in place – from logging onto the platform to switching screens and sharing content.

Acoustics

Aside from the AV technology, acoustics is also an important consideration when it comes to hybrid meetings. Poor meeting room acoustics can let external noise and other distractions come in – making it difficult for participants to concentrate and be productive. So, make sure to test noise levels in meeting rooms and invest in better sound insulation.

In addition, hard surfaces like glass walls, whiteboards and large screens can have a negative impact on room acoustics. One way to solve this problem is to add sound-absorbing material to the walls. This prevents noise from bouncing around the room and creating echoes that make speech and conversations difficult to understand.

If you want to learn more about hosting successful hybrid meetings, get in touch with Trevor Ambrose.

You can also read our guide to the future of work, and understand how to adapt to the fundamental changes occurring across workplaces in Australia.

In the last 18 months, the “workplace of the future” has accelerated faster than we could have imagined. No longer are we talking about remote work, e-commerce, and automation as ‘coming’ – they’re here. And they’re here to stay. So how should you respond to these changes and what else is on the horizon for the workplace? 

The office is changing dramatically – and you need to quickly adapt. Preparing your workplace now will help you adjust to new employee expectations, adopt emerging technologies, and establish processes that support the new ways of working. In this post, we highlight the key workplace trends and how you can prepare for them, plus the policies and procedures you will need for the office of the future.

Key workplace trends you need to prepare for

Australian workplaces have already changed so much from March 2020. And they will keep on evolving as companies and employees adjust to the ways of working. It’s important to start making the necessary preparations now so you can future-proof your workplace and be ready to respond to any ongoing changes in the working environment.

To help you develop an effective workplace strategy, we have identified key trends that will shape the workplace in 2021 and beyond.

Remote work and virtual meetings will continue

Remote working has become a part of the new workplace. 80% of Australian businesses say that remote work is here to stay even after the pandemic, and expect the trend to carry on through the long-term. And as a result, virtual meetings will also continue to be an essential way for teams to connect and collaborate. 

To prepare your workplace for continued remote working, it is essential to have the right technology in place. Implement technology that provides a seamless and consistent experience for both onsite and remote teams. Having the right digital collaboration tools like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace can help ensure that employees stay connected, engaged and productive.

Meeting rooms also need to be equipped with the right video conferencing technologies that help bridge the gap between the physical and virtual working environments. 

Lastly, your company needs to maintain a positive and inclusive culture within a hybrid working model, engaging with all employees – whether they are working at the office or remotely.

Faster adoption of automation and AI

Automation and AI would be the main focus of many workplaces as companies focus on streamlining processes and building more efficient operations. These innovative technologies can improve workflows, analyse complex data, and automate manual tasks. 

But how do you prepare your workplace now for the faster adoption of automation and AI? It starts with understanding the impacts of these technologies on your current and future operations. What tasks and processes can you automate? What is the best way to deploy the necessary AI-powered tools? What new operational models need to be implemented? Answering these questions can help you plan the way forward. 

The next step is to get buy-in, not only from upper management, but also from all employees. Workplace transformation won’t happen if you don’t get the support you need from stakeholders and staff. 

More workforce transitions

As you implement AI and other new technologies, there will be a need for more staff training and development to help develop the necessary skills in the digitally enabled environment. So, more workforce transitions would be expected to happen in the future workplace so people can adjust to the changes in processes, roles, and operational models. 

To prepare for this trend, your workplace needs to be able to support and facilitate educational programs for all employees. These programs would focus on developing critical skills as well as open up opportunities for personal and professional development. 

One way to deliver these educational programs is through online training platforms like podcasts.  According to Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Workplace Strategist at Axiom Workplaces, a growing trend is to use workspaces to “host podcast style, recording studios, where trainers can record something and then broadcast it to the organisation so they can train online. CEOs can make announcements that are pre-recorded. Employees can also  be onboarded online.”

Renewed focus on workplace resilience

If there’s one thing that the pandemic has taught us – it’s that we cannot control or predict the future. Unexpected events can happen anytime. To survive, businesses need to be able to respond and adapt quickly to changes. 

In a hybrid workplace model, workplace resilience becomes more important than ever as teams adjust to new ways of working and bridge the gap between the physical and virtual environments. So, how do you build a resilient workplace? 

1. The process starts with implementing activity based or agile working methodology. Agile practices enable teams to respond to change quickly, adopt new processes, and adjust goals and priorities as needed.
2. Technology also plays an important role in building resilience in the workplace. Make sure you have the right tools and technologies for people to connect, collaborate, and do their best jobs. 
3. Lastly, focus on employee health and wellbeing. Create spaces within the office where people can relax, de-stress and socially connect with each other. It’s also important to make sure remote workers feel connected, engaged, and part of an inclusive culture.

Policies and procedures essential in the future workplace

As you can see, there are a lot of changes happening in the future workplace. And you need to make sure that you provide clear expectations and guidance around employee behaviour, day-to-day processes, and operational workflows. Here are some of the policies and procedures needed in the new workplace:

Remote work

With remote working set to continue, you need to have a policy that guides people as they work from home or remotely from another location. The remote work policy should include who can work remotely, how often, and what procedures need to be followed. This needs to also cover health and safety recommendations while working remotely – with guidelines on home office and desk setup, handling computer equipment, emergency procedures, and tips for wellness and mental health.  

Annelie highlighted the need to talk to your HR department and make sure they have the right flexible policies in place for remote working. “They need to have policies that clearly define what needs to be provided from a facilities perspective. Do we send employees a chair, table and monitor? Or do they just get an allowance to purchase what they need? There also needs to be a policy on checking that the workspace at home is actually safe when working remotely.” 

Virtual meetings

This policy on virtual meetings would be needed to help guide both onsite and remote workers as they connect and collaborate with each other. The policy would focus on procedures in scheduling and joining online meetings, setting up your video and audio, and logging in to the video conferencing platform. It can also include virtual meeting etiquette like dressing appropriately, muting when you’re not talking, speaking up and contributing, plus staying focused and paying attention during the meeting.   

Security

You may already have a policy on security, but it’s worth reviewing and updating this to make sure your company data remains protected in a hybrid working environment. As employees continue to work remotely and access applications and data from cloud-based platforms, this can expose the company to numerous cyber security risks. The security policy would help employees be aware of any threats, take precautions when visiting websites and downloading documents, and make sure their device security software is always kept up to date. 

Digital inclusion

With a hybrid workforce working from different locations, a policy that covers dispersed workers has become more important. The policy should clearly communicate the value that the company puts in supporting their dispersed workforce. It should promote a positive and inclusive culture where everyone has equal access to technology, resources and opportunities, including remote workers who can feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of the team.

If you’d like to learn more about how to prepare for the workplace of the future, read our Progressive Leader’s Guide to the Future of Work in Australia.

The hybrid workplace model is the new norm in most workplaces, with employees dividing their time between the office and working remotely. Although this provides freedom and flexibility for staff, it is creating a challenge for employers in making sure everyone is productive, engaged, and feels part of an inclusive culture.

So, let’s talk about digital inclusion – what it is, why it’s important, and how you can ensure your future workplace strategy supports it.

What is digital inclusion in the workplace?

Each employee, whether they are working at a physical office or remotely, wants to feel part of the team, and be able to collaborate and work together with colleagues, as if they are just sitting side by side on their workstations or in a conference room.

Digital inclusion focuses on providing the same culture, conditions and opportunities to every staff member, no matter where they are working from. It means leveling the playing field for everyone, and delivering equal access to technology, resources and information required to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. 

Digital inclusion therefore becomes critical in a hybrid working environment, where you can have a physically dispersed workforce. It enables employees to feel connected, engaged and empowered to do their best work, wherever they are.

Barriers to digital inclusion

Achieving an inclusive culture is difficult enough when people are all working in the same office, but now there’s that added complexity of working with hybrid teams. Here are some of the challenges that would limit digital inclusion in the workplace:

Technology

Technology can be a great enabler for digital workplaces, but it can also be a barrier to digital inclusion. With people working from different locations, they don’t all have the same internet speeds and wifi capabilities. So, for remote staff, connecting to virtual meetings or conference calls may not be guaranteed or seamless. Also, not having collaboration tools like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace can create numerous issues that can impact productivity and collaboration between remote and onsite teams. 

Culture based on old habits and practices

Digital inclusion won’t work without the cooperation of every staff member. Some people can have the tendency to go back to old habits and practices. They can resist the change to a digital workplace, and prefer to work in a face-to-face environment, leaving out those who are working remotely. 

Lack of visibility and connection 

Another barrier to digital inclusion is the lack of visibility and connection with remote employees. Business leaders can easily connect with people they physically see in the office and be able to understand their needs and preferences. But it becomes difficult to maintain the same level of service and connection when dealing with remote workers, where there is no physical visibility.

Lack of communication

Equal access to company information is essential in achieving digital inclusion. However, this is not easily achieved. According to Igloo’s 2020 State of the Digital Workplace, nearly 60% of remote workers feel they missed out on important information because it was communicated in person.

Fostering digital inclusion in your workplace

Building an inclusive workplace can work wonders in improving employee engagement and productivity. Here are some ways your workplace can foster digital inclusion:

Conduct a quick audit. To implement any change in the workplace, it’s important to step back and understand the current situation. Observe staff interactions (both onsite and remote) and do interviews and surveys. How do people feel about working in hybrid teams? How much collaboration is happening? Do remote workers feel disconnected?

Create an inclusive culture. Integrate inclusivity in your core company values and then communicate those values effectively to the different teams. It’s also important that the push for digital inclusion starts from the top – so encourage leaders and managers to treat and manage everyone in the same way, no matter if they’re working in the office or remotely. 

Implement inclusive communications. This means all company information should be communicated effectively to all employees, both onsite and remote. And make sure you communicate in different ways, including email, chat and other internal communication channels. 

Have the right technology. It’s essential to implement technology that can work anywhere. This enables staff to do their best work wherever they are – including equal access to the right collaboration and productivity tools. 

Make sure everyone has a voice. Remote workers tend to feel isolated. They sometimes feel unable to participate and be heard. Especially in meetings, encourage everyone to participate and contribute. Ensure each participant has an opportunity to speak out and be respected for their ideas.

How your physical workspace can support digital inclusion

Although the hybrid environment deals with both remote and onsite teams, your physical workplace still plays an important role in supporting digital inclusion. 

Create meeting rooms designed for equal participation

Equal participation in a face-to-face meeting is challenging enough – but it becomes even more difficult when you have other people joining through a virtual environment. This requires more than installing a webcam, monitor and speakers in a meeting room. The furniture selection & orientation, in conjunction with appropriate lighting & acoustics, are vitally important to ensure digital inclusion is fostered. There needs to be a meeting moderator and a process in place to ensure that all participants are treated equally and have the same opportunities to speak out and be heard.

According to a senior workplace strategist at Axiom Workplaces, “You need to have great speakers and microphones. I think you need to have a moderator or a facilitator that can control the conversation in a way that the technology can keep up with what’s happening in the room and make it easy for someone who’s joining in remotely, to follow what’s going on.” 

Implement seamless room booking technology

Aside from providing equal participation, meetings in a hybrid workplace should be able to allow seamless connectivity and transition between virtual and physical environments. 

There is a strong need for an ‘intuitive connection’. People don’t want to spend too much time trying to book a meeting room then struggle to use the technology within the room – which is the usual situation in most organisations. “Breaking down the restraints between the physical space and technology is important. You need to provide dual screens, so that everyone who’s joining in remotely is on screen, despite the fact that you might be sharing information on another screen.” 

Deploy a desk booking system

A desk booking system allows employees to book or reserve desk space before they get to the office, through a web browser or mobile app. The system helps you manage the physical office with data and reports for workspace utilisation and planning.

Build collaborative spaces

To build a positive and inclusive culture, it’s important to build collaborative spaces where people can come together when they do come to the office. This will allow workers to build stronger connections with colleagues and make them feel less isolated when working from home.  

Axiom recently worked with Cisco Meraki to build a workplace that created a strong sense of culture and community within the organisation. The Axiom team designed workspaces that bring people together, including a coffee bar area and tiered seating purpose-built for the monthly dial-in with San Francisco. 

To learn more about building a strong and inclusive culture in a hybrid working environment, check out our interview with Cisco on creating a digitally inclusive workplace.

If you would like to learn how to undertake a Digital Transformation of your workplace click below:

We see the current climate in Australia as ‘yoyoing’ between working in the office and remotely, all dependent on something largely out of our control. So how can businesses build the necessary resilience to overcome these challenges and come out the other side stronger and more successful?

To answer these questions and more, we spoke with resilience expert, Heidi Dening. Heidi shared some valuable insights on workplace resilience – what it is and why it is important in the current working conditions. She also provided practical strategies on how to build resilient teams and explored what to focus on when designing the office to support workplace resilience.

Resilience has often been defined by the ability to bounce back…but is it?

“I believe resilience is really defined by somebody or a place’s ability to bounce forward, to be able to learn something from the challenge that we have gone through, be able to adapt it to what the new norm is going to be for that workplace, and be able to progress forward, to move forward, to bounce forward.”

– Heidi Denning.

Workplace resilience is often defined as the ability to bounce back from setbacks and handle difficult experiences or events. For the past 18 months, many organisations have been focused on resilience and in building resilient workplaces. They want to navigate through the challenges and changes brought about by the pandemic – until things go back to ‘normal’. If they can survive and bounce back, then the business would be considered a resilient business.

However, Heidi has a different view on resilience. She doesn’t believe we should “measure a person or a workplace by their ability to bounce back.” We all go through fundamental changes when experiencing challenges or adversities in life and at work. Even at a cellular level, we don’t really go back to the way things were. 

We have to adapt to the changes and keep moving forward – to learn from what we, our customers, employees and partners are going through; and not crave that stability and safety we felt before the pandemic began. 

The ‘yoyo’ working environment in Australia

With all the lockdowns over the past 18 months, the climate in Australian workplaces can be described as ‘yoyoing’ from between working in the office and remotely. How is this affecting workers? 

“It’s chipping away at them. Without a doubt,” says Heidi. The current ‘yoyo’ climate is forcing people to adapt to the new normal – working at the office when allowed to do so, and going back to remote working when lockdowns happen. To survive and still get things done, most employees need to change their lifestyles and implement new working habits. The bottom line, everyone is feeling overwhelmed, stressed and exhausted. This makes resilience in the workplace more important than ever in the current yoyo environment.

Why workplace resilience is important

Heidi highlighted that resilience in the workplace allows for creativity and innovation. The future is definitely unpredictable and unknown – but resilience enables you to move forward and think outside the box. It empowers you to do something new, different and unique. 

Resilient teams adapt quicker to the new ways of working, and figure out ways to be more collaborative and productive in a virtual environment. And when leaders build resilient workplaces, it’s a lot easier for them to create new business models, adopt new technologies, and develop new and innovative ways to deal with customers. All these help the business not only survive, but thrive in this uncertain and ever-changing world.

“When you have developed your resilience muscle, you’re actually developing your creativity and innovation muscle. I think this is the greatest benefit for a workplace.”

Building a ‘culture of care’ to help teams be more resilient

Now that we know how important resilience is in this current climate, how can leaders deliver a positive support experience for employees working remotely? Heidi has provided us with a number of ways employers can create a ‘culture of care’ to help teams be more resilient.

Be vulnerable and authentic

As a leader, you always want to appear strong, happy and confident. And sometimes, you need to be but during these uncertain and challenging times, your team also wants to see the ‘human’ side of you. Be vulnerable and authentic enough to admit that working from home is not always easy – that homeschooling and being locked in with your partner is sometimes difficult and can drive you nuts. This way, your team can feel that they’re not alone when they feel stressed and overwhelmed. So others feel okay to say, “I’m not okay.”

Bring a sense of calmness

Yes, you can be vulnerable and say you’re not at your peak at certain moments, but as a leader, you also need to show the team that you are calm and in control. Heidi stressed that “bringing that sense of calm in a world that’s feeling very unsettled is definitely important.”

Deliver relevant and accurate information

In times of crisis, most employees are inundated by news that they get from the media and from friends, families and even colleagues.  However, this information can be inaccurate or totally untrue. Leaders need to be able to disseminate information that is relevant and accurate. They have to figure out what’s real and what’s not – and deliver that information to the team in a timely way. 

Be a visionary

Your team will look to you for assurance and guidance. They will depend on you to create a path through this crisis. As a leader, you need to be a visionary – not in such a way that you can predict the future – but in a way that assures the team “we have what it takes to adapt and we’re going to be okay in this new world.”

Stay connected with your team

Heidi highlighted the need for leaders to “know what to look for, to make sure the team’s doing okay, virtually.” You have to know how people are going. So, make sure you stay connected with your team, through messaging, text or phone. If you would like to learn more about whether your team are resilient enough to cope with all the stress and uncertainty, take this short quiz.

How the office can support resilience

The long-term view is that most workplaces will have a hybrid working environment, where employees divide their time between the office and working remotely. So, the physical workplace may look different in the future, but would still play an important role in building resilient teams.

According to Heidi, there are a number of factors that impact resilience in the office:

Lighting

Light decisions in the workplace can make a huge difference in a person’s ability to sleep well. And sleeping well helps employees to be more productive and perform better during the day. Of course the opposite is also true, and a person will feel tired, exhausted and unable to perform his/her best, if he/she gets even just one bad night’s rest. 

Noise

“Sound is another one, because distraction at work is something that really chips away at our ability to work well.” Heidi noted that when people get distracted, whether it’s because of the sounds around the office or colleagues talking, it can really stress them out. Some are good at zoning out by wearing headphones or simply focusing intently on their work. But the majority of people struggle with sound distractions.

Technology

Technology has a big impact on resilience in the workplace. Whether employees are working at the office or at home, they need the right tools and technology to be able to do their jobs properly. Having the wrong type of tech or if things just don’t work, this can be a source of frustration and stress. “If you’re ambitious, and you want to get things done in a particular time without mistakes, then you need the tech to do that. And if you can’t, again, it’s just chipping away at someone’s ability to work.”

Social spaces

When designing your office, it’s important to create spaces that build connections between people. “Social health is so crucial for a team’s culture.” Heidi mentioned that employees go to the office to connect and collaborate with colleagues – to have a laugh and share life stories. “For many people who live by themselves or in really bad relationships, or, you know, lots of things going on in the background, the workplace can be such a sanctuary.” So, the office needs to be designed in a way that it allows social connection between teams and employees.

Axiom recently worked with ELMO, one of the fastest-growing HR tech companies in the Asia-Pacific region, to build a workspace that would foster connection and community engagement. The office design included a café and community space where staff can relax and socialise, and a wellness room where they can practise yoga and meditation.

If you’d like to learn more on how to better prepare your business and workplace for the future of work, read our Progressive Leader’s Guide to the Future of Work in Australia.

A strong ESG (environmental, social and governance) proposition can create substantial commercial value for your business, including attracting both investors and top talent, plus boosting financial performance. So how can you leverage your workplace strategy to support ESG?

Can you define what ESG really means?

“ESG can sound complicated, but it really isn’t. It’s essentially a reframing of what we mean by sustainability” – Jack Noonan.

Jack Noonan, VP at the International WELL Building Institute, recently spoke to us to delve into what ESG really is, the benefits of a strong ESG position, and how your workplace strategy fits in.

At a top level, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is a framework for assessing the impact of a company’s sustainability and ethical practices – in the past it has been associated with investors assessing business value.

However, Jack says this is an important framework for us all to use when thinking about sustainable practices: “We need to think about things that are good for the planet, things that are good for people and things that are done in the right way.”

“As someone who’s been a passionate sustainability advocate for over a decade, it’s been difficult to see that sustainability is often associated with this concept of doing ‘less bad’ or harm minimisation – it is often associated with needing to give something up. Because of this, it doesn’t always resonate with the broader community.”

“What ESG does is reframe sustainability as a concept in a more positive, holistic and standardised way so that people can understand what ‘good’ actually looks like.”

Investors and ESG

For investors, the ESG framework is about including non-financial indicators to investment decisions to help better inform potential risk and return.

Jack explained that previously, 70% of the information used to create valuations was financial, and about 30% was non-financial or somewhat intangible (Jessica Cheam, Founder and MD of Eco Business and ESG Committee Member for the Singapore Institute of Directors). That’s now flipped, so about 30% is financial, and about 70% is non-financial, intangible types of indicators like ESG. One of the key drivers of this trend is evidence that employers who focus on health and wellbeing have employees who are more engaged, productive and resilient. This typically results in better financial outcomes over the long term.

So while ESG used to be very niche, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, globally ESG assets may hit $53 trillion by 2025. However, in the early days of ESG frameworks and data, Jack says it is challenging to demonstrate higher social sustainability performance in particular.

“I think for a long time we’ve been able to say what good environmental sustainability looks like, we’ve been able to show what good governance looks like, but social sustainability has been to some degree a bit of a black box,” he explains.

Now it’s a different story: “Due to recent efforts in healthy buildings, corporate social responsibility and the acknowledgement of the positive impacts on human health and wellbeing, as well as broader societal impacts, social sustainability has become more prevalent within global sustainability benchmarking platforms and other frameworks.”

What are the benefits of a strong ESG proposition?

Attract and retain talent with a strong ESG proposition

There is an increasing expectation from employees that their organisation contributes to broader sustainable outcomes and a more environmentally conscious future. Additionally, there is an expectation that the organisation is demonstrating good governance and that the organisation cares about the health and wellbeing of employees.

Jack explains that “up to 76% of employees said they struggle with their health and wellbeing and that stress was a key factor in this, and that was before the global pandemic.”

Employees are increasingly looking to employers to support their health and wellbeing and that of the wider community: “If we spend so many of our waking hours at work, it makes sense to expect our organisations to have our health and wellbeing in mind. And I think another important aspect to this is that we have people increasingly demanding that organisations have the broader community and the health and wellbeing of the planet in mind as well,” Jack reveals.

Attract investors

In recent years there has been a solid focus from the investor community on ESG. Jack cites KPMG, who found that 86% of Australians expect their investments to be responsible and rooted in ethics, with another majority aiming to shift their investments into ethical companies in the near future.

“And they’re not just doing this because it’s the right thing to do; They’re investing because it has better returns,” explains Jack.

“This might sound like something quite obvious, but an organisation that values and supports the health and wellbeing of their employees is an organisation that has employees that are more engaged, productive and resilient, and this results in better financial outcomes for the organisation itself. This is why investors are looking at ESG performance because it just makes financial sense.”

ESG is good for the bottom line

Fundamentally, a strong ESG position has a material benefit to an organisation. Jack told us that “organisations are more likely to have better financial outcomes as a result of strong ESG performance.”

Illustrating this point, Jack explained that Dr Lawrence Loh at the National University of Singapore has found that more robust ESG performance leads to better market value and better brand value.

How can your workplace strategy support your ESG proposition? 

Jack says this is a question that many organisations are thinking about right now, particularly as we begin considering the post-pandemic future, where some of these more intangible aspects of organisational strategy have come to the fore.

“Ultimately, workplaces need to become people-first places, and they need to be focused on providing a positive and inclusive experience for all people, and one that supports all aspects of their health and wellbeing as well,” Jack explains.

What does this look like in practice? Jack says that workplace strategies should include provision for mental health programming, more robust community programmes as well as exceptional indoor environments: “That is, an environment with great air quality, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort, and that encourages hydration, healthy nourishment and movement through the day.”

“These are all fundamental for organisations to provide a workplace that can support and demonstrate a strong ESG position,” Jack concludes.

Additionally, indoor environments which enable connection and efficiency whilst removing barriers and frustrations will serve to improve productivity and also better your bottom line.

Would you like to learn more about what the future workplace looks like? Explore the progressive leader’s guide to the future of work in Australia to find out more.

Accurate and meaningful data is critical to making informed decisions about your workplace. Now, with the trend towards flexible working, the ability to understand how your space is being used and to accurately forecast future workplace requirements is essential for efficient workplace management. 

It is also important to note that as there has been such a rapid change in the way people work, towards a ‘work from anywhere’ movement, organisational leaders are looking for strong evidence that helps them identify what their workplace should look like in the future, and what will drive employees to come back to the office and re-engage with the vision of the business.

Some of the region’s most strategic minds in workplace strategy came together for our webinar to demonstrate how data can be utilised to drive workplace change. Panelists included: 

• Lisa Copland, Head of Workplace Strategy and Change at Presynct 
• Jo-Anne Mann, GM and SVP Sales, Asia Pacific at SpaceIQ
• Peter Black, Workplace Strategist at Axiom Workplaces 
• Steve Elliott, Head of Property and Facilities at QBE Insurance 

Let’s go deeper into the discussion here, to understand how we can effectively gather and analyse workplace data, and use such insights to make better workplace decisions.

How COVID-19 changed the landscape

Working flexibly and remotely had already been present in many workplaces, prior to COVID-19, it had not really been culturally accepted. 

Changes were slowly happening but it was accelerated as a result of last year. Flexible working became accepted and swiftly normalised. The stigma attached to it seemed to have disappeared overnight. Now tested and proven successful, the evidence that work still happened away from the office means employers need to be open to people working at home or remotely. Where companies once offered it but didn’t really support the cultural shift towards it, employees now expect flexible working as a permanent part of their employment. “No one cares about their desk anymore – they want flexible working instead,” says Lisa.

In fact, an in-webinar poll queried expectations for the average days in the office per week in the immediate future. Nearly 50% responded they expect 3-4 days in the office, and about 40% want only 1-2 days working on site. This clearly shows that flexible working is a majority preference, and that the future workplace will most likely remain a productive hybrid of working from home and at the office. Employers who don’t offer a flexible work practice risk losing a talent pool of great employees to other organisations who do, and will find it harder to attract great talent.

How organisations are gathering and analysing data

Steve Elliott shared how his organisation gathered data through utilisation studies. “We did it 6 weeks before COVID. What we lack now is data that is live and dynamic”.  The company recently invested in a tool that allows them to gather data through the employee check-in process.  Steve mentioned that this will provide them with daily data on the utilisation of the space and desks within the working environment.

Half of the webinar attendees seem to gather data in the same way. A second live poll demonstrated that around 50% of represented organisations measured the utilisation of space in the workplace (including desk and meeting room usage). 

Peter Black identified the challenges for organisations today confirming it was tough gathering data during lockdowns. “We struggled with it because COVID is a big gap – a year at home means you don’t have data.” You have to look at historical data to base future projections on. So, while the environment was completely different, pre-pandemic data is still useful in determining the kinds of spaces employees occupy at different times of the day and week.  

What decisions are being driven by data?  

Right now, most workplace decisions rely on understanding people’s behaviour as they divide their time between working at home and in the office. By engaging in a workplace strategy piece where employees and leaders are asked what they require in order to complete their tasks, and simply observing employee actions – management can have a better view of what people do when they work in the office. 

Currently, we are seeing a trend where employees use the physical workplace to connect and collaborate, then they work from home to engage in more focused tasks. This collaboration with employees enables leaders to identify which activities and projects are better done in the office or at home.

Steve also noted that “managers want to know when teams are coming in.” So, it’s important to get the data from people’s schedules to understand when they’re coming into the office or working remotely. Some employees book their schedules 2 weeks in advance. This data helps managers plan out support and other resources needed for each day. But as Jo-Anne pointed out, the information is not always accurate since “many people check-in, but don’t come in on the day.” 

Another decision that’s driven by data is the actual space and number of desks needed for each day. This is where the utilisation data of desks and space comes into play. Of course, there will always be ‘peak days and peak floors’. People move desks and use different work spaces on the same day. And this can skew the utilisation figures. So can user error: ‘How many people check-in, but don’t come in?’, asks Jo-Anne Mann. 

Both employers and employees are still adjusting to the new ways of working. So it can sometimes be difficult to get accurate data. Steve added that “We’re making decisions in the heat of a pandemic that won’t be here forever.” It’s essential to view the information from a bigger, more practical perspective.

What decisions SHOULD be driven by data?

We’ve seen how data is being used to plan daily activities and help make decisions on the amount of space or number desks needed each day. But the real value of data – where it can have a bigger and more profound impact on the organisation – can be seen when making future workplace decisions, and projecting into the future a working model for the organisation that can withstand changes in circumstances and variations in workflows.

How much change can we bring into the workplace? What headcount and how much growth can the current office space accommodate? To answer these questions, you need to look at the current and historical workplace data plus industry and market conditions. Plus, you need to explore and test out different scenarios. 

Peter highlighted that organisations now have the “intention to grow without growing.” That is to grow revenue and profitability across the business but not growing in staff numbers. To do this, you need to look at automating and streamlining processes, plus outsourcing routine tasks. Many companies tend to overestimate the amount of office space they need. “It’s a better story to expand,” says Peter. “It’s easier to outgrow a smaller space then expand, than to have too much space to begin with.” 

Companies are also able to add more spaces to innovate and socialise than before because when the data confirms they don’t need a desk for every employee, there is opportunity to introduce more variety of working environments within the same amount of space. This is something that may have been prohibited previously by budget and real estate costs.

In making future workplace decisions, It’s important to start by understanding the problem. What are you trying to achieve? The next step is to find and gather the relevant data. Then analyse and gain the insights to make the necessary decisions. But it is worth noting that different organisations have different drivers when it comes to analysing information and making decisions.

How can you redefine a space to create excitement about the office?

As businesses look toward a post-pandemic future and reopen offices, the biggest issue they need to deal with is encouraging people back to a physical workplace. Most employees are comfortable working from home and are not rushing back in. Employers need to redefine the workspace, and find ways to create a magnetic appeal for people to return to the office.

This is a common issue for many businesses, according to Peter. The office can sometimes feel like a morgue because nobody is there. You need to look at opportunities to “curate the office space.” Events, group work and mentoring opportunities – all these can bring the energy back to the workplace. 

If there’s anything that people miss about the office, it’s the active vibe they feel when working with friends and colleagues. The experience cannot be like sitting on your desk on your own and just staring at your screen. You might as well work from home. Employees come to the workplace mainly to connect and collaborate. And a big empty space with rows of individual desks and people working in separate corners won’t help build that buzz or activity.

Steve suggested using data to determine the optimum size of the workspace you need for people to work together and create an energetic vibe – all, of course, within a COVID safe environment.

“Data, data, data. Clearly articulate with rich data. The rest will flow.” That is Steve’s last piece of advice. And it’s a statement that clearly highlights how your business can be better at making critical workplace decisions in the new world of work.

Want to learn more about futureproofing your workplace to ensure success and growth in the future? Read our guide to the future of work in Australia.

The workplace has changed forever and is continuing to evolve after the rapid transformation generated by the pandemic. Whether employees are working in the office or remotely, a successful workplace now needs to be a digitally inclusive workplace. But what does this actually mean, and what needs to be done? 

We posed these questions, and more, to John Corbett, Cisco Workplace and Real Estate Strategist. Our discussion uncovered how offices need to change for a new working world and revealed how Cisco is creating an immersive experience that levels the playing field for all employees – regardless of their location.

The challenges of the hybrid workplace

“We’re starting to notice that working from home has become the norm, and going into the office is ‘extraordinary’” says John.

He says that this in itself throws up some interesting observations. 

“Digital environments are frictionless – the transition between activities and engagement is smooth. By comparison, the office of old was rather clunky. The traditional office is architected to be fixed and time-bound and thus dynamically opposed to digital workflows. The office of now and into the future needs to catch up and we need to be smart at how we go about that.”

So if the traditional office is ‘hard’, how do we make the new workplace as ‘frictionless’ as the digital environment we’ve become accustomed to? 

John explains that this now means a reversal of what we saw 18 months ago, when we first got our stay at home orders. That is, looking at what we’re doing seamlessly and quickly online, and figuring out how we can replicate that speed and seamless efficiency in the office.  

“We’ve become very attracted to working in a dynamic digital-only environment. Meeting with ten people online is easy, but traditionally, at the office, it is complicated. So let’s make connecting the office, to the people in the office and the people outside the office, easy, on-demand and seamless.

“Let’s get the office to become an active contributor to our continuously evolving and transitioning workflow, rather than having to slow down workflow in response to the time bound, fixed nature of the office. 

“Why should we have to book a room to meet with someone? Do we book a laptop at home when we meet with someone? No. So the office should not be any different in our ability to seamlessly connect with other people or resources.”

This has been the focus at Cisco: seamless transitions and ensuring the built environment supports interaction in all its forms.

What does this look like in practice?  

“Say I want to have a video conversation with two of my colleagues. One is with me in the office and the other is remote. Traditionally, I would have to book a room to do that, and in doing so I would roll around in Outlook, etc in order to do that. If we decided to have this meeting on-demand, I might hop into a room and then connect my laptop with a cable, or dial in and enter passwords, etc. What if I could just walk into the room, click the green button on my laptop to start my meeting like I usually would from home, and the equipment in the room automatically connected with me? What if it was fully automated, without touching a thing? 

“My environment should work for me, connecting to me, not me having to put all this effort into connecting to it. This is similar to you navigating across a digital workflow on your laptop. All the applications on your laptop know it’s you. You don’t have to tell them, and those software applications intuitively respond to your demands. The office workflow experience should be no different,”

Another challenge of the hybrid work environment is a lack of visibility. Whereas companies have a thorough understanding of their office’s physical space, they generally don’t have that same understanding of the workspace outside of that.

John says that “the physical office distributes a subliminal service that we take for granted. I.e. Your desk has an ergonomically assessed chair,  power, and competent network connectivity. 

“The distribution of this subliminal service needs to extend beyond the physical office. With 100 of your staff having to work remotely overnight, your office just went from one to 101 offices. If they were in the office you would have line of sight of the ability of the office and its infrastructure to serve your staff in order to help them get their work done. We need to be able to deliver the same level of service beyond the boundaries of a physical office and satisfy ourselves that our company is capable of intuitively servicing our employees’ workflow needs at a hardware and software level, at any time, anywhere.”

At Cisco, this means they are “levelling the playing field” by creating a digitally inclusive workplace

What is digital equality or inclusivity?

“It’s our responsibility to provide [our employees with] a first-class workplace experience whatever their location. And this creates a more inclusive environment,” John emphasises. 

John’s definition of digital equality has two primary components:

“One part is physical. You’ll often find pockets of competency in an office – so good tech in a boardroom, or large meeting rooms but nowhere else for example. It is inevitable that people will gravitate towards “better”, thus creating false economies resulting in uneven demand bottlenecks. A broader, more distributed delivery of seamless, consistent, and easy-to-use competency, in smaller sizes, increases supply elasticity and helps to balance out uneven consumption demand.

“The other part is equity beyond the physical environment. It used to be that if you couldn’t be in the office, you couldn’t work. And while we’ve seen this change during the pandemic, it’s still not good enough. We need to level the playing field further so that those who work from home aren’t viewed as passengers, but active members of the group. Why should a woman who has decided to start a family, be burdened with the uncomfortable choice of a potentially inferior place in the workplace, because she is not physically in the office?.

“For example, equitable equipment, such as the Webex’s background noise suppression AI, removes barriers to communication such as needing to mute and unmute yourself during a call. Therefore, the external environment now no longer impairs or disadvantages the external participant.”

How technology is levelling the playing field

We spoke with John about how technology is helping to overcome the challenges of the hybrid workplace and create a digitally inclusive environment for all employees. 

AI translation

“Instant translation tools are helping us manage differences that arise from cross-cultural connections and workplaces across geographies.”

Searchable meeting recordings

“I frequently work with people on the East Coast of the US who are having meetings at 2am my time. While we have a recording of that meeting, I don’t need to hear the whole thing, if I choose not to. I just need the snippets relevant to me. I can now search keywords and the technology takes me to each place within the meeting, where that topic was discussed… I can also see other areas of the meeting that were considered important to the meeting host, during that meeting. Additionally, I can also raise questions after the fact, too. This technology means, I can manage my time investments as I consider appropriate and I am not having to crumble my own work time boundaries to be an active participant in a global team while still remaining an active member.”

Smart tech used to diagnose connection issues

“Webex, Cisco’s collaboration platform, uses innovative technology to interrogate data and identify why you might be incurring an inferior meeting experience. It “sees” every bit of equipment (and related data) that is contributing to the engagement and can determine if, for example, it’s your headset that’s causing the problem, or something else.”

A look to the future 

What does John see on the horizon of the future of work?

Smart tech in the home office

“Smart devices, such as the Webex Video Endpoint, can continually collect intelligence to pick up on factors that create fatigue such as heat, air quality, or even environmental dangers like carbon monoxide for example.  All of a sudden, something as simple as a Webex video endpoint for the home could be used to help improve the environmental quality of a “workplace beyond the office”.  

Scaling digitally by leveraging the tech we already have

“We need to scale digitally. Technology needs to be distributable and singularly scalable across multiple platforms, devices and locations, including  the physical environment and “lean out” operational processes. We should be looking at how we architect this so we can leverage the technology we already have, and scale more on the “back end” rather than the front end, as an iPhone does for example.”

John concludes that you should “think of your office as one big device that connects people. Just because people are not there doesn’t mean they can’t be connected.”

With remote working now the norm for many workers in Australia, employers are facing the challenge of how to encourage their employees to return to the office space that they still own or lease. But when everyone has a desk at home, how do you convince people to make the commute?

While there’s much talk about ‘enticing’ people back to the office with incentives and perks, many of these short-term solutions fail to acknowledge that both the way we work and the role of the office have fundamentally changed. A new value proposition for office working is required, one that involves a rethink of the modern workplace and the future of work, complete with increased virtualisation for hybrid workforces.

Many experts in workplace design are calling this The Era of the Destination Workplace. In this article, we’ll explore what this means and how you can start creating a destination workplace today.

What is a destination workplace?

Now that coming into the office is no longer compulsory, most traditional offices hold very little appeal for many employees. If you want to entice your people back to the office, a Destination Workplace is what you’ll need.   

The Destination Workplace is a place where employees actually want to be. It’s not simply desks in an office that people are required to be at from 9 to 5, a few days a week. They’re work environments that use concepts of placemaking, that is, paying attention to physical, cultural and social needs to add genuine value to your teams’ lives while enabling their work product. And the widespread adoption of flexible and hybrid working practices has driven a steep incline in popularity.

“We need to reconstruct a workplace to be really valuable to people – to provide functionality that enables us to work in the way we want,” said Cassandra Kirk, Head of Design and Strategy at Axiom Workplaces.

This now also means creating workplaces that offer what cannot be experienced at home – such as spaces that are great for innovation, collaboration, socialisation, and events.

“We’re now coming to the office to do things that are only relevant to being in the office. If we can do an activity at home, then we can choose to do so,” said Cassandra.

By creating a destination workplace that complements the advantages of remote work with the unique benefits of office work, you’ll draw your workforce back to the workplace – not necessarily full-time, but in a regular, purposeful and productive way.

So how do you do this?

4 steps to create a destination workplace:

1. Reallocate spaces

Now that we no longer need large spaces to provide everyone with a desk, business owners can use their square meterage more creatively – or even downsize to save money.

“There’s an opportunity for employers to add varied workspaces that they always wanted. Now they’re no longer limited by their space or financial means and have more flexibility, many can achieve this dream,” said Cassandra.

So if you’ve always wanted a tailored event space with a full kitchen for catering, or break-out collaboration spaces with soft chairs and whiteboards, or even a library for quiet work or inspiration … Now’s the perfect time! 

2. Create more engaging spaces

Placemaking has long been associated with creating a sense of community, and new workplace design trends are being heavily influenced by this, according to Peter Black, one of Axiom’s Workplace Strategy Consultants.

“Towns generally have a heart area – a hive of activity – and then quieter spaces that radiate out from that,” explained Peter. “They’re centred around a particular attraction, such as fine food.”

In destination workplaces, this may look like a social centre that has a cafe vibe, or an innovation hub with the best interactive whiteboards and relaxed, comfortable seating.

“It’s not only about functionality,” added Cassandra. “It’s also about creating a wow experience – a magnetic appeal that draws people in.”

The benefits are not just for employees. As people talk about their workplaces and find them enjoyable places to be, this creates an energy that is associated with your business and can attract new talent, benefit your brand and encourage potential leavers to stay. 

3. Create more inclusive workplaces

No two employees are the same, but our work environments have typically not catered well for these differences – whether related to geography, working style, caring responsibilities, disability, or illness. However, when you give your workers more choice in where, when, and how they work, you create a more inclusive workplace.

“The ability to structure your day – to work in the way you want – is great. It’s inclusive and opens up roles to more people,” said Peter. “But it does mean that placemaking is a really important part of the office in order to create a purposeful space that people want to be in.”

This is where destination workplaces come in – as a complement to remote work, offering its own unique benefits. By creating an office that people want to be in and that enables different types of productivity, you actually provide your employees (and potential employees) with more options to choose work conditions that suit their daily needs.

So whether it’s dedicated rooms for team collaboration, sound-proofed phone booths for video calls, or breakout spaces for those needing 10 minutes to clear their heads, ensure that your destination workplace can inspire and expand the ways people can work, rather than limiting them.

4. Don’t forget virtualisation

Lastly, don’t forget to cater for the increased virtualisation we’re seeing in work. Even if employees are coming into the office, they will likely still have colleagues who are working remotely. So ensuring that your new destination workplace caters to this with increased spaces for video calls, screens and speakers in all meeting rooms, is critical.

If you’d like to learn more about the new role of the office in the future of work, read the Future of Work: A Progressive Leaders Guide To Staying Ahead.

Axis Communications is an integrated technology solution provider that manufactures network cameras for the physical security and video surveillance industries. They offer solutions based on sight, sound and analytics to improve security and optimise business performance for their customers.

Before Axiom…

Axis is in the process of shifting their brand from being a security hardware provider to a company that provides integrated technology solutions. With a 10-year lease in their large space, Axis was ready to transform their workplace to align with their new vision and direction.

The brief was a high-energy workplace that seamlessly connected staff inside and outside the local office with collaboration spaces and best-in-class communications technology. All of this was to happen within an expansive, yet personalised, experiential environment. 

The business had a unique opportunity to create an Experience Centre, a multi-purpose space that showcases leading-edge technology to clients as an experiential journey. The brief was to use design to finely balance seemingly opposing constructs of cutting-edge technology with a welcoming, friendly feel.

After Axiom…

With the journey as the central design concept, we designed the Axis Experience Centre as a sequence of client experiences that visually guided clients. 

The experience begins with the arrival – an energetic welcome, with a dramatic and tech-inspired back-lit foyer. As the explorer proceeds throughout, they find the showcased technology embedded in softened colours, textures, and environmental graphics. The Experience Centre enjoys natural light and the space features a prominent social gathering area, instilling an immediate connection with both people and the outside environment. 

“The Axis team wanted its front-of-house showcase to be experienced as a journey – one that finely balanced the seemingly opposing constructs of cutting edge technology with a welcoming, friendly feel”. – Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Associate Strategy

Based on the concept of The Golden Mile, we deployed a range of integrated design techniques to guide the journey including colour-blocking to highlight different aspects of the narrative, backlighting for visual effect, angled linear lighting for dramatic effect, reflective finishes and textural play for interest and energy, as well as 3d wayfinding.

An equally inspiring journey has been created for staff. The team space features a large break-out space that capitalises on the view (with the hallowed MCG to the left and Port Phillip Bay to the right) and offers ample amenities while featuring varied work points, focus spaces and collaboration spaces. 

“Meanwhile, back-of-house was endowed with diverse yet well-connected work points, multiple collaboration areas as well as access to the view and all amenities”. – Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Associate Strategy

This was a job of balance and connection, bringing function and design together into a seamless journey for both clients and staff. 

At a glance

• Two spaces, distinct, yet connected, technologically enabled, yet welcoming
• Simple Scandi-style design, consistent and complementary to their headquarters in Lund, Sweden
• Longevity and low maintenance in both design and materials
• Used sustainable products and materials to complement their  6-star green building and a 5-star NABERS rating

Ready for Axiom to work their workplace strategy and design magic on your current or new office space? Book a free virtual consultation today to see what we can do for you.

Axiom Workplaces combines your commercial fitout and workplace design goals with our experience and expertise in evidence-based office design to create a thriving workplace for you and your workforce.

As people begin returning and spending more time in the office, employers have to make sure that the physical workspace keeps everyone engaged and productive. They not only need to create a company culture that is safe and supportive, but one that also aligns with the company’s purpose and values. 

In this blog post, we look at how you can design a workplace that effectively communicates your values to your team, clients and customers, and why this is important.

How your workplace design can communicate company values

Company values are more important than ever—they set the tone for how employees communicate with their clients and each other and more—but if they’re not communicated well, businesses won’t be able to realise the benefits they bring.

The office is not just a physical space to do work. It’s not just an area with walls, desks, rooms and windows. An office is a place where people can collaborate, socialise and share ideas, views and aspirations. And the actual design of your workplace can have a significant impact in creating a supportive, engaging and productive culture. 

Workplace design creates an environment that supports your brand and tells your story. Each design element can communicate to employees, clients and customers the core values that represent who you are as a company. 

Here are some steps to make your workplace design reflect company values.

1. Define your company values

The workplace design process doesn’t start with choosing the right colours, lighting or layout. It begins with defining and establishing your core values. This is an opportunity for your business to refocus on your mission as a company, determine your ‘why’, and review the values and principles that are essential for both management and staff.

This is a critical step in the process – and should not be skipped. It builds the foundation that guides the way forward. So, take the time to re-examine and define your company values before you start thinking about how to translate them into the physical workplace.

2. Design the workplace to reflect your values

When you have defined and established your core company values, it’s important to communicate them across the whole business. Conduct company-wide presentations and team workshops. Email your values to each employee, and have team managers lead the way in practising those values. 

One important aspect in this step of the process is to have a look around the office and review the physical workspace. Does your office interior design reflect your company values? If not, you’ve missed an important opportunity to communicate your values internally and externally.

Let’s take a set of example values and talk about how we could create a workspace to align and promote them. 

Company values: Empowerment, Real People, Innovation and Customer-Centric.

• Create a front of house area that is prominent and purposely designed to host clients and external visitors to ensure being customer-centric is clear to all. Continue on with this theme by choosing a higher level of finish and furnishing and mood lighting, artwork to emphasise the importance of visitors. More specifically, the choice and style of furnishings also need to portray the appropriate tone and language to anyone who visits your office, e.g. timber veneers and the use of a reasonable amount of glazing reinforces trust and transparency, but also may delineate front of house from back of house, assuring your clients that their IP protected when you work for them.
• Using seamless technology connections focuses on the values of customer-centric, innovation and making the design for real people. How does this work in practice? By designing a workplace where employees can drop into unbookable spaces to accommodate a client that has arrived unannounced and needs a quick meeting. The employee can book the space at the door of the room for 30 minutes with no fuss and hassle, making the experience great for the client. Need to connect to the AV and dial in a virtual team member? No problem. It’s all done at the touch of a button and intended to accommodate and facilitate the client’s needs empowering everyone to collaborate efficiently.
• Include ‘experience centres’ to address innovation and customer-centric needs by facilitating a curated experience for people. How? Design for creative sessions, change the lighting, allow writing and sticking onto all walls, use modular furniture and a variety of settings within a room to create a sense of innovation when combined with high tech solutions in lighting and VC/AV equipment.
• Include right-sized, placed and styled collaboration, entertainment and social spaces to empower employees to host client-centric meetings and workshops that treat everyone like real people.
• Design social spaces that accommodate employee activities – keeping it real for them in how they connect their support services, reinforcing that real people connect with their real needs being met. It might be as simple as a functional kitchen layout with enough recycling bins, sufficient microwaves placed correctly and free access to the filtered water tap without having to impede the packing of the dishwasher.
• Provide choice in work settings i.e. flexibility about when you are in the office to choose the most productive work setting in order to empower and enable customer-centric responses by cutting down response time.
• Include sufficient focus and quiet spaces – this again means real people are getting their real needs met and enables high performance.

3. Consider employee habits and work preferences

Building a values-based workplace and culture would not be successful without the input and support of your employees. Engage them in the workplace design process. Ask them what works, what doesn’t, if the workspace communicates the right mood or perception, and how to best implement any changes. It’s also important to consider work habits and how teams collaborate and work together. 

Designing the best physical space where employees feel comfortable and energised, can do wonders in enhancing work performance and productivity in the long run.

4. Partner with workplace design experts

Let’s face it – creating an environment that reflects your values would require a lot of time planning, coordinating and building. Consider working with workplace strategy and design experts to help you do the job properly and efficiently. Companies like Axiom can help you strategise, design and build a physical workspace that reflects your culture, communicates your core values, and improves staff well-being and performance.  

Why company values are important

Now that we’ve seen how to make your workplace design reflect company values, it’s essential to understand why your core values matter in the first place.

Your company values matter especially in these times of uncertainty and change. They build the foundation of your company culture and serve as a guiding force for both management and employees. Here are a few reasons why company values are important:

Values keep your business unique

Core values not only create the culture within the organisation but also stay consistent with the company’s overall identity. They help communicate the brand story and build on the ‘why’ of the business – why you do what you do, why you’re different from the competition, and why the company was established in the first place.

They unite staff with a common purpose

People want to be inspired. They want to know that their work contributes to something bigger than themselves. Company values can help create that bond between individuals and teams to work together to achieve common goals and fulfil a shared mission or purpose.

They drive team performance

When employees are working together for a common purpose, they feel more engaged with their work; more energised and motivated. Team productivity and performance, therefore, significantly improve. 

Want to learn more about creating the best workplace that reflects your company values? Read our Future of Work guide and see what’s in store for employees, employers and workplaces in 2021 and beyond.

When the world was flung into a mass work-from-home experiment in 2020, American Express Global Business Travel’s employees didn’t lack the tech or training to make it work. In fact, 70 to 80 percent of the 500 strong Australian workforce already worked from home. 

We spoke with Kate Witenden, Head of Human Resources at AMEX Global Business Travel during 2020, about how their virtual-first workforce handled the crisis almost seamlessly. We also explored what shifts still need to occur and what other companies can learn from their business model and company culture. Finally, we talked about what Kate sees as the future of the office.

A snapshot of the business pre-COVID

Pre-COVID, AMEX Global Business Travel had offices in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, but around 70-80 per cent of staff were designated as ‘virtual employees’ (i.e. not attached in any permanent capacity to a physical office). These virtual employees were fully set up to work from home 100 per cent of the time. They were equipped with the technology and processes to service customers and collaborate with their colleagues remotely.

Kate said this working model was one of the things that attracted her to the business in the first place: “I was intrigued from an HR perspective. Does it actually work? And it did.”

“This is a highly collaborative global organisation that works over many time zones. So they innately built this model so that people could be set up to work from home at the hours required.”

Even those employees who did regularly work from an office were ultimately enabled to also work remotely. 

“We all had the equipment to be able to work from home already because the chances were that nine out of 10 of those people who still chose to turn up to the office had to be on calls with the UK out of normal business hours at home. The work required us to be flexible.”

The AMEX response to the crisis

In March 2020, when Australian office workers were advised to work from home by the government, the AMEX Global Business Travel team didn’t miss a beat. Kate told us there were only five (out of 500!) employees that weren’t ready.

“They were brand new recruits going through training in the office with seasoned consultants or team leaders. While we had the technology to train people remotely, it took some quick thinking from the team to get these ‘newbies’ up and running at home,” Kate explained. 

“But the reality is that’s how quick we were to be able to move with the crisis to 100 percent of employees working from home – and WFH continued throughout the entire year of 2020.”

What needed to evolve

Pre-COVID, AMEX Global Business Travel had town hall-style meetings to provide business updates from the leadership team. But during the pandemic, this level and amount of communication couldn’t keep up with the rapid changes and shifting business landscape – especially in a hard-hit industry like business travel. Instead, town halls started happening more regularly and evolved into a two-way communication channel, with employees able to ask questions of their leaders.

With many employees stood down and a lot of uncertainty, though, more needed to be done. “The leadership team created their own WhatsApp groups so they could pass on messages,” explained Kate.

“It was about adapting and using the right medium for the situation rather than a more traditional corporate channel. So, although the WhatsApp groups won’t be a permanent fixture, they disseminated information quickly and got the job done.”

Although the outlook for the business travel sector is uncertain, Kate said, “Out of horrible adversity came something quite miraculous – it permitted people to act with speed.”

“It’s going to be a long recovery, but having been through it will put the business in such an amazing standing for when lights switch back on in business travel.”

The future of the office

Kate noted that “the danger of going completely virtual is that nothing replaces that face-to-face collaboration, the feeling of energy being created.”

“I think it’s very, very difficult to sustain [100 percent virtual] unless you’ve got excellent tools and practices and discipline. That said, we had a lot of those foundations already in place in our business, which set us up for success.”

We were curious to know what Kate thought the office of the future might look like:

“The office of the future is about collaboration. The rest of the stuff, your emails and solo work, you can do that from home in peace and quiet much more productively. 

“So if you’re going to be in the office, you need to be present. You need to be available, you need to be open, and you need to be there to give something back. Turning up to bring your laptop in for the sake of sitting in the office is not what the office of the future is about.”

If you’d like to explore more about what the future holds for the office, take a look at Leading the Future of Work in Australia: Insights and Strategies. It’s our one-stop resource for all things future of work-related.

Thank you to Kate Witenden for this interview. You can connect with Kate on LinkedIn.

Workplace wellness and wellbeing isn’t a new trend. The wellbeing of employees is a topic that has been on the rise for years, but has seen unprecedented acceleration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we recently held a Future of Work webinar where 84 percent of the audience said their company workplace wellness approach had positively changed since the events of last year.

So what do these changes look like in the new hybrid workplace and how will workplace wellbeing shape the future of work? Let’s explore.

The hybrid workplace

McCrindle research has found that 61 percent of Australians want flexibility in their work arrangements, with a combination of working from home and working from the office – meaning the workplace’s future will be a hybrid model.

This change is supported from the top, with CEOs of some of Australia’s most successful companies shifting to a hybrid way of working, including Mirvac, Telstra and NAB. Even the government is on board: the Queensland Government told it’s employees it expects many workers to fall under a hybrid work model.

At Axiom, we agree that the office will look different. Rather than having a majority of people in the office working from a desk, we will see more breakout spaces, team spaces and collaboration hubs – workspaces where people can safely gather to exchange knowledge and ideas. While this hybrid model of work was already on the horizon, the pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the timeline.

A look into the future

During our Future of Work webinar, the panel discussed the trends they are noticing in workplace wellness and wellbeing now and into the coming years.

First, let us introduce the speakers:

• Jack Noonan – Vice President, Asia Pacific, International WELL Building Institute
• Eminè Mehmet – CEO, WELL Space
• Josh Lambert – Founder, Well Workplaces
• And our moderator: Annelie Xenofontos – Senior Workplace Strategist, Axiom Workplaces

The financial impact of wellbeing

Although workplace wellbeing programs aren’t new, the COVID-19 era has ushered in a new awareness of how employees’ health and wellbeing has a material effect on a company’s bottom line.

“It hasn’t been appreciated until now, but a healthy and well workforce creates a healthy and well organisation,” said Jack Noonan.

Making the invisible visible

The past year has been about “making the invisible visible”, explained Jack. Whether that’s the COVID-19 virus no one can see or instilling confidence in a workforce to return to the office, the focus has been on making those invisible things tangible and actionable. Jack also pointed out that sensor technology is trending for validation and verification of things like air and water quality – all circling back to building employee confidence in their health and wellbeing at work by making the invisible visible.

Focus on health equity

While pre-COVID workplace wellness programs existed, the percentage of people who opted in was low at 20-40 percent, said Jack. And most of the time, those people were the ones who needed that intervention the least. This was a concern then, but the concept of ‘health equity’ has been fast-tracked post-COVID.

What is health equity? The World Health Organisation defines it as “the absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically”. In the workplace, this means that workplace wellness needs to be for all people – not just those who opt-in. In practice, this means putting health and wellness into leadership and policy.

As Josh Lambert said, “wellbeing needs to have equity of access for all” – it’s now a necessity and “there is a duty of care on employers to provide a well workplace”.

Preventative action

“The reality is that 98 percent of health spending in Australia is on treatment. Less than 1.5 percent goes to prevention. Yet 35 percent of chronic diseases in Australia are preventable,” said Jack.

He pointed out a huge opportunity here for workplaces to help prevent illness with proactive wellbeing programs and initiatives.

A culture of health

People are actively looking for ways to improve their health, according to Eminè Mehmet. Since the pandemic outbreak, she explained, the population has become more knowledgeable on what needs to be increased and enhanced at work for their health. 

Josh noted that we see this demonstrated in the workplace with the rise of the Chief Wellness Officer (CWO). “Employees are driving change with their demand,” he said. 

This shift in narrative drives a ‘culture of health’, where old ways of working are broken down with a more coordinated and collaborative approach to health across organisations. Jack illustrated this point by describing the surge in meetings between the heads of facilities and the heads of HR. 

Your top 5 workplace wellness goals

The Future of Work webinar wrapped up with our panel describing the high-value areas to spend your energy and budget on:

1) Building wellbeing into strategy

Wellbeing needs to be more than just values pinned on the wall, explained Josh. It needs to sit within the overall business strategy and be supported by a health and wellbeing culture.

2) Promotion and branding of wellbeing initiatives

“There is no point having a program on paper if it’s not promoted and branded internally,” said Josh.

“Give the program a persona or brand to create awareness. The initiative will only be as good as the awareness of it.”

3) Air quality

Unsurprisingly, Eminè recommended we turn our focus to the air quality in our workspaces. In fact, the adoption of technology that measures air quality is increasing, including airborne particle monitoring. 

4) Engagement with employees

In order to create something significant in the wellbeing space, you must engage with your employees to find out what they need. Eminè noted that any wellbeing initiative “needs to be specific to your people for it to be used”. She explained that a company culture of openness and willingness to listen is needed for any engagement to be successful, otherwise people will not speak up. 

5) Monitoring and measurement

Fifty-seven percent of our webinar audience said their organisation doesn’t currently measure how their physical workplace supports people, productivity and culture. Yet, as Jack explained, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Small or big.”

Annelie Xenofontos added, “You have to hit the handbrake. Go back to what the objective is, then engage in the design to create the right space.”

Want to explore more about what the future of work might look like in your workplace? Examine the four fundamental elements of the future of work – people, process, place and tools – in the Future of Work: A Progressive Leaders Guide To Staying Ahead.

It’s 2021, and the office’s role has changed. COVID-19 has accelerated the future of work and quickly evolved the way office spaces need to function. Workspaces are feeling more like safe, homely spaces, enticing employees back into the office environment.

Naturally, this sees some interesting trends emerge in workplace design: greenery and green credentials are increasingly important, designs are incorporating virtual connections more than ever before, the unpredictable environment is driving flexible, agile spaces that are ready for anything.

Let’s explore what these 2021 workspace design trends look like in practice.

Workplace design trend 1: Make it feel like home with resimercial design

Resimercial design mixes residential and commercial characteristics to create a workspace which feels ‘homely’. The trend began as the Millenial and Gen Z generations entered the workforce. They grew up with technology which enabled the notion of working anytime and anywhere and with that came new expectations around the workplace – comfort, convenience and warmth. Of course, the pandemic accelerated the trend as more and more people began working from home for a significant amount of time and now prefer certain creature comforts in the workplace too.

Done right, resimercial design introduces employees to natural daylight, freedom to choose where to sit and flexibility around where work is done. On a more surface level, expect to see more comfortable furnishings and decorative additions usually associated with the home such as soft furnishings, warm lighting, framed wall decor and a more domestic colour palette.

Professional office features are still critical; quiet spaces for deep work, private places for phone conversations, meeting rooms and practical lighting.

Workplace design trend 2: The greener the better

The humble office plant isn’t new, but in 2021 expect to see greenery taken to the next level as the focus on employee wellbeing continues to grow. Biophilic design isn’t just about a pot on a desk – although that’s a good start. It is about introducing nature more profoundly into internal and external design, to reconnect with nature and bring the outdoors in. Think living green walls, plant partitions (a more aesthetically pleasing take on the perspex screens which have almost become ubiquitous), indoor office gardens and even marine ‘gardens’, complete with fish, built into seating or breakout areas.

Nature is well known to boost mood, reduce anxiety and stress, and improve air quality, promoting employee health and wellbeing outcomes.

It’s not just about the plants though, green design goes further, extending to more sustainable office design. Employers and employees are more conscious than ever about their environmental impact. In 2021, expect to see more sustainable materials being used in office design and innovative solutions to encourage greener choices within the workplace.

Workplace design trend 3: Virtual first

Videoconferencing technology has played a vital role in the past year to facilitate connection and collaboration. While most offices have reopened in Australia, there have had to be concessions made with physical distancing and a general shift to more flexible ways of working. The physical workplace has had to adapt.

Expect to see:

• More screens (multiple in meeting rooms to patch in remote workers), cameras and microphones
• Smart interactive whiteboards for onsite and offsite collaboration
• Design that promotes good acoustics for effective conferencing
• Small and private designated video conferencing rooms

Workplace design trend 4: Focus on design as part of your employer brand

We’ve always believed that office space is an extension of your brand’s DNA. And in 2021, more and more companies are using their workplace’s design to strengthen their employer brand, and attract and retain top talent.

No longer are offices only seen by employees or those who make it to the recruitment process’s interview stage. Now workplaces are showcased across social media as Millenials and Gen Z share their offices on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Add to this the screen time your office gets via webinars or how it is reviewed on sites like Glassdoor, and it’s clear that your workplace needs to put your brand’s best foot forward.

Every day we help businesses to leverage and showcase their employer brand through their office design – take a look at some examples.

Workplace design trend 5: Movable and modular furniture

In 2021, office design can’t afford to be stagnant or fixed. For it to be practical and responsive to evolving requirements, it needs to be flexible. Physical distancing, split shifts, and hybrid work arrangements have all magnified the growing need for more flexibility in the workplace.

Expect to see modular furniture that can be moved and adjusted to suit distancing requirements or new working patterns. Movable desks, chairs, partitions and walls, and even whole cubicles will make up the new flexible office design.

Want to look beyond 2021 in workspace design? Find out more wit the Future of Work: A Progressive Leaders Guide To Staying Ahead.

Almost a year on from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are starting to see the impacts of the crisis on workplace culture in Australia and it's clear that the future of work is being reshaped. But although the picture is coming into more distinct focus, the long term effects probably won’t be apparent for years to come.

What we do know is that the workplace, the workforce and the way we work have significantly and permanently changed. Lockdowns and travel bans have flipped what we thought about the nature of work altogether. Businesses have seen that employees don’t necessarily need to be in the office to get particular work done. Remote work has become the new norm. Commutes have been cancelled. Business travel superseded by Zoom meetings. So as we adjust to these new working ways, leaders must consider the effects this is having on company culture.

What is company culture?

Company or organisational culture is made up of every interaction within your business. It’s the processes, decisions and conversations held within your office and also what is played out online. In a recent webinar Axiom hosted, culture was likened to the body’s immune system. There to support the body, but if not treated well or looked after, it can fail or, in fact, attack.

Company culture is critical as it guides behaviour. It tells employees how to respond, what choices to make and how to handle tricky issues. Company culture is the unseen force which drives employee decision-making day in, day out. Culture tells employees what to do when their leader is out of sight.

How do we shape culture?

So if culture is this nebulous, almost unseen thing, how can leaders shape and improve it?

Before making any change, it is essential to understand your culture first and from there identify what you want to achieve. Without this initial understanding and vision of where you want to be, it can be easy to lose sight of the end goal and get stuck in business as usual.

In a recent webinar we hosted, it was mentioned that the higher you go up the corporate ladder, the less that person actually understands what the culture is within an organisation. So as businesses get bigger and organisational structures become more vast, so does the challenge of truly grasping what the company culture is like.

To help you get an understanding of your company’s culture, we’ve broken down what the culture of a high-performance workplace consists of:

We see company culture as an amalgamation of a few key things: Technology, Environment and Behaviour. These areas are interwoven, inextricably linked, and the building blocks of organisational culture.

Technology

Technology is a driver and enabler of culture. It provides the ability for seamless connections and also to make location agnostic. It fosters collaboration amongst teams and allows them to remain productive, whether in the office or remote. And while technology has been vital to the work from home shift during COVID-19, it’s just as important in the physical workplace. A bad technological experience, no matter the location, is remarkably detrimental to culture.

Environment

In a recent webinar Axiom hosted, we polled the audience, and most people said they plan to modify their existing physical office in response to the shift in working style we’ve seen over the past year. This is the perfect opportunity to think about how the physical environment can support and improve your company culture.

In our new hybrid working environment, it’s essential to consider how people are working in the co-located office. What tasks are being performed? How can the environment support those tasks specifically?

The other thing to consider is, now that people have the option to work from home, how can the physical office be designed in a way to attract staff back in?

To answer these questions, it’s essential to get to know your people by immersing yourself in your organisation. You need to understand your people, the type of work they do, and where and how they can do it best. In general, an office is a place of connection, learning, collaboration and socialisation, and designing the space to support these key elements will support strong company culture.

Behaviour

Behaviour is an obvious part of the company culture ‘pie’, which ideally should be underpinned by strong organisational values. The values held by employees on the inside will be reflected by their behaviour on the outside. However, creating company values, printing them on posters and sticking them on a wall is not good enough. Values must be role modelled from the top and built into the way business is done. Action must follow words, or company culture will suffer.

How has COVID-19 affected culture?

COVID-19 was a moment of truth for workplace culture in Australia. Businesses with robust, resilient and positive cultures are in much better positions than those with weak or negative cultures. In our last webinar, our panel noted that there had been a few common cultural themes highlighted over the pandemic. Let’s start with some positives.

For many employees, the move to remote work was an opportunity to get comfortable being more personal and open with colleagues. Work from home has been a window into people’s lives which wasn’t available before. Connections have become more genuine, and employees have felt they can be their whole selves.

Interestingly, given greater physical distancing, closer collaboration, and a willingness to jump in and help colleagues has also developed. This perhaps due to the “we’re all in this together” attitude that’s permeating companies.

The shared struggle has also seen an increase in empathy and understanding between colleagues, employees and employers. Before the pandemic, problems were usually individual and left at home. Now, everyone is weathering the storm, and the home is a genuine part of the workplace.

On the flip side, pandemic-induced isolation and job insecurity have unsurprisingly hurt employee wellbeing. Employees are struggling to switch off and set boundaries between work and home life.

Physical distancing, the rise in remote working and working in shifts also means less incidental, serendipitous meetings. These “water cooler” chats are often the catalyst for innovation, fresh ideas and collaboration, and we’re yet to see the true impact of missing out on them.

What is a cultural continuity plan?

Just like a business continuity plan, a cultural continuity plan is about making it through a crisis or navigating change and coming out the other side strong. It’s important that your business has the ability to translate what is important to the company (i.e. mission, vision and values) no matter what is happening externally or internally in order for your culture to be preserved.

Your cultural continuity plan starts with an outline of the things that are important to your company’s culture. Then it needs to address how these things will be protected when a crisis, like the pandemic, occurs. For example, if your business values social connections, and this usually looks like Friday night drinks at the pub, what will this look like in a lockdown situation?

How does the physical workplace affect culture?

As you now know, the environment is an integral part of the company culture ‘pie’. While it is only part of the equation, if you have a physical workspace, it is essential to building and supporting a thriving company culture.

However, we’ve found that most companies are not measuring how well their physical workspace supports their people, productivity and culture. Measurement is key to objectively interpret the progress of your company culture. Without proper measurement, you cannot see what’s being done well, what’s being done poorly, and where there are opportunities for improvement.

This is why Axiom developed the Workplace Thrive Index, a tool which will take the pulse of your organisation. Once the pulse has been taken with a carefully facilitated process, the Index score is measured against industry benchmarks and areas for improvement are determined. Want to know where your organisation sits on the Workplace Thrive Index?

Company culture is an essential part of the Future of Work, explore other considerations in the Future of Work: A Progressive Leaders Guide To Staying Ahead.

The pandemic has accelerated a range of pre-existing workspace trends around health and wellbeing, flexibility, activity-based working and the demand drive for better space utilisation. With this change in working habits, the requirements of COVID-19 workplace design have come into focus.

Things like high quality virtual connective hardware which were once on the “wish list” are now office must-haves. Some of these investments are now also within reach, thanks to boosted tenant incentives.

In this article, we’ll explore the new requirements of the office as well as the incentives on offer to fund these essential upgrades.

The new office must-haves

Right now conflicting forces are pulling at the future of office footprints. One is the need for more space to accommodate physical distancing protocols. The other is the need to reduce space with more people working remotely. In a post-vaccine world, physical distancing requirements will cease to exist, but the changes to the way people work are here to stay.

While technology has proven valuable to support and maintain collaboration and interaction in the required work from home period, long term it will complement but not replace the need for a physical workplace.

Long term, workspaces will have a rationalised physical footprint, and be comprised of flexible well-equipped spaces designed to support specific employee needs. The new office will have technology built in (eg. occupancy sensors or smart lighting solutions), a strong focus on health and wellbeing, plus a workplace design that is sympathetic to the productivity needs of employees while they’re in the workspace.

Entice employees to the workspace

Enhanced productivity, no commute and the opportunity to work in leisurewear – working from home has a lot of perks the office now needs to compete with. The new workplace needs to become a destination with a purpose which entices employees to return.

The office will need to offer more to employees than just a workstation to sit at for 8 hours a day. Rather, smart businesses will create places that attract and retain their employees with careful workspace design.

Employee health and safety

The new office puts employee health and safety front and centre. Workspaces will take advantage of technology and equipment such as hands-free or easy to clean materials (non-porous surfaces) and fixtures (automatic doors and taps) to rebuild employees’ trust and confidence.

Seamless connection between physical and virtual

Remote working isn’t going anywhere, which means the new office needs to be reconfigured to accommodate technology upgrades. Meeting rooms need to be equipped for seamless video conferencing, whether that’s with better quality screens and audio or faster data connections, to ensure flawless links between those out of and those in the office.

Collaboration and connection spaces

A key purpose of the new office is connection and collaboration between employees. With focussed and deep work done from home, employees will increasingly visit the office when human interaction is required, and the workspace needs to encourage and support this type of work. In a pre-vaccine world, these spaces will need to consider movable furniture for safe distancing and acoustic treatments which aid conversation across distance.

Use tenant incentives to create your new future-proof office

According to the Property Council of Australia, Australian office vacancy increased over the first six months of 2020 for the first time in four and a half years to 9.5%. This has created a pro-tenant market, and as landlords work to keep building values steady in a turbulent time, they are offering incentives to tenants like:

• Rent-free periods
• Rent abatement
• Fitout contributions
• Changes to rent review and make good terms

While tenant incentives aren’t new, they are currently on the increase. CBRE notes that in Sydney, “incentives are on the rise to encourage leasing activity in the market, nudging up around the 30% mark.” In previous years, this sat at 18-20%. It is a good time to take advantage of the increased incentives to fund your future-proof workspace upgrades.

Wondering what other future of work trends are affecting workspace design? Check out the Future Of Work: A Progressive Leader’s Guide.

While many employees have worked from home since March, companies are now planning or are amid their return-to-office strategies. Although we may be returning to the office, the pandemic has changed the way we work forever. The current affairs have also provided an opportunity to redesign and reimagine your office space with an Activity-Based Working strategy while still prioritising employee health and safety.

The journey towards activity-based working

Activity-Based Working (ABW) has been around since the 1980s but grew in popularity during the 1990s as more companies implemented activity-based working throughout their offices. And although at first glance it may appear that the pandemic may have halted the trajectory of ABW, it really couldn’t be further from the truth.

ABW is a style of workplace design that enables employees to choose the best environment to suit their individual working style. So rather than sitting day-in, day-out at an office desk, the employee can change it up depending on what task they’re doing – whether that’s collaborating with others in a brainstorming space or working from home for deep work.

ABW is commonly confused with hot-desking, which removes allocated seating to inspire mobility and maximise office space. But it’s more than that. ABW is about supporting employees while they’re in (and out of) the office, so they perform at their best every day.

How the pandemic has changed the requirements of the office

COVID-19 has been a catalyst for many organisations to rethink how ‘work’ gets done. And it has started many on a path to trusting and empowering their employees to work where and even when they work best.

Given one of the critical tenets of Activity-Based Working is the empowerment of the employee, it’s clear ABW is an excellent match for the future workspace. Naturally, challenges to working in a shared space in the pandemic-era have arisen. Let’s explore their solutions.

Physical distancing

Keeping 1.5 metres apart in a shared workspace is a challenge all companies face as they have employees return to the office. An ABW design has the flexibility to accommodate distancing requirements physically in the office as well as by empowering employees to work remotely when needed. Consider capacity based on physical distancing guidelines and plan ahead for those coming into the office – A/B shifts or flexible working hours can help.

High contact areas

In any office, whether ABW or not, there are high contact areas like light switches and elevator buttons which need to be considered. In the first instance, a frequent and thorough cleaning schedule for these areas will need to be implemented. In the longer term, consider touchless technology or automation to avoid contact altogether. Shared spaces like kitchens, bathrooms and thoroughfares also need to be considered. Wayfinding and physical distancing signage can be helpful to keep employees moving in the right direction and maintaining a proper distance from one another.

Provide employees with their own equipment like keyboards or headsets, so they are not shared between coworkers. Also, ensure cleaning and disinfecting supplies are readily available for employees to use as required between scheduled cleaning. Additionally, make sure there is enough time between workspace handover to allow for cleaning and disinfecting to take place.

Technology solutions

Besides the physical workplace, employees also need an efficient digital working environment, affording instant access to all important information, anywhere and at any time. As well as the technology tools to efficiently collaborate with colleagues, wherever they may be. Technology solutions we are keeping a close eye on are:

• Space utilisation software: Used to optimise how people interact with their flexible work environment.
• Environmental health and comfort: Sensors used to monitor things like temperature, humidity and air quality for a comfortable and safe working environment.
• Personal wayfinding: Occupancy sensors used to gather data and create interactive floor plans on kiosks or mobile apps.

Thanks to its nature of flexibility, with the right planning, ABW means your employees will return to a responsive, adaptive, modern office which they are confident will keep them safe and well.

Wondering how else COVID-19 has changed the future of work? This is one of the topics we explore in A progressive leader’s guide to the Future of Work in Australia.

The future of work has been forever changed. As we begin to return to work post COVID, organisations are starting to reflect on the sudden and involuntary uptake of flexible working models from early 2020. Such models have, perhaps permanently, shifted expectations for employers and employees – thanks to the experience of unforeseen benefits for both. 

The benefits of co-located, or office-based working still remain, however – connection, collaboration and culture are still key to organisational success and cannot be completely replaced with remote model variants. As organisations have now realised, a hybrid model of work is the most likely outcome of the pandemic – an extension of activity-based working, where some work is suited to the office, and other work is suited to the home. 

This makes quality workplace design crucial as a way to placemake workplace environments, and ensure that they optimise employee wellbeing. 

How workspace design can aid in employee health and wellbeing as we return to work

Flexible workplace design isn’t a single standalone tactic – it is made up of a whole spectrum of tools that can be deployed to improve productivity and the wellbeing of staff. It can be leveraged across so many workplace aspects – from the physical design of the office to the spaces employees use to complete the work and all the way through to the flexible work hours the organisation offers. 

Designing a workplace to support flexible working has been shown to improve employee wellbeing, in fact, employees tend to be happier in flexible working environments. Some of the benefits include:

• Better work-life balance
• Improved physical and mental health
• Measurable increases in productivity. 

Honing in on the purpose of your office space 

The office of old was all about squeezing people into small, permanent spaces – ensuring everyone is together and that firms can also keep their real estate costs down. More recently, this strategy has begun to shift, and the pandemic has accelerated workplace design towards a more flexible use of space.

In a post-pandemic world, the office is about celebrating the reasons we come together. Some of the common purposes for co-located work include collaboration, social interaction and learning and development, but each organisation will have its own unique requirements. 

The future workspace understands and caters to the specific work purposes, which in turn can augment a sense of employee wellbeing. Here are just some of the dials that can be turned to provide a safe and productive place for co-located work. 

Choreographing movement

In flexible and agile work environments the choreography of movement has always been an important factor of workplace design. In a world that includes physical distancing requirements, this ‘dance’ has become even more imperative. 

Directing movement through design with wayfinding (whether it’s signage, structured paths or colour coding) gives employees simple signals as to where they should walk, stand or sit – keeping themselves and others safe and healthy.

Leveraging smart office tech

With smart office tech, workplaces can support the flexible use of space and optimise utilisation. Whether it’s enabling data-driven facilities and building management or creating a touchless experience for employees and guests. 

Like with many things, the technology to do this already existed but COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of tech like sensors, room booking systems and occupancy planning tools.

Considering digital and social inclusion

In a traditional working environment staff were able to demonstrate care and connection through in-person interactions: saying hello on entering the office, having coffee with a colleague, celebrating a work anniversary in the shared kitchen. In a flexible work environment where some employees are co-located and some are working elsewhere, inclusion becomes more of a challenge.

Businesses, leaders and teams have an opportunity to introduce new, valuable practices and spaces to ensure the inclusion of those not in the office, such as virtual social events (trivia night anyone?) and well-designed meeting spaces which cater seamlessly to those connecting virtually.

Deploying biophilic design

In a report, psychologist Sir Cary Cooper explains the relationship between workplace design and biophilia as “an innovative way to harness this affinity in order to create natural environments for us to live, work and learn [in]. By consciously including nature in interior or architectural design, we are unconsciously reconnecting; bringing the great outdoors into our constructed world.”

To sum it up, workplaces that incorporate natural plant life are inclined to be happier, more productive spaces.

Managing acoustics

Open-plan offices have often been discredited as noisy and unproductive spaces, yet good design will allow the flexibility of open plan to exist without acoustic downfalls. Careful acoustic design can overcome acoustic shortfalls by using materials which absorb excess noise to enhance communication between teams, reduce disturbance from undesired noise, improve privacy and allow employees to focus on tasks that require concentration. 

Letting in the natural light

A survey published in the Harvard Business Review shows that access to natural light is the number one thing employees want in their office environment. And for good reason.

Research by Cornell University strengthens the relationship between natural light and employee wellbeing. A study found the optimisation of natural light in an office significantly improves health and wellness among workers. 

A design based on flexible working principles will allow workers to have access to natural light as they choose the space best suited to work in for themselves.

Despite new models of work becoming prevalent, the benefits of a central workplace – connection, collaboration and culture – still remain, and are key to organisational success. Workplace design plays an even more important role today, in placemaking creation for organisations that want to thrive with a hybrid model of work – but also in nurturing an employee’s wellbeing while they are onsite. 

The future of workplace design is changing and evolving as we speak. With so much information on the future of work, we wanted to help by collecting the most crucial future of work knowledge in one place for you to access easily. Check out all you need to know about the future of work here.

As many businesses shift to a work from home strategy during the developing COVID 19 crisis, more Australians are working remotely than ever before. Rather than a passing trend, it appears the rise in remote working in Australia will permanently change our working culture. 

With benefits like supporting employee health, increased productivity, better work-life balance and the opportunity to cut costs by rationalising office space, it’s no wonder remote working is seen as the future of the workplace.  

But what do we know about the challenges of remote working in Australia and how to overcome them long term? And how will long-term remote work impact company culture? 

This post explores how an organisation might rationalise real estate costs, while still strengthening and maintaining its culture. 

Remote working benefits

Remote work had been on the rise for years before COVID 19 required people to shelter in place. Undeniably, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote work across the world. And with this acceleration, companies have noticed some fantastic benefits for both employees and employers, not least of which is saving money on commercial real estate.  While there are some more benefits of this strategy, there are also some watch-outs too. 

Productivity and performance

Pre-COVID 19, a study found that 49% of professionals noted that they chose to work at home to complete deep, high-concentration work. So it’s not surprising that remote workers tend to be more productive. With more time and fewer distractions having a positive impact on productivity, remote work enables employees to focus on performance, results and higher quality work. Interestingly, this increased productivity and performance translate into greater employee engagement, which is significantly lowering absenteeism. 

However, not all types of work are easy to perform in isolation – in the Owl Labs Global State of Remote Work report, respondents said brainstorms are the most challenging meetings to follow and participate in when working remotely. Perhaps more surprisingly, a different study found that dull repetitive tasks are also more difficult for remote workers.

Rationalise commercial rent and other associated costs 

Remote working cuts costs for both employees and employers. According to Global Workplace Analytics, a part-time remote worker saves their company an average of $11,000 per year on rent and other associated office costs.  So adopting a work-from-home stance for the longer term can clearly help to rationalise space and lower rent costs for an organisation. 

However, a  physical workplace is more than an overhead cost of running a business. Culture, collaboration and connection between individuals and teams are essential to overall unity and directed output in an organisation. So the reduction of rent cannot be considered in isolation – any space reduction must be considered in terms of the longer-term impact on culture also. 

Healthier and happier employees

Aside from the obvious benefit of reducing the risk of spreading COVID 19, working remotely – even part-time, has been shown to increase happiness and lower stress for employees. Factors leading to improved employee wellness include:

• More time for exercise
• Healthy eating
• Less exposure to illness
• More time for interests and hobbies
• Improved personal relationships

However, without the ability to leave ‘the office’ many employees are now working longer hours. A recent Bluejeans survey found employees are working an additional 3.13 hours per day from home. It’s therefore unsurprising that working at home can lead to the blurring of work and non-work boundaries which can lead to increased stress levels. 

Additionally, while remote work is well-received currently, due to COVID-19, Australians have only been working remotely for around five months (true at the time of writing). As the pandemic progresses and eventually passes, it is possible that extended remote work practices may become inhibiting and that a stronger delineation between work and home is desired. 

Attracting and retaining talent

In a Zapier remote work report, about 75% of workers said they would be willing to quit a job that didn’t allow remote working for one that did. Unsurprising then that top HR executives recognise that offering remote working and flexibility will help a company to attract top talent and source the best candidates, regardless of location. 

Having said that,  some office-based collaboration and connection is still largely desired, and intelligent workplace strategy and design – even in a smaller corporate space, will assist in meeting those collaborative goals. 

Why you might consider rationalising – not leaving – your commercial office space 

Many organisations are now rationalising their commercial spaces, looking for some kind of hybrid solution that ensures culture and connection can be maintained, while remote work can support wellbeing, productivity and balance.  

Collaboration and communication

Water cooler conversations, lunch with a colleague, team chats over coffee, all of these co-located office scenarios allow passive information gathering, which is lacking for remote workers. While a Slack chat is helpful, it doesn’t have the same impact as an in-person interaction. In fact, a study found that a face-to-face request is 34 times more successful than an email. 

The bottom line is that there are fewer opportunities to communicate effectively when working remotely full time.

Smart workplace design with clever sensing technologies can instead help organisations to optimise their commercial space, in order to utilise space in a planned, efficient manner, maintaining social distance while reaping the benefits of commercial collaboration when in the office too. 

Building company culture

Humans are social creatures who have a biological requirement for connection with others. Being physically near colleagues provides us access to a broad range of subconscious information and non-verbal communication cues. Remote working full time and only connecting virtually cheats us of these opportunities – the impact of which will be realised over time.  

Take the opportunity to come together in person when it is safe to do so. Physical distancing solutions can be achieved with clever design and smart technology that manages room and desk availability in a user-friendly manner.  There are clever ways you can make employees feel (and be) safe in the office environment. Not only does this kind of investment rationalise rent now and help keep employees safe, but it ensures the efficient use of all office space into the future, further saving on commercial rent and making the best of the space you have. 

Employee wellbeing

While remote working is often seen as a bastion of employee wellbeing, it can lead to feelings of isolation and stress for some. It’s easy for boundaries to become blurred when employees aren’t leaving ‘the office’ at the end of the day. Without this clear distinction, unhealthy habits can form, like working back late and less in-person connection (whether that is with coworkers or family at home). 

A hybrid remote work and in-office solution can help to maintain such balance. In the office employees’ work and personal time boundaries are so much more defined. Similarly, supporting remote workers to find their ‘third place’ whether that be a 5 pm walk or a group call prior to logging off for the day can assist. Recent experiences also show that an ergonomic home office that is separated from casual living space also helps to delineate work and home life.  

Interruptions and distractions

While remote workers don’t need to worry about common office interruptions, they do have a whole host of new distractions at home. Whether it’s unannounced visitors, children arriving home from school, a spouse who types too loudly, or a delivery driver at the door, it can be challenging to maintain focus in non-commercial environments. 

Whether in the commercial office or not, there isn’t a way to avoid all interruptions, but there are some strategies that can assist. 

• Set office hours – you’re not to be disturbed between the hours of X and Y
• Noise-cancelling headphones (and tell others what it means when you’re wearing them)
• A home office with a door and a  ‘do not disturb’ sign when you need to keep your head down
• An option to attend a safe, well-designed commercial office where you can work quietly and comfortably with less distractions should home become challenging 

While remote work is likely to be a component of workplace strategy for some time, many Australian organisations are considering the longer term implications of this on culture and collaboration. Many conversations in the market are currently pitted around rationalising real estate costs by reducing and optimising commercial space. This then enables individuals and teams to work remotely some of the time, and use the office at other times – which is an extension of the activity-based trend we’ve been seeing for the last few years. 

To manage this successfully and for the long-term, you may wish to consider aspects of design that assist with social distancing, that help to optimise and utilise underused space, and assist employees to find and use workspaces with efficiency and ease.

If you are looking to optimise your workplace for staff productivity and wellbeing, our proven workplace strategy and design process thoroughly considers your current realities, business objectives and future plans – including remote working. Find out more about our process here. 

**Collaboration**,

/kəˌlabəˈreɪʃn/

noun

the action of working with someone to produce something.

How do we innovate for collaboration in the workplace? If we had written an article on 'collaboration and the evolving workplace' just six months ago, it probably would have started like this:

The rise of new and emerging workplace technologies over the last few years has not only changed the way we work but also the way the workplace looks and operates. Zoom meetings, Slack channels, Microsoft Teams, and the never-ending array of other remote working platforms and tools have allowed us to work together, without physically being together. It’s a trend that is growing…

But now, in an era of flexible working and advanced workplace technology, the conversation is no longer just about faster internet speeds or the launch of 5G enabling high-quality video connections. With a growing emphasis on flexible working arrangements and the integration of cutting-edge workplace technologies, the dialogue has shifted to HOW we can work most effectively and collaborate successfully in this new age. Technology is no longer merely the driver of the future of work; it’s the enabler.

Although collaboration-enabling technology isn’t new, there is a lingering association between physical proximity and collaboration. And while this association is partially valid, collaboration is a lot more than being in the same room—opportunely, our new ‘normal’ is shaping up to include a lot less of this.

Given effective collaboration is a booster of employee satisfaction and happiness, we’re looking forward to a future where collaboration is a seamless experience for everyone involved. Let’s explore the challenges we’re facing and what the future has in store for collaboration in the workplace.

**Out with the old (style of collaboration), in with the new**

A fundamental shift we’ve noticed is the adoption of, rather than the investment in, the tools needed for remote or virtual collaboration. This is because most organisations already had the means; they just weren’t using them. Companies are recognising the benefits of flexible working, and with benefits come challenges, which we’ll explore a little later in this article.

First, what could collaboration look like in the future workspace?

**Collaboration in the future workplace**

With close-proximity discussions by the water cooler, large-scale meetings, and chatter-filled shared spaces abandoned for the foreseeable future, collaboration has become even more critical—because the requirement for intelligent and effective co-created work has not gone away.

The future of work is here now, and thanks to technology and economic shifts, the workplace is undeniably evolving. So, what does collaboration look like in the future workspace?

Remote work may be the new normal, but it’s not always the choicest way for teams to engage. Yet to succeed in today’s dynamic, connected world, teams need to master the art of successful collaboration—whether working remotely or not.

We foresee the future workspace as a hybrid of in-office and remote work. With collaboration straddling safe physical proximity and virtual connections, don’t be surprised to see a virtual-first prioritisation of communication channels and methods.

The flow between the experience of physical and virtual spaces will be central to success. The workplace will converge the physical and virtual worlds, centred on supporting workers to communicate clearly and effectively—wherever they are located.

Many companies are already investing in meeting room acoustics to ensure those not physically at the office can participate and experience a meeting just like an in-person attendee. Others are holding 100% virtual meetings with in-person staff scattered around the office on video and headsets to level the playing field between remote and non-remote staff. The goal is to ensure that those who are not physically present don’t have a different or subpar experience of a meeting so they can contribute fully to the collaborative effort of the team and stay engaged.

And to preserve precious time for collaboration (rather than tech wrangling), plug-and-play technologies that require minimal setup will be expected. Ease of use is essential. And on a more futuristic note, 3D telepresence (or hologram) technology, once thought of as far-flung sci-fi stuff, is on the horizon. We’ll be watching closely.

**The challenges of collaboration in the future workplace**

Companies are recognising the benefits of flexible working, and with benefits come challenges:

**Dispersed teams**

While dispersed teams aren’t new, they are the new normal. Regardless of the structure, having a team spread across multiple locations presents a considerable challenge. Aside from managerial problems, creating an organisational culture is immeasurably harder without a central location.

**Conflicts in working style**

Understanding and respecting each individual’s working style is critical for successful collaboration. Even when working in the same physical space, conflicts in working style have always existed. Add a little distance and less face-to-face interaction, and you have a recipe for small conflicts to become seriously damaging to relationships and productivity.

**Trust**

While also an important overriding business principle, trust is expressly significant to successful collaboration. Trust builds the foundation for productive, constructive conversations. On the other hand, distrust due to transparency issues and misunderstandings will damage collaboration within and between teams. But building trust across time and space can be slower coming or even inhibited by poor communication channels.

**(Mis)communication**

The impact of the coronavirus on our society has been far-reaching, some changes were temporary and others had a lasting effect. One area that has been significantly affected is the workplace environment and our expectations for the future of offices.

In previous discussions about the future of work in Australia, we have emphasised the challenges posed by skills shortages, the competition for talent, and the need to manage a diverse workforce spanning multiple generations.

These challenges have thrown up a need for organisations to: 

• Increase employee benefits and flexible working options to attract talent
• Compete more readily for talent on a global scale, and
• Reduce focus on degrees, skills and experience in favour of talent and purpose.

In terms of workplace design, we’ve seen businesses adjusting to employee expectations by creating diverse and flexible workspaces, such as quiet zones for deep work, or meeting areas for collaborative teamwork. For employers, this involved an intentional shift to consider the needs of their employees with workspaces that accommodate different types of work and working styles.

3 years after the global pandemic, how has the future of work changed and what can we expect the office of the future to look like?

It’s worth noting that disease and the fear of infection has influenced architecture and the form of our built environments many times in the past. Cholera prompted the introduction of sewerage systems, the bubonic plague in China led to rat-proofing buildings, and tuberculosis is at least partially responsible for the white, clean modernist aesthetic. 

There is little doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has also changing the way we use our workspaces.  

Contactless design

Base building architects and workplace designers are prioritising hands-free and contactless pathways through offices, using technology such as voice activation, sensors, facial recognition and smartphones. Ideally, we will be entering our buildings through sensor doors, calling the lift on our smartphones and using facial recognition to enter your office suite, making it to your desk without the need to needlessly touch surfaces. Embracing these technologies will further future-proof workspaces and increase visitor and employee engagement within the spaces.

Flexibility as we’ve never known it 

Not-withstanding the negative impact COVID-19 had on the world around us, most of us were empowered with trust from our employers overnight – and most responded in an exceptional manner.  Working flexibly and remotely was suddenly normalised and the stigma attached to it has disappeared.  

This period has been enlightening, giving us a fresh perspective on the way we work; a reset of work-life balance as we have not experienced in the recent past. We need to remember that with enlightenment comes responsibilities for us as employees, to work proactively to make the new environment work. As such, we’ve identified some success factors for individuals and teams working in the new normal: 

     1. The ability to work with autonomy

William Shakespeare, as always, makes this point with the least verbiage:  “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” Organisations will benefit greatly from team members that are self-directed and who manage up and drive results rather than being passengers on this journey. 

     2. Physical distance requires – and often builds – trust 

Stronger bonds have been built in teams as we prove to ourselves and to each other that we are reliable and available – despite being physically distanced. 

     3. Flexibility requires an outcome focus 

Work is not a rigid time schedule, but rather is about goals you achieve and tasks you master. Our forced work-from-home time has shown us what we always knew, but were frightened to demonstrate: that it is the output and outcome that matter, not that you were still at your desk at 7pm on a Thursday. 

     4. True connection comes from knowing the people behind the work 

We’ve come to know each other on a deeper level now – being let into each other’s sanctuaries. We’ve seen changes in the way colleagues interact. Emotional barriers have been broken down as we’ve witnessed each other on Zoom calls, managing our work and home lives alongside one another. We’re meeting each other’s pets, kids and housemates; seeing inside their bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens. 

The clear boundaries between work and home have become blurred and this is often for the better, creating more genuine relationships and greater flexibility in response to different employees’ needs. Our relationships are no longer transactional and will hopefully never return to being just that. 

Managers and business leaders have also been innovative in how they support their teams from a distance, with many showing greater concern for employee mental health and wellbeing. As remote workers make up a greater portion of their teams in the future, employers need to continue to facilitate engaging employee onboarding, collaboration and connection.

So what happens next? 

IOur workplaces will always play a crucial role in maintaining cultural placemaking and binding teams together.  This means that organisations will look at their facilities in a different light and not calculate their required office space based on a rough 10 sqm/FTE (full time employee) which has become the norm. The thought that organisations may now appreciate wider thoroughfares and distancing workstations more spaciously is simply a more exciting and human alternative to the dense population approach of 2019. 

Now with hybrid working becoming the norm, focussed work can be done at home, and allowing the workspace as a hub for social connection, incidental conversation and collaboration. The golden moments that are not scheduled and often lead to innovation, happen in the office when no one plans it. By providing an activated, engaged hub which caters for various activities, a new workspace provides a variety of accommodation for staff counts way beyond the traditional 1/10 sqm calculations, whilst decreasing the density of bodies in space at any particular moment in time.

This has lead to some organisations keeping their current leased space but increasing their alternate accommodation, or indeed, decreasing their required space all together. We anticipate that this will need to be assessed for all organisations, based on their unique needs.

COVID-19 accelerated the future of work and the future of workplace design. To help businesses plan their workplace strategy for the future, we have assembled the most crucial future of work knowledge in one place. Check out all you need to know about the future of work here

While new to many organisations, remote working is likely to be here for some time – and managing remote teams with it. However, remote work has actually long been active in several industries and organisations. It was estimated that in 2019, 68 percent of Australian companies were offering some kind of remote work arrangement.

This isn’t surprising, as there are many known benefits of working from home, both for the individual as well as the company.

For the individual, often it means operating on your own schedule. Working during off-hours – either early in the morning or late into the night – is often highly productive thanks to reduced interruptions from colleagues. The research supports this, with 77 percent of remote workers saying they are more productive working remotely than in an office – a clear benefit also for the organisation.

Avoiding the commute is another major benefit of remote work for many employees. Just last year, it was estimated that the average Australian commute is now 66 minutes per day. This is time that remote workers can instead invest in personal health and relationships instead.

Concerned with the bias that can exist in some reports, Forbes recently curated research from Gallup, Harvard University, Global Workplace Analytics, and Stanford University. Forbes found that teleworkers are 35–40 percent more productive than office counterparts, and remote work autonomy promotes higher quality results, with a 40 percent reduction in quality defects. Organisations also save an average of $100,000 per year per part-time telecommuter.

However, working from home also comes with its challenges. 19 percent of employees who work remotely cite loneliness as one of their biggest challenges. Additionally, physical challenges can arise when employees find themselves working at a too-high kitchen table, or in an awkward chair, working with insufficient light, or without decent acoustics for calls – all of which can lead to injuries over time. These create risks for both individuals and employers.

One thing that has become crystal clear during the pandemic, is that employees working from home need tangible physical, technological and emotional support from employers in order to remain engaged, productive and healthy.

Emotional wellbeing

Looking after employees’ wellbeing is similar to looking after your own. Ensuring there is balance in the employees’ lives, and work does not take over everything is essential. Promoting healthy physical behaviours, including exercise and healthy eating, can be done via office perks and subscriptions just as easily at home as a fruit bowl and running club can in the office. Similarly, relevant, constructive rewards and recognition can motivate employees to progress towards their goals.

Strong communication, setting clear expectations, holding regular video conferences and team huddles for formal work interactions help ensure your remote workers understand exactly what is expected. A structured work week is also essential for teams to stay connected, deliver progress updates and also for a sense of mental wellbeing. Letting work filter into homelife and homelife filter into work can both be counterproductive. Virtual lunches and online drinks can also help to ensure individuals feel less isolated and more connected to their team, even while working remotely.

Effective technology

Technologies that support collaboration, communication and transparency between team members are making work from home environments much more productive and comfortable than ever before. Zoom has recently become a verb, and while Slack used to be code for ‘cool tech company’, it is now code for ‘frequently-communicating team’. Enterprise tools such as Microsoft Teams are getting a strong workout daily. Meanwhile, ensuring there is a centralised document platform where employees can access files, such as the G-Suite or any Enterprise Content Management System has become essential to supporting productivity.

Physical Wellbeing

Many employees relocated to their home workspace in March 2020 with nothing more than their laptops. Slated initially as a temporary measure, two weeks have turned into six, and social distancing is to stay for some time yet. This could mean that employees who are working at home now are at risk of injury and strains if they’re not properly set up.

An ergonomic home office set-up is a relatively small investment that can have huge rewards – not least of which is a 25 percent uplift in productivity. Naturally, an ergonomic workspace will also decrease the risk of compensation claims and demonstrate to your employees that you’re taking good care of them.

If setting up ergonomic home offices for your employees is something you’re not sure about, get an expert involved early in your planning and get your business ahead of the competitive curve.

Axiom Workplaces applies principles of ergonomic office design to remote working. We help organisations achieve maximum wellness, engagement and productivity for remote teams. Take a look at our work-from-home solutions.

In recent years, flexible work arrangements have been increasingly sought by the Australian workforce. However, it hasn’t been until the current COVID-19 crisis that many organisations have stumbled upon the overriding benefits of working from home. As a result, and also because people will not soon forget the potentially dangerous impact of personal contact, futurists are predicting that when quarantine ends, remote working will continue for many.

How to set up a home office 

Setting up an ergonomic home working environment is harder than it sounds. While stock imagery frequently features bespectacled models in grey wool, curling up on a trendy sofa with their laptop, the reality for many is far from that. Most of us make do with a makeshift desk, a static chair at the dining table, or perching on a stool at the kitchen bench.

However, if your company is serious about productivity, improving your team’s ergonomic set-up at home should be your top priority. Research completed by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries in the US recently found that ergonomics is well worth the investment.

The study showed that ergonomics significantly reduces company costs, with a 65 percent reduction in incidence rates and a 75 percent reduction in lost workdays. Additionally, ergonomics can improve employee productivity by up to 25 percent, as well as the quality of work, with a 67 percent average reduction in errors.

Of course, ergonomic workspaces increase employee engagement as staff recognise and appreciate the investment in their safety and comfort—and the numbers in the study support this too.

What exactly is an ergonomic workspace? 

An ergonomic workspace is one that is comfortable enough to improve both wellness and productivity. It can involve the proper arrangement or modification of existing furniture and equipment, or the purchase and installation of supportive items that are designed to align and support the body during work periods.

It usually includes items such as your office chair, key objects like the phone, print equipment and materials, keyboard and mouse, screen, footrest and desk, as well as light and your monitor. It can also extend to items that support helpful behaviours, such as office storage that prevent mess and distractions in your workspace.

Why consider investing in ergonomics at home? 

If remote working is to continue in some form over the coming months and perhaps years, and an ergonomic set-up can provide anywhere up to a 25 percent uplift in productivity, it seems like an obvious choice to invest in some best-practice home office set-ups. Just as commercial office design equips people for work and engagement, so too can remote workspaces.

Building a productive, ergonomic workspace at home

On an individual level, it could be relatively easy to read a guide and set yourself up for success. However, when managed from an organisational perspective, a little forethought, research and expert help can make all the difference.

1. Evaluation 

The first place to start is in evaluating the employee’s set-up. Is there a known issue with their workspace that can be fixed with rearranging furniture, buying ergonomic equipment or fixing lighting? If evaluating more than 20 employees in this way, you’ll need a well-designed survey so you can assess patterns and create a strategy that combats the majority of high-impact issues. Individual issues can be addressed thereafter.

2. Results and recommendations 

Results of your evaluation can mean purchasing equipment, or simply making some small changes to where and how people are currently set up.  A good ergonomic chair is a strong starting point that helps keep the body aligned and allow for some movement. There are many ergonomic options out there on the market, so choose an expert to work with for the best value, best practice options.

Remember – desk and chair position, body position, movement breaks and other behavioural aspects can have a huge impact in instances where you cannot afford to purchase equipment for every, single employee, so don’t discount training.

3. Employee training 

With every investment in a productive workspace comes a corresponding commitment to best practice behaviours from the company, as well as the individual.  Training on the seemingly smallest aspects of behaviour and office set-up can significantly reduce strains and injuries. For example, natural light decreases fatigue and improves feelings of wellbeing and happiness. Keeping a screen perpendicular to a window can reduce glare and therefore eye strain, while providing the required illumination for computer and desk work.

Employee training can deliver many specialist directives that are easy to implement but have a huge impact on wellbeing and output.

What to do next 

While the government is starting to talk about restrictions being lifted, many bodies predict that social distancing measures could continue as long as into 2022. As remote working is also more cost-beneficial to many organisations, this could mean that widespread remote working will continue long after social distancing measures are relaxed.

It may be worth modelling what this looks like for your business in the coming months and years. If remote working even for part of your workforce continues to make sense, you’re going to need to invest in the right equipment and advice for your people.

If setting up ergonomic home offices for your employees is something you’re not sure about, get an expert involved early in your planning and get your business ahead of the competitive curve.

Axiom Workplaces applies principles of ergonomic office design to remote working. We help organisations achieve maximum wellness, engagement and productivity for remote teams around the future of work.

The workplace is changing around us as we speak. With more and more people working remotely or with flexible work arrangements, employers are facing new challenges daily in how they create a positive company culture, enable collaboration, attract new talent and plan for growth.

Because of this, there is a serious conversation happening all over the globe about what the future of work and its workforce will look like. We’re in the middle of a massive overhaul of the workplace as we once knew it. The questions we are constantly being asked, and asking of ourselves, is how we can better shape workplaces to accommodate these shifts, while also future-proofing and facilitating these new ways of working.

With this is mind, we invited Cindy Lenferna De La Motte, Future of Work Strategist and Head of Customer and Community at Harvest Digital Planning, to join Annelie Xenofontos, Axiom’s Senior Workplace Strategist, to lead a conversation on company culture, how to create intelligent workplace design outcomes and the future of the workplace. The answers below are a summary of both their responses during the event.

What are the key challenges of the future workplace?

It’s here, it’s arrived and we are already working in this ‘future’ workplace. The key challenge here is the pace of the evolution, and how businesses and employees are keeping up.

Professional development, which once was a ‘nice thing’ to do, is now a ‘must-have’. Future of work strategists believe that individuals need to be looking at investing three hours per week in themselves and their skills to ensure they remain relevant in the next 25 years.

Upskilling and innovation play a massive role; businesses alone cannot afford or accommodate the pace of upskilling that individuals need to keep up with the digital evolution that’s happening. Employees need to take on this growth mindset and responsibility for themselves, and employers need to wholeheartedly support and facilitate their learning.

Those in senior roles, leading business change and growth, cannot rest on their tried and tested measures. Instead, they must lead the way in updating their knowledge and learning so as to drive innovation both in their businesses and in their staff, ensuring their business remains competitive and up-to-date.

There are numerous meet-ups, short courses, podcasts, reading material and forums to meet up with other people, learn and share information. Gone are the days of doing a university degree that will see you through a job for life and into retirement. The lifetime of learning in degrees is now estimated to be three to five years post-graduation, so adopting a new approach and mindset to lifelong learning, even into retirement, is part of the future of work evolution.

From a workplace perspective, customisation is now a baseline requirement. We don’t want to fit in a box anymore. We are working in more sophisticated ways, and we want and expect a customised work environment that supports innovation, creativity and efficiency.

Businesses need to constantly think about what is next and their workplaces need to be conducive to thriving in this evolution.

What are the top skills needed for the future workplace?

Diversity and inclusion are topics that have been talked about for a while and are certainly on the HR agenda, but they need to be highly prioritised in the workplaces of the future. Workspaces need to be designed to facilitate the collaboration of employees of different ages, cultures and backgrounds, and to enable spontaneous conversations, innovation and learning to occur. The evolution of business practices doesn’t only come from business leaders anymore. It comes from every person in the workforce.

Young people coming into the workforce have a wealth of information to bring, while the current working generations have significant experience to draw on. Encouraging collaboration between generations through smart workplace design and technology allows a business and its staff to bolster and flex its knowledge base for now and into the future. This is where the magic of a diverse workforce happens.

In Australia, we are relatively good when it comes to creating a diverse workforce, particularly in larger cities, however inclusion of a diverse workforce still requires attention. We need to be choosing skills and capabilities over age, location and culture to keep our businesses at the forefront, and upskilling current team members into new roles to keep them relevant.

Is the war for talent real?

We have a skills shortage in Australia and the war for talent is real and fierce. According to the Australian HR Institute, there are almost one million more job opportunities than there are employed people in Australia.

The top companies are offering impressive compensation and benefit packages, which the most talented individuals are honing in on. And businesses are getting clever with what they are offering—thinking not just about more dollars, but also about the ways their staff want to work and live.

Your culture, mission, purpose and workspace have such an impact on your employer value proposition (EVP). From the moment someone walks into your office space, they think about whether it feels like a good company to work for. Is your office representative of your culture and attractive to talent?

A workplace that embodies the culture, mission and purpose of the company lives out its values and starts to hand back autonomy to staff, one of the biggest motivators for top talent. Invest in your employees through creating a space that’s meaningful to them and allows them to do their best work. Creating a comfortable work environment and reducing employee frustration are key metrics in your workspace design, as are:

• Green spaces
• Personalised spaces
• Quiet spaces
• Environmentally friendly processes
• A focus on health and wellbeing
• The opportunity for connection, creativity and deep work

Cindy says, “At Harvest Digital & Planning, we made a conscious decision to source the best candidates for skill and capability regardless of location. The world is literally our oyster and right now our team is 100 percent remote.”

Remote working comes with new challenges, but ones that we are working through, finding new ways to be inclusive and find the emotion in our day-to-day interactions as face-to-face teams do. With remote and flexible working becoming the norm, businesses and workplaces need to find new ways that work for them and their own cultures to address inclusion for remote teams. We don’t have all the answers but we are experimenting together.

What kind of technology and processes can you use to bring remote workers and workspaces together?

This will differ from organisation to organisation depending on your workplace culture and the type of work that you do. But at the heart of it is asking yourself what your team needs in order to stay connected at a human level, as well as at an operational level.

Some businesses initiatives that have worked for businesses we know are:

• Ensuring that all new employee onboarding is done face-to-face, even if that means flying someone to head office for an induction. Ensure that all managers of new staff make the time to make that face-to-face connection as this is the start of inclusion and sets the tone from the outset of the employment relationship.
• Connecting people back in through regular town halls or team-based meetings.
• Communication is critical so have a real-time tool like Slack or Skype for chat. This also helps reinforce culture.
• The “cupcake experience”: always consider who isn’t in the office to receive the cupcakes brought in by a team member. What can you do for those not getting a cupcake? It might seem like a small thing, but it goes miles when it comes to making a remote worker feel included.
• Pizza hour: bringing everyone together to eat pizza.
• Using emojis or gifs in communication allows emotion and sentiment to come through in email and internal comms.

Workplaces can evolve and flourish in businesses with lots of remote workers with some innovative thinking.

At Axiom, we encourage businesses we work with to think about how they might be innovative with their space depending on the outcomes they require. How much space do they really need? How can they reduce their environmental footprint, waste and cost by thinking about the way their staff will use the workspace?

Solutions such as agile working environments that chop and change according to business fluidity, spaces for technology that connect staff members both in-house and remotely, flexible working so spaces might be used differently on different days depending on who is in the office and the outcome they want to achieve, and even lending out space that is not used all the time—not only can it spark creative partnerships and collaborations but it’s also commercially viable.

Where do I start to futureproof my workplace?

Teaching new ways of work requires teaching individuals a growth mindset. For organisations and business owners, start with a small experiment or collaborate with a new partner to challenge your current ways of working.

Ask yourself, am I still doing the right thing? How could I reimagine my workforce connecting, thinking and innovating? Try something different that aligns with your business. Listen and engage your people and implement.

What are the top 3 things that a modern office should have for a thriving environment?

It’s a feeling thing! Each business has a different identity so it’s not a one size fits all approach. You have to tap in and consider what space and technology you need to create the feeling that you want your employees to have when they step into the office. You want staff to love going to work because it feels good.

Although we’re living through a period of rapid change and unprecedented uncertainty, there are still things businesses can do to future-proof their workplaces. Find out more about the future workforce in the Future of Work: A Progressive Leaders Guide To Staying Ahead

“This is an amazing space where everybody can come together in all sorts of different ways. This is how we created real buzz and energy in the organisation through the design and layout.” – Karen, Interior Designer, Axiom Workplaces

Founded in 2006, Cisco Meraki is the industry leader in cloud-managed IT. With more than two million active networks and 5.7 million devices online, the company develops simple yet powerful solutions that help businesses worldwide save time and money.

Before Axiom…

The project focused on Cisco Meraki’s desire to combine US and Australian office cultures into an efficient and productive working environment. The company wanted to build a workplace that effectively blended the best of both worlds. “One of the main challenges was bringing together a San Francisco-based company and a Sydney-based company – asking ourselves: How could we integrate them subtly and intelligently?” explained Karen, an interior designer with Axiom Workplaces.

Cisco Meraki also wanted to create a strong sense of culture and community within the organisation, a goal that was especially important because they were amalgamating two different companies.

Finally, the company needed to address the lack of appropriate meeting rooms and collaboration spaces.

After Axiom…

The team at Axiom did significant research and planning on how to integrate the cultures of the two cities in the colour scheme and design. They studied iconic aspects of both areas, including the shapes and forms of each city and how they could be expressed within a workplace environment.

In the final design, Sydneysiders’ love of fresh air, greenery and sunshine guided the overall palette of natural tones. From the San Francisco side, the team focused on architectural icons, such as the Painted Ladies’ zigzag rooflines and Lombard Street’s famous switchback road. This inspired the angled workstations that reflect the zigzag typologies and create private spaces where people can breakaway and experience a more relaxed work setting.

“The soft colours we found on the Painted Ladies – soft pinks, terracottas and sage greens – integrated beautifully with that Australian aesthetic that we were trying to achieve.” – Karen

A fully functioning commercial kitchen was also designed to hold large breakfasts, lunches and dinners for all staff and visitors. The kitchen opens up to a large breakout area that can facilitate all types of events and conferences.

“We created a workflow that allowed for servery, benches and a coffee area where a barista could come in,” said Donna, another interior designer at Axiom Workplaces.

The kitchen workflow starts with food coming out of the kitchen. People then pick up a plate and walk through the serving areas, reflecting the zigzag configuration. Once done with their meal, everything goes back to the kitchen for cleaning and washing using the commercial equipment. The layout was intended to streamline the process and increase efficiency, especially for large events.

To help build a sense of community within the organisation, Axiom designed workspaces that bring people together, including a coffee bar area and tiered seating purpose-built for the monthly dial-in with San Francisco. Karen described these as “small areas where people can find their individuality among the greater, larger community. We’ve now got an area where everything comes together.”

“Every spot is utilised. There’s somebody in every corner and in every type of furniture. There are people everywhere and they’re really using the space – so that to us is the result that we’re after in the end. That’s the achievement.”

At a glance

• Integrated two cities through colour scheme and design
• Angular workstations to create breakout areas in between
• Fully functioning commercial kitchen and efficient workflow to facilitate large events and meals
• Breakout area that brings people together, enhancing office culture and community

If you’re growing, downsizing or simply need an office refresh, now’s the time to design a workplace that fits your company’s brand and needs. While your staff work remotely, you can refurbish your workspace so it’s ready for their return. Book a free virtual consultation today to see what we can do for you.

Axiom Workplaces combines your commercial fitout and workplace design goals with our experience and expertise in evidence-based office design to create a thriving workplace for you and your workforce.

The office of today is vastly different from the office of 30 years ago. In fact, workplace design has significantly changed in as little as the last five years. Over the years, the workplace has become more than just a place for people to clock in and out of, mindlessly completing tasks and watching the seconds of the day tick by, wishing it was 5pm already.

As technology and management ideologies have evolved, so has the space we work in. The modern workplace is now one where workers have more freedom to decide how, where and when they work. It is imbued with a focus on health and wellbeing, and it is increasingly being treated as an extension of an employee’s life, rather than an isolated compartment.

In this post, we will identify the hallmarks of the modern workplace, their benefits and what it might look like if your workplace design isn’t meeting the evolving needs of your employees. But first, let’s start with what modern employees are looking for in their workplace.

What do employees expect in workplaces?

Workplace expectations have changed, and with a war on talent, employees are holding the cards. In a recent survey, a few key findings about workplace design were unearthed:

• 53% of workers value the ability to work in different locations—a sign that workplace flexibility is increasingly important to employees.
• 25% of those surveyed said that they value workplace flexibility yet don’t have access to it, signalling an opportunity to attract talent by making this sort of offer.
• 47% of the workers surveyed said they find value in a community atmosphere in their workplace, flagging the contemporary need for a workplace to be more than simply a place to do work. 

What does the 2020 workplace look like?

Technology: From instant messaging to cloud-based project management tools to the latest hardware, tech is boosting productivity in offices worldwide. Workplaces are including wireless charging stations, monitors which easily connect with laptops and boardrooms with user-friendly wireless presenting. 

Health: Say goodbye to harsh fluorescent lighting, windowless spaces and white on beige colour schemes. Offices today are expected to be kind on the eyes, both physically and aesthetically. Think natural light, indoor greenery and carefully selected interior elements, all designed with employee wellbeing and productivity in mind. 

Recreation and relaxation: Today’s workplace understands that it’s not all about desks, cubicles and offices. Areas to break out, get creative and have some time to unwind are all becoming more popular. Meditation rooms, on-site gyms, rooftop terraces and multipurpose rooms are all becoming the new norm. 

Privacy: While the open-plan office is nothing new, the workplace of 2020 recognises that the hubbub of the masses can be distracting and decrease productivity. Private booths, quiet zones and secluded meeting rooms are designed for distraction-free working time or private discussions, giving employees more flexibility to choose what’s best for the task at hand. 

The benefits of a well-designed workplace

Now we know what the modern workplace looks and feels like, let’s delve a little deeper into the benefits your company might see with a well-designed workspace.

Savvy companies know that treating an office as a cost centre is an old-fashioned and costly (excuse the pun!) mistake. Smart businesses understand that investing in a well-designed workplace is a way to increase revenue by supporting improvements in employee engagement, efficiency and productivity. Bonus: this focus does not go unnoticed by potential talent!

Businesses are expected to have more than a mission statement hung on the wall; rather, they are obliged to create workplaces which live up to their vision. Spot the problem: your company culture is apparently focussed on employee health, yet your office is dark and dingy, and there is no access to an employee wellbeing program. Or how about saying your business is one that values flexibility, yet your office features rows of cubicles which employees can’t leave till 5 pm or later.

The modern workplace is one that considers how design impacts on the health and wellbeing of employees. And not just the physical space, but also the overall practices and culture of the company. By supporting healthy decision making, businesses are reducing both absenteeism and presenteeism, as well as boosting productivity. Your employees will look forward to coming to work instead of counting down the minutes to clock-off time

How do I know if my office isn't meeting my employee's needs?

As you may have already noticed, there are several symptoms that your current office space is no longer meeting the needs of your employees.

Here is a quick checklist of some of the most common signs, to help you quickly spot if you have an issue in your current space:

• Your space doesn’t align with your company culture
• Teams are split across multiple buildings, floors or areas, or you’ve simply run out of room
• New talent is being put off by your current space
• Your current space doesn’t support new ways of working (ABW, remote working, etc.)

If you’ve ticked the box for any or all of the above, now may be the perfect time to think about revisiting your workplace strategy and design. Check out our white paper to discover more about how workplace design influences digital transformation across the critical areas of talent, diversity, innovation and technology.

Axiom Workplaces combines your commercial fitout goals with our experience and expertise in evidence-based office design to create a thriving workplace for you and your workforce.

Considering that a person spends over 13 years of their life at work, it’s unsurprising that workplace design plays a key role in people’s happiness, satisfaction, health and wellbeing.

The routines, habits, and daily ebb and flow that your workspace enables are significant and perhaps more life-altering than you might think. This is why your office space needs to be about more than just ‘the work’, and also about creating a space where you are able to express your fullest self.

With all this at stake, it seems like engaging staff in the design of the workplace would be both obvious and simple to do. We know that when people have options and choices about how, where and when they work, they feel empowered and engaged. Which lends even further weight to the theory that engaging your whole business in your workplace design is singularly powerful.

Yet in many projects, a lack of buy-in from employees will result in project failure and a workspace which hampers satisfaction, efficiency and productivity instead of supporting it. On the other hand, a Steelcase survey linked employee-driven workplace design with increased productivity and high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

The survey found that it was not just involvement in the design of the physical workspace that kept employees content, it was also providing input on their working style—work schedules, privacy, processes and business decision-making.

So, how can you ensure your entire business, every employee, is engaged with your workplace design?

1. Start by educating them on the benefits of engagement with workplace design (hint: we’ve just talked about them above!)
2. Share the design process and actively seek feedback throughout—let your employees know exactly what they will get a say on.

Here are just some of the areas your employees can be asked for their opinion and feedback on:

Designing for a Strong Company Culture

Company culture is a set of beliefs, norms and values that represent the way a company does business. Disengaged employees, high staff turnover, poor customer relationships and smaller profits are all symptoms of poor company culture, whereas a strong and healthy company culture will improve a business’s overall performance.

Engage your employees in defining your company culture by working with them on:

• Vision and values
• How your business is managed—the systems, structure, procedures and goals
• Policies—code of conduct, dress code, etc
• Workplace processes—training and development, onboarding, benefits, etc
• People—the qualities of people you hire
• Physical work environment
• Communication and collaboration—how, when and how frequently

Boost Productivity Through Design

Check-in with your team to find out how, where and when they are most productive and, most importantly, how your workplace design can facilitate this.

Some examples:

• Quiet distraction-free zones—while some employees love the hum of the open-plan office, others need quiet space to concentrate or at least the option available to them for certain kinds of work.
• Indoor greenery and nature—workplaces incorporating plants are likely to be happier, more productive workplaces.
• Co-working—a third-party managed and fully serviced co-working space is an option that is gaining popularity.
• Breakout areas—kitchens or other casual breakout areas are great options for employees looking for a collaborative and creative space to work in.

Employee wellbeing Through Better Design

Start a conversation with employees at your company about how their wellbeing can be supported by the business. While perks like bean bags and an on-site massage therapist sound great, it might be that what your workers really need is the flexibility to pick the kids up from school twice a week, or their manager supporting them to take their lunch break away from their desk.

Consider:

• Activity-based working—there are many wellbeing benefits of a workplace created with activity-based working principles.
• Active design—as the name suggests, active design encourages more activity, eg. including strategically placed staircases, sit-stand desks, etc.

Engaging your employees and discovering their motivations and unique working styles as a part of your overall workplace strategy and workplace design will not only ensure buy-in, but also a more satisfied and productive workforce into the future.

Wondering how your workplace strategy fits in with digital transformation? Download our Digital Transformation – the role of workplace strategy whitepaper to explore how workplace design influences digital transformation across the key areas of talent, diversity, innovation and technology.

Axiom Workplaces combine your commercial fitout goals with our experience and expertise in evidence-based office design to create a thriving workplace for you and your workforce.

Did you know mental illness is the leading cause of sickness absence and long-term work incapacity in Australia? Given that our work plays such a significant role in our lives—we do spend most of our working weekday hours there—it’s crucial we acknowledge its impact on our mental health and wellbeing just as much as we do on the physical side. Aside from reducing absenteeism, focusing on workplace wellness helps employees to feel healthy and valued at work, enabling them to perform their best. Additionally, a healthier workspace attracts new talent and leads to greater retention.

In recent years, there has been significant talk about the benefits of workplace design, which includes activity-based working (ABW) or agile working. But in this post, we will specifically be exploring how ABW can affect employee wellbeing—both mentally and physically. Let’s start with a definition.

What is activity-based working?

Activity-based working understands that employees undertake a variety of activities in their everyday work and therefore require different work settings, supported by the appropriate technology, to perform these tasks efficiently and productively. ABW is about creating spaces to meet the needs of individuals and teams, with an emphasis on empowering employees to make decisions which allow them to work at their full potential.

The wellness benefits of activity-based working

There are many wellbeing advantages of a workplace designed with activity-based working principles:

Sense of agency = happiness

The flexibility of an ABW workspace allows individual working styles to be taken into consideration. Employees are able to choose the space best suited to both their task, their style of working and their mood. Naturally, this licence to choose is linked to a feeling of agency or control for the employee, which is essential to a workplace focused on employee wellbeing.

Work/life balance

A key pillar of ABW is flexibility for employees. They are enabled to choose where and when they work according to their individual working style, preferences, patterns and productivity cadences. As more and more employees prioritise a healthy work/life balance, this flexibility is both attractive and significant to their overall wellbeing.

Healthy eating behaviours

A feature of many ABW workplaces is a communal break out area or eating hub for employees to dine and socialise with colleagues. Paired with a policy of discouraging eating at one’s desk, studies have found ABW encourages healthier eating and increased movement.

Collaboration and networking

Businesses and individuals increasingly understand the significance of interaction and collaboration between employees, and are looking for ways to facilitate strong connections between coworkers. ABW supports employees to work collaboratively through enhanced opportunities for formal and informal knowledge transfer and networking. And while collaboration is good for business, it’s also important for employee wellbeing. Research shows teamwork makes people smarter, more creative, and more successful—and who doesn’t want that?

Aside from the business and productivity benefits of working in a team, having friends at work boosts mood and morale, providing emotional and psychological support to ensure employees are resilient and ready for the challenges of the workplace.

Work the way that works

As we’ve already mentioned, a trademark of activity-based working is the flexibility for employees to choose when and where they get their work done. Unlike traditional one-size-fits-all workplaces, an ABW approach takes into account different personalities, habits, associations, styles and patterns of working. This is especially essential for supporting mental health in what can often be a challenging and stressful space.

An attractive workplace

While salary and benefits aren’t off the radar for younger generations, it does appear that millennials prioritise things like work/life balance and a sense of purpose or meaning in their work. With this focus on workplace wellness, it’s clear that a workspace with variations and choice in the work environment is an attractive option for the next generation of workers.

The wellness downfalls of activity-based working

Installing hot desks or knocking down cubicle walls is not enough to reap the workplace wellness benefits of ABW. This approach requires careful consideration and customisation to ensure that a company’s culture and style of working is reflected. It requires the support and buy-in of all levels of the business—from the C-Suite to the student doing work experience.

Important elements to consider when creating a fluid workplace design include:

• quiet spaces where employees can work distraction-free when required;
• making employees feel connected and ‘at home’ even without a permanent desk, such as encouraging opportunities for social interactions.

The bottom line

No matter the workplace strategy, there will be impacts on workforce wellness. However, designing a workplace that meets your business’ future vision and requirements, instead of focusing on what’s cool and trendy, will always result in better outcomes. ABW is a flexible and dynamic style of working which will support your employees to do their best work and encourage a culture of workplace wellness.

Key takeaways about activity-based working:

• One size does not fit all and operating as if it does will be detrimental to your employees’ wellbeing.
• One in, all in. Employees need to feel supported in their working practices, otherwise they can easily sink back into old habits.
• ABW offers flexibility and support which encourages a healthier workforce, both mentally and physically.
• ABW can offer a highly productive and healthy office environment when aligned with the overall business culture.
• ABW as a workplace strategy will only succeed if it meets your business needs.

Want more? In this deep-dive white paper, Axiom explores how workplace design influences digital transformation across the key areas of talent, diversity, innovation and technology. We look at the steps to achieving your own digital transformation and we emphasise the importance of having an ongoing workplace strategy as you move forward.

This post is the second in a series. Please read Part One first to understand what’s happening with the way Australia works.

As we learned in Part One of this series, the war for talent is very real, and the complexity and confusion around 457 skilled visas in Australia are not helping. Big international tech companies are consuming local talent and paying above odds on wages plus offering highly desirable employee benefits. And there is currently no national conversation occurring about the future of work in Australia and how to prepare for it.

However, the private sector is beginning to respond: in 2019, Telstra announced a huge $25million upskilling and reskilling program in collaboration with Sydney’s University of Technology. 

So what can your business do to attract and retain talented, productive and forward-thinking employees? And beyond this, how can you future-proof your workplace? Your workplace strategy is an excellent place to start. 

Start by getting to know your employees

Understanding the context around your current and prospective employees is crucial in developing a workplace strategy which suits their requirements and satisfies their health and wellbeing needs – so they can be the best employees possible. 

Future of Work strategist Cindy Lenferna de la Motte recommends considering how your employees are feeling:

• Anxious about whether a job exists for them in the future
• Stressed out living in a share house or overwhelmed by household debt (maybe both)
• Tense and worried about the climate crisis
• Concerned about failure/change/isolation/etc

Cindy says a workplace can act as a ‘release valve’ for employees, so consider how your workplace can alleviate the fears and anxieties your employees have, freeing them to be efficient, productive and happy at work. Some examples include:

• Supportive leadership that provides a future vision, encouraging co-creation and collaboration
• Investing in professional development
• Quiet spaces for ‘deep work’
• Flexible working arrangements 
• Coordinated Wellbeing programs including Employee Assistance programs and Financial wellbeing
• Acknowledging and addressing societal issues like the climate crisis as a company

Keeping the employee experience front of mind will ensure you build a business that is more ‘human’ and supports connection and community, one that is less brittle and more adaptable to inevitable change. 

Explore the nature of work

While it’s important to get to know your employees, it’s also crucial to genuinely understand the work that is taking place. Cindy mentions that often workplace design becomes a little too trendy – like installing ping pong tables when what’s really required is quiet space where employees can escape the hubbub of the open-plan office setting to get deep thinking tasks done. 

The nature of the work is also inextricably linked to the employee doing that work and their style of working. It is, therefore, essential to understand and consider both when designing spaces to work. For instance, some employees thrive in a loud open office environment and need the background chatter to concentrate on the task at hand, another employee, however, would find the same task impossible, the chatter disruptive and need a quiet space. Why not design space for all styles? Creating lots of different ways and areas for people to work – in collaboration or individually providing – sitting, lounging, standing or moving options – is a hallmark of smart workplace design.  

What the future of work in Australia looks like

According to the World Economic Forum, the top six skills required in 2022 will be:

1. Analytical thinking and innovation
2. Active learning and learning strategies
3. Creativity, originality and initiative
4. Technology design and programming
5. Critical thinking and analysis
6. Complex problem solving

Consider how your workplace can support this type of work. Think about both the physical space and also the technology and policy which enables this work to occur. When done well, your workplace will be an essential enabler of productivity, innovation, collaboration and community. 

Go deeper than ‘trendy’

As Cindy points out, ping pong tables, bean bags and other workplace design ‘trends’ can often be employed with good intentions, but without sound intentions. The physical design of your workplace needs to dig a little deeper, to support productivity as well as being an enticing employee value proposition and theories based on evidence which takes into consideration the actual health and wellbeing needs of your staff.

“It’s more than just offering hot-desking (or whatever the latest trend may be). It’s about tapping into the visceral nature of what your people need through intentional design,” says Cindy.

Explore more about workplace strategy, the future of work in Australia and how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated transformation in the workplace in our ultimate handbook: A progressive leader’s guide to the future of work in Australia.

When you look to renegotiate your current lease or secure a new lease, you may come across both tenant advisors and landlord agents offering lease negotiation services. Let’s start by clarifying what each of these are and the roles they play:

Landlord agent: A landlord agent is a real estate agent that represents a landlord. When you enquire directly on an advertised office space, it is typically the landlord agent with whom you speak. They can also introduce you to other spaces owned by other landlords that they represent, but they do not represent you as a tenant.

Tenant advisor or representative: A commercial tenant advisor or representative advises and negotiates on behalf of a tenant during negotiations with an existing landlord or potential new landlord (or their representing landlord agent).

Some tenants decide to work directly with landlord agents, without the use of a tenant representative, researching and finding their own space and then negotiating a commercial lease or commercial lease renewal with the landlord agent directly.

In some circumstances, like a straightforward and uncomplicated commercial lease renewal, this is pretty easy to do and has the added benefit of saving you from having to pay an additional fee to use a tenant representative.

In other cases, however, having a tenant advisor on your side comes with some worthwhile advantages, including saving you time, ensuring you get the best commercial terms possible – saving you considerable money in the long term, and providing access to spaces that may not yet be on the market (due to their market knowledge and network).

Your representative will start by matching your company’s business objectives to options on the market. They will consider things like your need for flexibility or your business’s expected growth rate.

Next, you will receive a shortlist of options that match your requirements. This list could also include off-market options thanks to your tenant representative’s industry contacts. Once you’re ready, the tenant advisor will be by your side throughout the process of inspection, offer and negotiation of a deal.

Even if you’re not moving office spaces, and you’re just renewing your current lease, a tenant representative can be brought on in a smaller capacity to help you negotiate a new, more favourable deal with your landlord, and save you from tricky or uncomfortable conversations with your landlord.

6 benefits of working with a tenant advisor

1. An expert in your corner

With most commercial leases lasting between three to five years, it’s unlikely in-house real estate expertise exists within your company. And with leases being such a significant transaction, running easily into the millions of dollars over the lifetime of the contract, it makes sense that you would want an expert on board. A tenant representative has years of specific experience in their field, making them a valuable asset when it comes to ensuring your lease is ‘right-size’ and the best deal available.

2. Professional lease advice on what is appropriate for your needs

A tenant representative will work with you on matching your business objectives to different options on the market. For example, if you are looking to attract and retain talent, you may need to find a location near public transport, with good amenities and in a character building. As an expert in this area, your advisor can objectively view your requirements and help you stay focused in the excitement of finding a new space, always bearing in mind your overarching company values and goals. They will also be able to advise you on what you really require, not what you think you require (i.e. you may think you need more space than you really need).

3. Access to more commercial properties and a network of contacts

Thanks to a great real estate network and years working in the business, tenant representatives have unique access to properties. Some of these options may not even be listed publicly. An advisor might be able to work out creative options for you as well. For example, they may know of a tenant that is outgrowing their space but still have three years left on their lease. In this case, they might be able to coordinate an office shuffle in which they help relocate the other tenant to free up this office space (and then have it subleased by you).

4. Save time and keep your focus on core business work

You have a job to do and it probably isn’t just office relocation or tenancy. With leases only coming up every few years, it’s unlikely there are dedicated resources for this within your company; rather, there are business-as-usual tasks to complete and core business work to be done. By working with a tenant advisor, you can save yourself both time and hassle, allowing you to get on with what boosts your business revenue.

5. Negotiating power

A landlord rarely comes forward with their best offer upfront. There is typically room to negotiate, and an experienced tenant representative has the knowledge and expertise to get you a first-rate deal. Whether it’s knocking off dollars or working out favourable incentives, rent review periods and ‘make good’ clauses, you can proceed with confidence that you signed a good deal.

6. Saving your tenant / landlord relationship

Sometimes negotiations require playing hard ball or having tricky, uncomfortable conversations in order to secure your best deal. This is a delicate dance when you are negotiating with your landlord or future landlord with whom you need a good working relationship. A tenant advisor can step in as the go-between so you can accomplish both objectives: negotiating a great deal and having a great relationship with your landlord.

Now, what is better than having a tenant advisor or representative in your corner? Having a tenant advisory team that includes a tenant representative as well as a workplace design partner. This team will give you the complete picture of both the lease contract terms and costs as well as the fitout options and costs for each office space. For example, option A may have lower rent, but when you factor in an extra $500K of fit out work, option B might actually be the more suitable and cost-effective choice.

So how do you get this power tenant advisory team in your corner? Select a workplace design partner early in your lease expiry process. Invite them along to view potential office space with you and your tenant advisor. They can give you valuable insight early on that will save you big bucks down the road.

To learn more about choosing the right workplace design partner for your strategy, download our free ebook today.

While new business models, fresh ways of working, and an increasingly tech-enabled ecosystem have shifted the workplace needs of companies, one thing remains crucial throughout the disruption: the commercial office lease.

A commercial lease is a binding agreement between landlord and tenant which sets out both parties’ obligations. The lease spells out terms and clauses for both landlord and tenant, so you, as the tenant, can better understand exactly what you’re entering into. Seeking out advice from trusted partners throughout your entire lease expiry process is smart, but when it comes to commercial office lease, advice from a tenant representative or legal advisor can help to ensure your lease agreement is favourable and fair.

What’s in a commercial lease agreement?

All commercial leases include what is known as ‘essential terms‘. As the name suggests, these terms are essential to the contract and without them, it may not exist at all. Essential terms are things like payment of rent, names of the parties involved and a description of the premises to be leased.

Outside of the essential terms, there are a number of clauses that can be included when it comes to your office lease. In this post, we will unpack six commercial lease clauses you can’t afford to NOT know about.

1. Subletting

The option to sublease part of your property to a third party can be helpful if your company’s space requirements are likely to change over the course of your lease. For example, if your business is downsizing, subletting some of your space can support cash flow by making use of unused floor space.

The option to sublease will need to be written into your lease agreement from the outset. Know that your original lease remains in effect even when a new sublease has been signed.

2. Repairs and maintenance

Maintenance and repair obligations should both be set out in your commercial lease. Generally, as a tenant, you are responsible for the ‘rented premises’ like floors, walls and fixtures, and are therefore required to repair and maintain them during your lease.

On the landlord side, maintenance and repairs to the structural parts of the premises, building systems and common areas like lobbies or the lifts are usually included. Check your lease carefully though as sometimes these items can be inserted under the tenant’s obligations.

3. Ending the lease early

Including a ‘break clause’ allows you to terminate the commercial lease earlier than the specified term. Most break lease clauses include a notice period where you must let your landlord know of your intention to break the lease.

If your lease agreement doesn’t include a break lease clause, and you end up needing to leave your lease earlier than the anticipated term, you may be required to buy out the term of your lease, assign it to a third party or otherwise negotiate an early exit with your landlord.

4. ‘Make good’ clause

A ‘make good’ clause is a standard inclusion in many commercial leases. The make good provision is negotiable but basically requires the tenant to return the premises back to their original condition, regardless of any improvements that have been made during the lease period.

Before you sign on the dotted line, ensure the make good clause is clear for both parties and you understand your obligations at the end of your lease. You’ll need to consider this additional cost when you decide whether to move at the end of your lease.

Furthermore, complete a thorough condition report including photos and videos of the office at the start of your lease. This will help you to avoid nasty surprises at the end of your lease agreement by providing clear evidence of the original condition of the premises.

5. Rent review

The ‘rent review clause’ explains the process for increasing the rent as the term of the lease proceeds and is common in many commercial leases. The common methods of rent review include:

• ‘Fixed percentage increase review’ that specifies a fixed rent increase on designated dates during the lease term.
• CPI rent review which is directly correlated to movements in the CPI (Consumer Price Index).
• Market rent review that reassess your rent in relation to the state of the financial market.

Ensure you are aware of the type of rent review clause your lease includes and that it suits your business requirements.

6. Option clause

An ‘option clause’ gives the tenant the option to renew their lease at the end of the initial lease term. Usually, the option needs to be exercised within a certain time period (eg. six months before lease expiry), and the tenant must not have breached any terms in the contract during the lease period. An option clause isn’t mandatory, so check your lease before signing.

As you can see, a commercial lease is complex and, as a legally binding document, you want to ensure you’ve got all the bases covered. But the lease terms are just one part of the lease expiry process. To negotiate the right terms for your needs, you need to consider every aspect of the process and develop a robust workplace strategy. For more commercial lease advice and to learn more about choosing the right workplace design partner for your strategy, download our free ebook today.

What’s that saying about failing to plan? We know there are a few of them, and with good reason. Planning your office move is no different. Taking the time to make the most informed decisions can be the difference between a successful office relocation with minimal downtime and effect on productivity and an unsuccessful move that is stressful, inefficient and disruptive.

Preparing in advance will ensure your move is streamlined, both for your employees, teams and departments as well as for your clients and customers. A well-planned office move will mean a smooth transition where business-as-usual is affected as little as possible.

With this in mind, it makes sense to work alongside reliable and experienced professionals with plenty of the right skills and knowledge to ensure your office move goes off without a hitch. In this post, we’ll cover the key specialist roles usually employed in an office move and how they can help you make the best and most informed decisions when planning your office move.

Workplace strategist

Keeping your employees satisfied and attracting top-notch talent is a difficult job and designing an employee-centric workplace is one of the most important ways you can recruit and retain incredible employees. A workplace strategist will assist you to integrate the people, places and processes of your business, ensuring a productive, happy and efficient workplace.

Bringing together knowledge in facilities, interior design, real estate and IT, your workplace strategist can help you lower costs, drive workplace transformation and increase collaboration within and between teams and departments.

Undergoing major change, like office relocation, can be the perfect catalyst to hire a workplace strategist to create a holistic strategic framework from which your company can continue to grow.

Agents and tenant representatives

An agent is a landlord representative. It’s their job to lease out space in buildings. Most commonly, they have five or six buildings in their portfolio at any time, and they represent the landlords of those spaces. Whilst they are working on the landlords’ behalf representing their client’s interests, they also seek to maximise the potential of the space to garner the best result.

On the other side sits a tenant representative, who does exactly that – they are your representative as the tenant. They are focussed solely on your needs, without being tied to a landlord, and will negotiate with both landlords and agents on your behalf. Their fee is paid by you and is usually a commission percentage based on the savings they have achieved for you.

Commercial interior designer

As the name suggests, a commercial interior designer will create and direct the construction of a commercial space. From coming up with the initial concepts and floor plans, to developing a look and feel palette and 3D visuals, to directing and managing the actual rollout of the interior design, the commercial interior designer is there to guide the entire process. Not only will they design and implement interiors which match your brief, but they are also a source of expert professional knowledge around the construction process.

Legal and financial advisers

Understanding and entering a commercial lease is a complex and considerable undertaking. Therefore it is crucial you have considered the financial and legal implications.

It is likely your CFO’s role to look at and understand the office relocation costs as well as the ongoing lease costs and work out at what levels the business is comfortable with.

A commercial leasing lawyer will be best placed to review your lease agreement and can even negotiate on your behalf in terms of fixtures, fit-out and costs. A lawyer will also check for clauses that are not in your favour, eg. big payouts at the end of your lease or unreasonable make-good obligations.

Workplace design partners

Working with a workplace design partner like Axiom will help you to define a detailed workplace strategy to help increase productivity and support your overarching business goals. Using this as a foundation they can translate these ideas and objectives into a physical workspace that meets your needs.

A good workplace design partner starts by understanding your business needs now, and your needs into the future. They will look at your people, culture and what is currently happening in your organisation to design a workplace strategy and physical workspace that is unique to your business and based on hard evidence.

Partners like Axiom Workplaces look at the big picture and are with you throughout the journey – from design conceptualisation, planning, the fit-out itself, and, after completion, they will continue to make sure your workplace transformation is right for you and your people.

Throughout Axiom’s process, clients are supported by a highly-skilled, experienced and responsive team who nurture, develop and assume total responsibility for every detail, ensuring you are consulted at each stage of the project.

Ready to jump in? Book your free consultation with Axiom today.

An office lease expiry is one of those things that can easily get put on the backburner until suddenly it’s right in front of you. But without forethought and planning, it can end up being costly and very inconvenient!

Getting a start early is crucial whether you’re planning on staying in your current premises or relocating offices (if you are relocating, here is a helpful relocation checklist). Depending on the number of your employees, the size of your office space (current and into the future) and the complexity of your current commercial lease agreement, you should start planning at least 15-18 months before the lease expires.

Some things to remember:

• If you do not have a lease option in place, your landlord doesn’t have to renew your lease. This means whether you want to or not, you may have to relocate.
• If you are entering into a new lease, leave yourself plenty of time to establish the details. If you’re rushed, this gives the landlord more negotiating power.
• If you do have an option to renew, there is usually a notice period involved of 6-12 months.
• If your fixed-term lease expires, the landlord may allow you to remain in a ‘holdover’, on month-to-month terms. This is usually seen a risky proposition as you may need to be out within just one month if the landlord so decides.

So, what do you need to consider when deciding to stay and renew the current lease or move out and relocate to a new office? Let’s review the key factors:

Your current space

If you’re satisfied with your current office and location and have no intentions of outgrowing the space in the imminent future, it might be more beneficial to stay and renew your lease (if you have that option available to you).

Ask these questions:

• Is your current space fulfilling your needs?
• What about your needs in the near future?

Also, think about the costs of office relocation and factor this into your decision. Consider: planning, fit-out, ‘make good’ costs, moving expenses and any loss in productivity. Weigh these up against the benefits of moving to a new location eg. lower overheads or a better location.

If you do decide to stay put there is still a need to negotiate to ensure your company gets the best deal. Consider negotiating for things like base building improvements, new interiors, rights of first offer for adjacent space for growing into or contraction rights if you see downsizing in your future.

Company goals and objectives

An office lease expiry might just be the perfect time to consider how your workplace strategy fits in with your overall company goals and objectives and how your office space can support them.

Ask these questions:

• What are the growth forecasts for the business within 3, 5 and 10 years?
• What are the business goals over these same time periods?
• Do you need to cut costs or downsize?
• Is your objective to expand and attract new talent?
• Are there plans to change the way staff work (eg. more remote/teleworking)?

The type and amount of space you require post lease expiry depends heavily on the nature of the work being carried out so considering the company’s objectives is key.

Future plans

Examine your future business plans closely to help you decide whether to renew a lease or relocate your office. Think about how these plans might impact your current workplace and what they will mean for future space requirements. Reflect on whether staying put will allow your business to evolve in the right way, or if moving office will offer your business a better chance at future success.

If it looks like the future holds a dramatic change in the way your company works, or a large scale merger of departments from different offices into one, it’s best practice to engage with a change management consultant early on. Your consultant will help guide you through the process for a seamless transition with as little employee anxiety as possible.

Budget

As with most things, when it comes to an office lease expiry you need to consider the costs. Beyond thinking about lease or rent costs, it’s important to factor in all the many and varied relocation costs if you decide to move. Naturally, there are also costs associated with staying where you are, as your lease agreement may change for example.

How can a workplace design partner help?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all of these considerations, you’re not alone. This is where a workplace design partner can help. Companies like Axiom specialise in helping you design a workplace strategy, find your next property, manage the interior design, and transition your workforce.

Bringing in the experts ensures your business is taken care of, from start to finish. To learn more, download our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner now.

According to a recent research report by Deloitte, the office is not getting any smaller or going away anytime soon, even with advances in mobile and digital technologies. In fact, from 1990 to 2017, the amount of total available office floor space in Australia even grew by 60%.

Technology is definitely transforming the workplace and how people work – but not the way most people think. Robots won’t be replacing everyone’s jobs. Deloitte mentions that people will still be ‘central to the future of work.’ What will change is the types of work humans do and the skills needed to succeed in the future.

At a lunch-and-learn event, we covered how technology drives workplace transformation. In this post, we go deeper into the discussion and focus on the impact of technology on the way people work:

Regarding the use of meeting rooms, how do you give people a choice when it comes to physical space and being able to duck into a room without the need to book?

1. Help employees to be more productive. People don’t come to the office because they want to. They come to the office to simply do their work and be productive. Employees ask themselves: ‘What’s in it for me?’ Things like meeting rooms and booking services need to help employees navigate obstacles and do their jobs effectively.
2. Provide an on-demand and personalised experience. It’s about giving your staff what they want, when they need it and in a form that is very personalised to them. They have to be able to identify with the experience and see its value. Take the example of the Uber experience. The service is not the vehicle or the driver. A normal taxi can provide that. The real difference that Uber offers is the ability to provide on-demand services, whenever and wherever they’re needed. Once you give people the confidence in choosing a meeting experience from anywhere at any time, you will see a change in behaviour. The work environment is no longer a big deal, and you will see a significant increase in workplace efficiency. We can create variety and choice across the whole environment that permits them to basically operate from anywhere but it’s underpinned by that confidence model.

When should you start considering technology when planning an office move or redevelopment?

You need to start thinking of how technology can be integrated as early as possible. According to Dan, you have to consider technology in the early stages of the process and “talk about technology today as a scalable investment.”

During an office move or refurbishment, people usually focus on where the space is going to be and what it’s going to look like. They defer technology decisions towards the end of the project – when budgets and timeframes are already constrained. This results in making some significant sacrifices on the technology front. They start cutting down on the things they wanted at the beginning. And they end up letting down the people who are going to use that work environment, ultimately impacting the level of potential productivity that could be leveraged.

So, don’t make the same mistake. Start to think about technology as a platform approach and identify and invest in what you need early.

Also, by thinking about technology early and properly communicating your needs to providers and partners, the better off you will be in meeting expectations and deadlines and achieving the outcomes you wanted at the beginning.

What is the behavioural impact of enabling technology in the way people operate, such as working from home or working non-traditional hours?

Technology has such a significant impact on the workplace, that it is changing the way people work. Here are some insights from our panel of experts:

People still seek human connection
With advances in mobile and digital technologies, people are now able to work anytime, anywhere. These days, people have the freedom and flexibility to work from home and outside the normal 9-5 hours.

But it seems employees still look for human connection. There is a slow shift back to people wanting to work in the office. They like meeting face-to face, looking people in the eye, shaking hands and directly engaging with colleagues and customers. Some even think that they are more productive and effective when working side-by-side with their team in the office.

Work-life harmony
Let's call it “work-life harmony” rather than balance as we all have to go to work and go home at the end of the day. Both work and home life are intertwined but it’s the communication piece in the middle that enables us to connect with our families and colleagues. Nothing can replace the element of human connection.

That’s why companies like Axiom develop workplaces that enhance human experiences and implement technology that enables harmony between work and home life – encouraging people to come back to the office. This then creates a cultural shift attracting employees of all levels, including leadership, to come in and get the work done.

Personalised service
Why would someone come to this office? As an employee, why would I want to do this? What’s in it for them? These are some of the questions that you need to consider when building workplace environments.

It’s not just about how impressive the technology is that you want to integrate. It also needs to serve a purpose. People need to see and experience the value of the service. Plus, it needs to be personalised to each individual’s need. For every inconvenience, we need to give employees two conveniences so they can start to offset one another, and they can start to see the value proposition beyond the friction.

Technology won’t be able to solve everything. There are going to be certain problems that you’re never going to be able to overcome or be able to rectify, but if you start to add lots of little things people can identify with – then they will begin to see the overall value of what you’re trying to do.

So, don’t just give your employees a desk to work on, personalise the service and make things easier for them. This would not only increase employee job satisfaction but also improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

This is how it all comes together; you’ve got to treat the working environment with respect and your employees with respect.

Want to learn how a design partner can help implement the right technologies to create a more productive and engaging workplace for your employees? Check out our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner. Download it now!

“A direct impact on productivity, engagement and people’s happiness coming to work”
– Lauren, HR Manager, 1-Stop Connections

A global leader in port logistics solutions, 1-Stop Connections creates innovative products for the global market. From shipping and ports to road and rail, their suite of integrated products and tailor-made solutions aim to maximise operating efficiency throughout the supply chain.

Before Axiom…

Global logistics is fast-paced. 1-Stop are true innovators in the field and has rapidly outgrown their premises, taking on additional team members at an exponential rate. This is not set to slow down. Beginning with a staff of under 20, their team in 2018 comprised over 100 individuals with this figure set to double in the next five years. As such, they needed a space which would highlight their innovative spirit, spotlight their efficiency, facilitate collaboration and provide the scope to grow with the business.

Split across 4 floors, collaboration was waning, and the company looked to secure new premises where the connection between teams could be more readily fostered.

Axiom was invited to present their vision to 1-Stop decision-makers and was almost immediately engaged. Through a series of briefings, we brought together a team of designers, estimators, project managers and construction experts to create a visionary workspace.

With 1-Stop Connections, our team enjoyed the benefit of developing the workspace from a minimal blank canvas. We were presented with the new Redfern premises as a refurbished but older building complete with polished concrete floors, an open ceiling and industrial/warehouse vibe, all of which highlighted the initial acoustic challenges.

When collaboration is key, we need to manipulate space to provide areas which buzz and others where there is a possibility for quiet interaction. Installing the right materials to balance the environment’s sound was a challenge we addressed instantly. Part of the solution was to include a central breakout area, smaller one-on-one meeting rooms, shared spaces and 100 workstations which treated the acoustics uniquely in each area.

After Axiom…

“Already connection is felt across the business”
– Michael Bouari, CEO 1-Stop

From inception through to the ideation and implementation of the project, the Axiom team successfully transitioned 1-Stop from their previous premises into their exceptional new workspace.

Interior design, concept development, construction management, electrical and lighting solutions, furniture & workstations and project management were all within the brief and delivered within a 12-week timeframe to budget.

The creative vision was realised as a sleek, bold, modern and dynamic space. Careful, creative and considered, we approached the project as an opportunity to sculpt a unique space. Elevating the working environment, our design incorporated leading technologies and finishes as well as beautiful natural elements to increase workplace wellness.

Working with a progressive and innovative client, Axiom was able to push boundaries and arrive at meaningful, sometimes playful design decisions to achieve a space in which the team thrive.

“A deliberate process which delivered what we wanted”
– Tony Payn, GM Finance, 1-Stop

The concept rested on weaving the company’s story into every possible aspect of the fitout. Shipping containers were recycled and used as wall finishes. Aerial views of shipping ports were referenced in flooring patterns, and graphic elements throughout the workspace paid homage to the logo.

Bright blue cables were featured throughout the space – overhead, along walls and throughout breakout spaces to encourage the idea of constant movement. A playful take on tracks, shipping lines and journey maps – these features underpin the company’s ethos of progression and dynamism.

Largely open plan, the space caters for team discussion, high-level presentations and more private consultations. A creative core was constructed in the form of a communal kitchen/breakout space and an innovation lab was created which provides the opportunity for the team to share ideas and inspiration.

Ethical, energy-efficient and low carbon footprint options were also addressed as part of the design. Throughout this project, we had sourced many local materials, used existing fittings and applied a stringent vetting process to use suppliers who worked with a considered environmental approach.

We tackled the project with a mandate to re-purpose and re-invigorate as much of their current workspace as possible. By surveying their fixtures and fittings, we were able to bring into the new space a range of furniture that we upcycled and appropriated – thus reducing waste, maximising budget and removing the need to purchase more occasional furniture. Finally, our team ensured that the space provided exemplary abilities to recycle its own waste.

“Pretty much perfect”
– Michael Bouari, CEO 1-Stop

Pumping with enthusiasm, primed for spontaneous collaboration and right at the forefront of innovation – 1-Stop Connections now have a workspace which keeps pace with their energy.

Adaptable, dynamic and providing the flexibility to grow, Axiom has created a workspace which not only fulfils the current needs of the client but nurtures them towards the future as well.

Find out how Axiom can transform your current or new office space. Book a free consultation to see what we can do for you.

Technology is changing the way we work. The current workplace is no longer a single place people go to do their jobs. With advances in mobile devices, networks and cloud computing, employees can now work anywhere, anytime with just a laptop and an internet connection.

This enables enhanced staff flexibility, collaboration and productivity never before seen in the workplace. However, to achieve the best results, companies not only need to provide the right workplace technology and tools for people to do their work but also create a working environment that caters to individual needs and preferences.

In this post, we focus on some valuable insights to help you create a workplace culture that adapts to advances in technology, and more importantly, delivers greater efficiency, productivity, flexibility and employee job satisfaction.

As a small to medium business, what are the things you can do to future-proof your workplace?

For a growing business, it’s important to make sure that the decisions you make today are still going to be relevant in the future, as change can happen so quickly. Here are some key actions to future-proof your workplace:

1. Review the current environment: The first step is to get a full view of the current work environment. You need to know what is and isn’t working. Try to include your staff and the key stakeholders in the business and understand their current needs. Also, do a review of the workplace technologies currently in place – and how people are engaging with those technologies.
2. Make sure people are communicating effectively: One of the biggest hurdles in growing your business is making sure people are communicating effectively. Communication is fundamentally critical to anyone’s business. So, what technologies do your staff use to communicate? How effective are they to date? How can you overcome the challenges they’re experiencing? Then make sure the tools and technologies you invest in are simple and easy to use.
3. Engage a trusted partner: Yes, tools are becoming easier to use, but most people still feel overwhelmed with new technology. Therefore, it’s important at an early stage to engage with a trusted partner to help with the discovery piece and plan the move forward. This partner can also run workshops with stakeholders in different departments and groups to understand technology needs across the organisation.
4. Look to the future: Think Nokia or Kodak. They were market leaders at some point but failed to adjust to future market needs. So often we make decisions today based on historical facts that are now obsolete. It’s not so much about what you want to do today, but more about how you want to position your company in the future. Think about where you want to go and how you can add value to your customers in the years to come.

What role does workplace technology play in helping your employees become more innovative and creative?

We all know that the greatest resource for any business is its people. There are two ways technology can add value to your employees and help them become more innovative and creative:

1. Customising the experience

It’s important to realise that most of your staff just go to the office to do the work they need to do and collect a pay cheque. That’s the reality. So, how can you help them to be more innovative and creative in their work? It is essential that you treat your employees with respect and understand that every employee is an individual, with their own needs and preferences.

You need to customise the experience for them. And technology plays a big role in doing just that. Tools and applications can be customised to suit employees’ life and work styles. Mobile and digital technologies can also make life easier for your staff – providing greater flexibility, efficiency and productivity. In essence, technology can give people more time to think creatively and focus on the more important things at work and in their personal lives.

2. Enhancing workplace culture

When people come together and collaborate at work, technology often works in the background and is not given much thought as it works on demand. However, technology plays an important role in enhancing the workplace culture. For instance, digital signage in the office can actually help inspire people at work. You can tell stories about the business, where it’s going and the success it’s currently having.

If you’re working with teams interstate or all over the world, how can you ensure people get the best experience with video conferencing?

We’ve all experienced some sort of frustration when connecting with people via video conferencing. We hear comments like ‘I can’t hear you’ or ‘your video froze’ or even ‘connection just dropped’. So, how can you ensure the best experience?

It’s important to start with understanding your company’s communication needs. What would make it easier for them to communicate with each other? How will employees use video conferencing? Is video conferencing the best solution? Of course, you first need to make sure that the technology would be widely adopted by the different teams before you invest in improving the experience.

With the internet and Wifi connectivity becoming stronger, more stable and a lot quicker, people expect video conferencing to just work. If it doesn’t, they will find another way to communicate. We always try to find the easiest way to get things done. While video conferencing is important, it is not the only way to communicate. Businesses need to be able to offer employees a lot of choices when it comes to communication – audio, video, email and text.

How can IT departments manage the security of sharing and storing information, especially across cloud platforms?

Security needs to be at the core of your technological and digital initiatives. You need to understand the flow of information across your organisation. Business data could be emailed, shared on social channels or stored on the cloud in applications like, OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive.

But how secure is the cloud? Cloud applications are getting more and more secure plus companies are now better at implementing security protocols and measures to protect business data.

The bigger threat isn’t the cloud – it’s the internet of things (IoT). IT departments need to be more concerned about the devices, machines and apps connecting to the network. These ‘things’ connect to anything and have the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human interaction.

Also, stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog, as we go deeper into the experts’ discussion on how technology drives workplace transformation! Subscribe to our blog to make sure you don’t miss out and also read our Guide to the Future of Work.

Want to learn more about technology in the workplace? A design partner can help future-proof your business by implementing the right technologies to achieve your long-term objectives.

Check out our free ebook 'Digital Transformation: The Role of Workplace Strategy'

“ELMO HQ has realised more connectivity and community engagement than I had ever hoped for.”
Monica Watt, General Manager HR and Admin, ELMO

As one of the fastest-growing HR tech companies in the region, providing innovative cloud HR and payroll technology to more than 1000 organisations across Asia-Pacific, ELMO were quickly outgrowing their space. As well as moving to a more centralised location in the Sydney CBD, ELMO wanted a fit-for-purpose space that would re-energise their employees (or “ELMOnians”, as they’re affectionately called), and help keep the company on its path to growth.

Before Axiom…

Having experienced exponential growth over the past few years, ELMO were fast outgrowing their original headquarters in Bondi Junction. But ELMO didn’t simply want a bigger space – they wanted a space that would truly reflect their personality, culture and values. They wanted a space that would foster connection and collaboration, increase engagement, and also be highly adaptive to each ELMOnian’s preferred way of working.

There was also the added challenge of a relatively short lead time – with ELMO growing so quickly, they only had a timeframe of 12 weeks in which to bring their vision to reality.

Axiom worked closely with ELMO, conducting in-depth workflow and organisational studies to fully understand ELMO’s needs and help them achieve their objectives.

“The Axiom team was great to work with from the commencement,” says Monica Watt, General Manager HR and Admin of ELMO. “They were engaging and responsive to our needs … [and] honest about what they had and had not done. Once they captured our thoughts and concepts … we then worked together to continuously evolve the design. The space is a combination of our ideas and their design magic coming together.”

After Axiom…

One of the most important traits ELMO wanted to cultivate in their new space was connectedness and collaboration. With this in mind, the Axiom team designed a central town hall at the very heart of ELMO’s new home, with tiered seating where employees can gather. This space is connected to a breakout zone on another floor by a staircase, further emphasising the idea of connectedness.

Annelie Xenofontos, Axiom’s Senior Workplace Strategist, explains the team’s approach: “We wanted to connect the Elmonians by creating a vertical village through the two floors. The continuous louvred finish across the two floors achieved that visual connection and was accentuated with the larger cutout in the concrete slab.”

Employee wellbeing was also highly important to ELMO, with the attraction and retention of top talent being a key objective of the new office. To that end, the design included a café and community space where staff can relax and socialise, and a wellness room where they can practise yoga and meditation. As per ELMO’s request, the meeting rooms were also placed at the core of the design, to ensure that employees could be seated close to natural light.

“I love that every day from morning through to afternoon, I see our people enjoying a cuppa, working, talking, and sharing the space. There is a spot for everyone and everything,” says Watt.

To reflect ELMO’s growth and maturation, a new colour scheme was devised, keeping true to the company’s history and evolution while showing the company’s progressiveness and innovation. The use of green and greenery throughout makes the space feel calm and inviting.

Axiom also future-proofed the new HQ, ensuring it is flexible enough to incorporate more employees as the company continues to go from strength to strength.

“The greatest success was hearing the oohs and ahs from our people. I will be honest, I was overwhelmed with various emotions on day one – I sat on the tiered seats and just watched the people enjoying their new space,” says Watt. “I am in awe of what we have created and the opportunity it presents.”

At a glance…

• Increased connectedness and collaboration achieved
• Emphasis on employee wellbeing
• Flexibility to adapt to continuing growth
• Design successfully developed and implemented in just 12 weeks

Ready for Axiom to work some design magic on your current or new office space? Book a free consultation to see what we can do for you.

Few would argue with the notion that innovation is the lifeblood of successful and competitive businesses. If you’re a company that’s stuck in the grind of ‘business as usual’, technology may hold the key to unlocking your employees’ hidden potential for innovation. (And it doesn’t have to break the bank either.)

Here are 5 ways technology can support innovation in the workplace.

Improved communication and collaboration

There’s a reason why so many companies are trying to break down silos within the business and foster more collaboration – improved communication frees the flow of ideas, allowing for better insights and faster decision-making. Deloitte has even put a dollar amount on the benefits of collaboration, estimating that quality improvements brought about by collaboration are worth around $2517 per employee and manager per year.

Collaborative platforms like Google Docs or Slack allow people to share files, collate discussions around particular topics, centralise knowledge and work on documents simultaneously. This means you can get on with the business of working together without any of the frictions and frustrations that often go with it (‘Where did that email end up?’, ‘Why haven’t they got that document back to me yet?’ etc.).

Video and voice conferencing technology, such as Zoom, can help to tear down communication barriers, which is particularly helpful if your team is spread out geographically. Interactive whiteboard technology like Webex or Jamboard also gives your team the freedom of brainstorming on a whiteboard combined with the ability to pull information, images and documents directly from the web, while again allowing team members to participate from wherever they might be.

Improved collaboration strengthens ties across the employee organisation chart, including senior management. Better accessibility to managers, directors and the C-suite – whose buy-in is vital when it comes to actually implementing ideas – can smoothen the path to innovation, allowing for creative ideas to become reality much faster.

Increased efficiency and productivity

Just about every job is susceptible to automation to some degree. Many CRMs and marketing automation platforms, for example, automate tasks like data capturing or lead nurturing. And while the idea of machines ‘taking away’ certain aspects of our jobs can be somewhat anxiety-provoking, automation can often be good for workers (when implemented mindfully and in conjunction with good workplace design).

Technology can foster innovation simply by making our lives easier. By partially or completely automating repetitive and mundane tasks, employees have more time to engage in higher-value tasks such as strategising and analysis, which of course often leads to innovation.

Better access to data

Data is essential to innovation – without accurate, up-to-date data, innovation simply isn’t possible. Today, technology plays an essential role in information gathering, from a simple IoT sensor picking up a single data point, to dashboards that help make sense of the information, to cloud data stores that hold and compute our vast swathes of data.

Getting a good handle on data visualisation using tools like Tableau can also help pave the way to innovation, making data manipulation and analysis far easier, thereby putting innovative ideas at your employees’ fingertips.

More flexibility

Innovation means coming up with new ways to do things – and this, of course, requires a great deal of creativity. But employees who are sitting at the same desks, doing the same things day in and day out, aren’t going to be feeling particularly inspired.

Technology can help here, too. Collaboration tools like those mentioned above can be perfect for a remote workforce, allowing people to feel connected and involved no matter where they’re working from. You can also use technology to support flexibility within the workplace – sensor solutions, for example, can give you real-time information on things like desk and office availability, minimising time wastage and helping to facilitate a more agile, activity-based work environment.

The regular change of scenery, and interaction with different people in the organisation, that comes with such flexible work arrangements can do wonders when it comes to helping people think outside of the box.

There’s also a lot to be said for a fast, reliable wifi connection! After all, it’s pretty hard to be innovative these days without internet access.

Aside from these direct impacts on innovation, giving your staff flexibility at work can increase employee engagement, which in turn makes them more willing to search for and develop ideas that will benefit the company, rather than simply going through the motions of the daily grind.

Boosted wellbeing

It may surprise you to know that improving your employees’ wellbeing can also lead to innovation – after all, happy, healthy employees are creative, engaged employees! And believe it or not, tech can play a role here as well.

Things like wellness portals, where employees can do things like book gym classes or monitor certain aspects of their health, can give employees the tools they need to stay fighting fit. Sit-stand desks can help promote exercise and movement throughout the day, helping employees to perform at their peak. Even a simple app that reminds workers to stand up and move about on a regular basis can be a way to get the creative juices flowing!

Giving employees more control over their environment can also help boost employee wellbeing. For example, smart lighting solutions that give staff individual access to the lighting in their particular area allows them to adjust the lighting as necessary depending on the time of day or task at hand, ensuring optimal working conditions at all times. Similarly, individualised climate control, which enables employees to adjust the temperature in their particular area, can also help ensure employee comfort throughout the day, so they can focus fully on the job in front of them.

A culture of innovation

Fostering a culture of innovation is not just about providing your employees with the right tools – it’s also about seamlessly integrating these tools into your workplace design so they become as much a part of day-to-day business as email or the photocopier. Ensuring employees have access to communication tools in collaborative hubs, or conferencing software and equipment in meeting rooms, for example, can ensure everyone actually makes use of the technologies at their disposal, so they can get on with the business of innovating.

Is innovation a core value for your business? A workplace design partner can help ensure your office reflects this. To learn more about how a workplace design partner can foster innovation at your business, check out our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner. Download it now!

If moving house is one of the top five most stressful events in a person’s life, just imagine what the stress levels are like when it comes to an office relocation.

While relocating an entire office is a significant undertaking, by planning carefully and breaking the process down into small, manageable chunks, you can have an easy transition, with minimal disruptions and associated costs.

That’s why we’ve put together this super-handy office relocation checklist, so you don’t miss a thing.

With an office move, there are many moving parts. It’s important, therefore, to get your ducks in a row as early as possible. Careful planning and preparation can help ensure the office move is not just smooth, but that it actually benefits your organisation in the long term.

12–18 months before the move

• Determine what your key objectives are for your move (e.g. do you want to reduce costs, boost productivity or attract top talent?)
• Find an expert: a workplace design partner to help you with a workplace design strategy to identify your key objectives and determine the future way of working for your company. This will determine how much space you will actually need.
• If based on the above, the decision is made to relocate:
  • Look into your current lease and determine how and when to give notice to your landlord. (If you need to vacate your current premises before the lease is up, you may need to sublet or assign the lease to another tenant or negotiate a termination. You may want to seek advice from a property solicitor to work out what may be the best option for you.)
  • Do you have a make-good obligation? Consider the budget for this and adequate timing to have it completed
• If the desired outcome is to create significant change in the environment, then refer to your workplace design partner for a change management program to ensure all staff are brought on the journey
• Conduct a location feasibility study of shortlisted sites to determine the most suitable space – your workplace design partner can also assist with this

6-12 months before the move

• Negotiate and finalise the terms of your new lease
• Put together a detailed timeline to ensure the move is completed on time
• Liaise with the building manager at the new property to help determine the layout
• Create an inventory of your existing furniture and fittings, and determine what will be moved to the new office, and what new furniture and fittings will be required
• Involve IT with your workplace design partner to perform an audit of your current IT and communications systems (computer, photocopies, phones, etc.), and determine what equipment will be kept and what needs to be upgraded. (It is essential that all your IT equipment, systems and phones are all fully functional on the day you move in to ensure minimal disruption.)

3-6 months before the move

• Select a moving day
• Devise a detailed moving budget (for moving costs only, separate to your relocation budget)
• Schedule wiring and cabling of all computers and phone lines
• Create a master change-of-address list, listing clients, vendors and suppliers that will need to be notified of your new details and order new stationery
• Hire a professional moving company
• Hire a professional cleaning service for the vacated property
• Create a company moving team, ideally with a representative from each department, to help coordinate the move across the organisation
• Depending on the extent of the change, ensure the staff are regularly informed about and involved in the moving process, in conjunction with the change management program (if applicable)
• Keep a hand in with your workplace design partner, ensuring everything is going in the direction you need it to

1 month before the move

You’re on the home stretch! This is the time to make sure things are still on track, and to double (and triple) check nothing has inadvertently been left by the wayside.

• Hold a meeting at the new premises with all the parties involved (design/construction/movers/IT etc.) to ensure all details have been covered and responsibilities for the upcoming weeks are clear
• Put together a welcome pack for employees, outlining information about the building and the neighbourhood, so employees can quickly settle in
• Organise an office warming party to welcome employees to the new office
• Finalise employee seating plan
• Implement a clean-up program (purging files, disposing of rubbish, moving old files to storage etc.)
• Back-up business operations
• Acquire packing supplies for the move
• Create a detailed moving day plan
• Reserve loading dock and elevators, and acquire any necessary permits (such as parking)
• Sort out keys and access cards
• Start setting up IT and communications systems
• Give staff a tour of the new premises so they know what to expect when they arrive on day one

On the day

The big day is here. While much of the work will be in the hands of professionals (thanks to all your careful planning), you’ll still need to be keeping an eye on things and ensuring everything’s ready to go when employees walk in the door.

• Arrange with the building manager to have air conditioning switched on prior to entry (this will make the day much more comfortable!)
• Ensure workstations are assembled and correctly labelled with numbers or employees’ names, so employees can easily find their desks
• Test computers, phones, internet, and other technologies to ensure everything is connected and working properly
• Ensure old site has been cleaned thoroughly
• Ensure the new site is clear of excess furniture, crates and packing materials

After the move

Hooray! The hard part’s over. Now it’s time to tie up any loose ends, let your clients know about your new location, and reap the benefits of a brand new office.

• Brief staff on new premises, such as workspaces, break areas and amenities
• Distribute welcome packs and new phone lists
• Address any residual issues reported by staff
• Confirm termination of the old lease
• Schedule press release and client announcement
• Review office fitout and design, and track relevant metrics to see if key objectives are being met

As you can see, an office relocation is a lot of work! That’s why you want to ensure you reap maximum benefits from it. To help your business get to the next level, choose a workplace design partner that can help you achieve your objectives and prepare your new space for you. To learn more, download our free ebook How to choose a workplace design partner now.

Workplace wellness is not only important for moral and ethical reasons, but financial reasons, too. In fact, a recent study found that every year, absenteeism costs the Australian economy an estimated $44 billion, while presenteeism (working at a reduced capacity) more than $35 billion.

So what are organisations doing to promote workplace wellness?

At our recent lunch and learn, we covered how organisations can produce the best bottom-line results through workplace wellness initiatives with our panel of experts:

• Dr Debra Villar, Director at Complete Corporate Wellness, a company that provides health and wellness programs for the corporate sector.
• Jack Noonan, Vice President Australia & New Zealand at International WELL Building Institute, which is leading the movement to promote health and wellness in buildings and communities everywhere through their cutting-edge WELL Building Standard™.
• Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Workplace Strategist at Axiom Workplaces, who leads the strategic thinking process that creates intelligent workplace design outcomes for our clients.

Here’s what they had to say about wellness trends they were noticing in Australian workplaces.

How are buildings changing to support workplace wellness initiatives?

Circadian lighting

Noonan explains that 20 years ago, all offices were using bright, fluorescent lighting that didn’t change throughout the day, which led to a disruption of sleep at night.

This is why today, more organisations are using circadian lighting – that is, lighting that mimics your daily cycle. Lighting will mimic daylight midday, and become warmer in the afternoon as you finish work.

Most results are qualitative instead of quantitative, with organisations saying that staff are requesting circadian table lamps and more likely to use meeting rooms with circadian lighting.

End of trip facilities

Noonan explains that Australia is well ahead of the United States in terms of our end of trip facilities, simply because large developers and workplaces are willing to make end of trip facilities spacious enough for tenants to share and enjoy.

For example, the recently opened International Towers in Barangaroo boast the largest bike parking facility in the southern hemisphere, with room for over 1000 bicycles and more than 100 showers. This encourages cycling to work which not only reaps health benefits, but also environmental benefits.

How are organisations supporting nutrition?

Villar explains that some businesses go to the extreme by providing gourmet meals, which are pre-planned by a head chef – but not all businesses can afford this, so it’s more about providing healthy alternatives. If unhealthy snacks are available, you can place them on the bottom-shelf so that they’re not prominently promoted.

According to Noonan, 50% of food options should be fresh fruit and vegetables – or at the very least, organisations should provide two options of fruit and two options of vegetables. This is to ensure that making the healthier choice is the easier choice and that staff have options available.

Additionally, by simply providing inviting spaces for people to come together and eat, organisations are encouraging a balanced diet, as people tend to eat healthier when they eat together. A requirement of the WELL Building Standard is that there is space for at least 25% of employees to have lunch at any point in time. While it’s certainly an investment in real estate (as you’re sacrificing space that could be used as work stations), it’s an important factor for workplace wellness.

How are organisations supporting mental health?

According to Villar, 1 in 4 people in the world have a mental disorder but no one wants to admit it. Stigma prevents people with a known disorder to seek help from health professionals – even if treatment is available.

Movements like R U OK? Day help in supporting those who are struggling by inspiring people to start talking about mental health. Companies and other organisations are also doing their part in supporting mental health and creating a healthy workplace. Villar highlighted that a healthy company not only focuses on the health of an individual but on the health of the whole organisation.

A focus on taking action

Organisations are starting to go beyond the simple measurement of chronic diseases by implementing health programs that build fun and engaging workplaces.

Previous programs comprised mainly of checklists, and centred mostly on the measurement of data. Managers would tick boxes, analyse the data and conclude, for instance, that 10% of employees have a risk of diabetes. But these numbers have no value if they don’t help solve actual health issues and affect change.

Australian companies still conduct biometric testing for glucose and other health checks – but are beginning to move away from that and focus on fun and engaging activities like workplace challenges, team projects and treatment days.

Villar also mentioned that there are cost-effective ways to encourage employees to take the stairs, simply by making them more appealing. For example, you could allow people to draw artwork and write quotes along the wall near the staircase.

These activities actually make a difference in people’s health, instead of simply drawing conclusions around the percentage of staff that have chronic diseases.

Support the mental health of managers

More organisations are recognising the importance of supporting managers with the tools they need to support their own mental health, so that they can, in turn, support the mental health of their teams.

“It’s all well and good to provide education to staff around mental health, but if you’re not providing dedicated support to their managers so that they can walk the talk and inspire staff, then you’re missing an important point,” explains Villar.

Leaders need to have the necessary tools to deal with mental health issues, as they can be quite confronting.
Villar and her team provide a mental health first aid course for organisations – helping people recognise signs of mental disorders, what to do, and how to deal with those signs.

Focus on office design

Xenofontos explains that organisations are using office design to positively impact mental health. One example is through the use of open-plan offices.

She mentioned the experience of a person who worked in a law firm that had partitioned offices for every lawyer. Because of this, no one in the office noticed when one particular staff member was having a difficult time dealing with his wife’s illness and suffering from a mental health crisis. The fact that staff were separated by their own cubicles meant that he could come to the office before anyone arrived, and leave the office after everyone left – without anyone noticing.

Xenofontos stressed that if it was an open plan office, other staff would more likely notice the decline in his wellbeing, and offer some support. This is why it’s important to consider how office design can impact employee health and wellness.

A workplace design partner can help you build a healthier office for your managers and staff. To help you find the perfect one for your business, check out our free ebook, How to Choose the Right Workplace Design Partner.

Or if you’d like some free advice, why not meet with us and get a comprehensive design assessment and execution plan, obligation-free?

If you want your business to perform at its peak, then you need to ensure your employees can perform at their best, and this means looking after their health and wellbeing.

It’s important to bear in mind that employee health and wellness is not just about physical health, but also emotional and social wellbeing.

Prioritising employees’ health and wellbeing can have myriad benefits for your business, including:

• greater productivity
• reductions in work-related sickness and injuries
• lower workers’ compensation costs
• a decrease in absenteeism and staff turnover
• improved employee satisfaction
• enhanced corporate image

If improving employee health and wellbeing is an important goal for your business, one of the first things to look at is the environment in which your employees spend up to 40 hours (or more) a week.

Here are 5 ways you can improve employee health and wellbeing through your workplace design.

Encourage activity

You might have heard that “sitting is the new smoking”. Doctors have found that sedentary behaviour can be highly detrimental to health, leading to an increased risk of chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

That’s why forward-thinking organisations are implementing ways to encourage movement and activity throughout the day. This could be by installing sit-stand desks, to encourage employees to stand more throughout the day; having standing meeting rooms; or even removing small personal printers and installing large shared printers, so workers have an excuse to get up on a regular basis.

Integrate nature, sunlight and fresh air

There’s ample evidence that integrating nature, sunlight and fresh air into the workplace can have positive effects on health and wellbeing, thereby boosting productivity. Indoor plants, for example, have been shown to lift people’s moods and even remove harmful chemical compounds in the air.

There’s also data that suggests air quality may have a much bigger impact than once thought. Harvard University professor Joseph Allen performed a study that showed that workers in ‘green’ buildings with enhanced ventilation scored 101% higher than those in conventional buildings.

Sunlight can also have a positive effect on workers’ productivity, with one study finding that workers who were exposed to more daylight during the working week slept longer, did more physical activity and had better quality of life than workers who had little exposure to daylight.

Consider how these elements could be integrated into your next workplace design. Could you, for example, install a ‘living wall’ to help decrease stress levels? Could you seat workers closer to windows so they get more exposure to daylight? Could you install an air ventilation system to ensure workers get plenty of fresh air throughout the day?

Promote rest and relaxation

Often at work, our days are so jam-packed that there’s barely time for a bathroom break, let alone a decent lunch. But having employees working as hard as they possibly can does not actually lead to more productivity. On the contrary, in fact – it can lead to chronic stress and employee burnout, resulting in lower levels of productivity.

That’s why it’s important that employees take regular breaks in order to recharge, clear their head and strengthen their focus.

If employees don’t have an appealing space where they can take a load off, it sends a message that taking breaks is frowned upon by upper management. Environmental cues, therefore, are a powerful way to encourage this healthy behaviour. Revamp your break area(s) by providing a variety of comfortable seating options, and using home- or café-inspired touches to make the space feel more inviting.

Factor in noise and acoustics

When considering a workplace redesign, it can be easy to get heavily focused on the visual aspects. But what about the acoustics?

Excessive noise levels at work can have a dramatic effect on employee health and wellbeing, causing disruptions and poor performance. One study has even shown it can lead to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in more staff absenteeism. Workplace design that factors in noise management, therefore, can do much to contribute to workers’ comfort.

For example, if you are planning on an open-plan layout, you may want to help mitigate any potential interferences by installing closed rooms where people can conduct phone calls. If the space is large and potentially echo-ey, you could consider ways to absorb and block any excessive noise, whether it’s by utilising high-performance acoustic tiles or being mindful about how you use partitions, walls and windows.

Consider materials

We’ve already talked about the importance of air quality in a work environment – but did you know that just about everything around you could potentially be contributing to poor air quality?

Your carpet, paint, furnishings and office equipment (such as photocopiers) could all be emitting volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs have been shown to impair cognitive ability, including the ability to make complicated decisions, to focus and to problem solve. They can even potentially lead to health effects such as headaches, nausea and fatigue.

A workplace design should take into account workers’ exposure to VOCs by, for example, using low-VOC-emitting materials or being mindful about where office equipment like printers and photocopiers are located.

By putting employee health and wellbeing at the core of your next workplace design, you can not only have a more inviting and comfortable place to work, but you can also reap maximum ROI through boosted productivity levels. It’s a win-win!

A workplace design partner can help you develop a workplace design strategy that delivers maximum ROI. To help you find the perfect one for your business, check out our free ebook How to Choose the Right Workplace Design Partner. Download it now!

Workplace design has a marked effect on a business – if it didn’t, every office would simply be four white walls with rows and rows of identical desks.

Organisations are beginning to understand that, in order to get the best performance out of their employees, they need to provide more than simply a place to work – they need to provide spaces to collaborate, innovate and take a break.

If you want to take your business to the next level, a workplace redesign might just be the place to start. Here are 5 ways a workplace design can make your business more competitive.

Improving productivity

Our environments have an undeniable effect on how well we work, so supporting employees through workplace design can have a very positive effect on productivity. This can be through myriad ways. A workplace design can, for example, incorporate ergonomic furniture and flexible desks to support employee comfort and wellness, helping them do better work throughout the day; or it can make certain workflows more efficient, leaving employees more time to work on things that provide greater value to the company.

Increasing collaboration

Many organisations are realising the benefits of fostering a strong culture of collaboration, with a report by Deloitte finding that Australian companies that prioritise collaboration are twice as likely to be profitable and twice as likely to outgrow competitors.

Studies have also shown that the most innovative employees spend almost half their time collaborating with others, whether that’s in person or via technology.

A workplace design can be a key means of encouraging collaboration. Whether it’s informal lounges, stand-up meeting spaces, or brainstorming rooms, the simple act of providing a space whose purpose is collaboration sends a strong signal to employees that it is an essential aspect of your culture, and encourages employees to find ways to utilise the space.

Encouraging innovation

The most innovative businesses often have the most innovative workplace designs – think Microsoft’s treehouses, Apple’s spaceship or Amazon’s mini rainforest domes. While these sorts of things might be a bit outside your budget, there are still many ways your workplace design can help your employees be more innovative too.

Because innovation means thinking outside the box, it makes sense that innovators can become more creative when they have more choice in when and where they work. Providing a variety of spaces and more flexibility can help employees be more engaged in their jobs and spark ideas on improvements – a win for the business.

Organisations that consider employee happiness as a fundamental performance objective consistently unlock greater innovation and long-term financial success, according to a Robert Half study. While innovation is defined differently by each business, providing a workspace with places to unplug and unwind can aid the creative process, while also giving employees more organic opportunities for interpersonal interaction.

Attracting top talent

If you want your business to be more competitive, then you need to be able to attract the best of the best. But these days – when many employees have the option to not just work at other organisations, but also become freelance consultants – it’s arguable that companies have to work harder than ever to entice employees to stay in one place.

Your workplace design is one of the best tools at your disposal. With a single glance, potential employees can read a lot into your organisation. For example, a variety of different spaces – cosy reading nooks, formal conference rooms, collaborative open-plan areas – says your organisation is flexible and willing to cater for different work practices.

A biophilic design that integrates nature, or a design that encourages activity throughout the day, shows you care about your employees’ health and wellbeing.

Supporting digital transformation

Successful digital transformation requires an organisation to rethink its entire way of working. A workplace redesign can facilitate this, whether it’s by incorporating new technologies, supporting new workflows or encouraging new ways of working.

REA Group’s headquarters in Melbourne, for example, have ‘wormholes’ – embedded screen portals within walls to allow 24/7 communication with global teammates, allowing them to partake in events like meetings, demonstrations and celebrations as if they were in the same room.

If claiming a bigger market share and outstripping your competitors is one of your organisation’s goals this year, take a look around the office. Could your workplace design be working harder for you?

When the time rolls around for a brand spanking new office fitout, it can be easy to get distracted by what’s on the surface. What colour scheme will be the most appealing? What finishes will be the most chic? What furnishings best suit the available space?

In actual fact, while your office fitout can look fantastic, it can also deliver tangible benefits and measurable ROI – if it’s a strategically driven workplace design

Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved in a workplace design strategy, and why developing one is integral to your next office fitout.

What is a strategy for a workplace design?

Your business is driven by three things:

• Your culture
• Your employees
• Your goals

These three things characterise your business, making it as unique as a fingerprint. It makes perfect sense, therefore, that your workplace design should be driven by these factors too.

A workplace design strategy places these all-important aspects at the core of a design concept, so that all other decisions are motivated by these factors. It relies heavily on extensive evidence about these elements, so you get a design that fits your organisation like a glove, rather than one that employees are forced to “get used to” over time. It also takes into account where the company is headed, ensuring the design remains highly functional years after the installation.

Here are the ways in which these three drivers can influence the strategy of your workplace design.

Workplace culture

Workplace culture encapsulates many aspects of an organisation: its values and beliefs; its personality; its traditions; its behaviours and its attitudes. A strong and positive workplace culture is a key business driver because it helps attract and retain top talent, increase employee engagement and satisfaction, and improve performance. According to a survey by Deloitte, 94% of executives and 88% of employees believe a distinct workplace culture is important to business success.

In formulating a workplace design strategy, a workplace design partner will collect extensive evidence about an organisation’s workplace culture in order to determine how the best aspects can be enhanced through the design, and how the not-so-good aspects can be minimised.

If, for example, creativity is a key characteristic of your business, you could nurture this by installing brainstorming rooms or flexible collaborative spaces where employees can feel free to unleash their imaginations.

Employees’ needs, habits and preferences

Any CEO will tell you that employees are a business’s most important asset. Therefore, any workplace design that is going to deliver maximum ROI needs to be highly people-centric (indeed, this is reflected in many of the office design trends we see sweeping Australia).

The beauty of a workplace design strategy is that is doesn’t make assumptions about what might work for employees; rather, it goes straight to the source in order to collect evidence to determine what will work for them. A survey might reveal, for example, that employees want more flexibility in the ways they work, and this could be factored into the design by providing a variety of workspaces.

Business goals

In the end, your organisation’s success boils down to one question: what is your business’s very purpose, and how do you plan to fulfil this purpose? Believe it or not, your workplace design can help you answer this question too.

Whether your goal is to foster better collaboration, increase innovation or improve employee health and wellness, these goals can be factored into the strategy of your workplace design, ensuring you maximise your ROI in every way possible.

What goes into the development of a workplace design strategy?

The development of a fully realised workplace design strategy entails several steps to ensure the final strategy successfully bridges both the ideological and practical aspects of the project. Here’s a glimpse into Axiom’s workplace design development process.

Strategy session

During the strategy session, we work closely with senior leaders to gather information about the business, establish a vision for the project, and set key business objectives that will then guide the strategy development. Setting a strong foundation at this point allows us to develop a unique solution that’s customised to your business, rather than just simply following current trends.

Workplace audit

Here’s where we take our information gathering to the next level, conducting a careful workplace audit that factors in employee accommodation, storage needs, current workflows and key areas for improvement. We then use this information and our expertise to help inform potential solutions.

Future workplace analysis

This stage is all about the employees. We get to know them through surveys, reports and one-on-one interviews in order to develop a deep understanding of their needs, habits and preferences. We then analyse this data, along with the data collected in earlier steps, to inform how to optimise the solution.

Location feasibility study

A deep understanding of your business is of course important – but practical considerations must also be factored in. During this stage, we provide a comprehensive assessment of the current building’s infrastructure, amenities and services, as well as the infrastructure, amenities and services of the proposed sites. We also audit your current technology infrastructure and devices in order to assess suitable compatibility and connectivity in the new workspace.

Programming and projected budget

Once we’ve gathered and analysed all the necessary data, we can then develop an accurate master plan, with a detailed timeline and projected budget. This allows you to assess the financial impact of the project early on in the process.

Investing time and careful consideration into your workplace design strategy can ensure your next office fitout not only looks stunning but also enhances your business’s workplace culture, helps employees perform at their peak and helps your business reach its goals.

A workplace design partner can show you how to develop a workplace strategy that delivers maximum ROI. To help you find the perfect one for your business, check out our free ebook How to Choose the Right Workplace Design Partner. Download it now!

Did you know that a majority of the world’s population (58%) spend one-third of their adult life at work?

If you do the math, it makes sense that wellbeing in the workplace is so important. After all, if your workforce is spending so much time at the office, making sure everyone is well-looked after means better productivity, performance and happiness at work, which then translates to improved revenue and retention.

Strong leaders acknowledge today’s ever-evolving workplaces, and are always looking for ways to shake up the traditional office space, factoring their people into the commercial design.

That’s why last week, we hosted a lunch and learn on the ROI of workplace wellness and discussed how to produce the best results for businesses through workplace wellness with a panel of experts:

• Dr Debra Villar, Director at Complete Corporate Wellness, a company that provides health and wellness programs for the corporate sector.
• Jack Noonan, Vice President Australia & New Zealand at International WELL Building Institute, which is leading the movement to promote health and wellness in buildings and communities everywhere through their cutting-edge WELL Building Standard™.
• Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Workplace Strategist at Axiom Workplaces, who leads the strategic thinking process that creates intelligent workplace design outcomes for our clients.

So, how do you produce maximum productivity and performance in your people? Here are some of the insights our panel of experts shared:

What are three things organisations can change to encourage workplace wellbeing?

Workplace wellbeing goes hand in hand with a solid culture in the business. It’s not as easy as just getting a massage therapist in for a few days, as Villar explains.

The key elements needed for a successful wellness program are:

• Leadership buy-in: It’s imperative that the leaders of a business are on board and driving wellness initiatives. HR leaders and managers then need to promote it around the business. It’s also a good idea to have a ‘wellness champion’ on-site to continually ensure that programs are carried out on the daily, and that employees have a point of contact if they are unsure of how to make the most of these initiatives.
• Holistic mindset: A wellness program shouldn’t just be aesthetic, it needs to cover all the bases – nutrition, a healthy mindset at work, and continual learning.
• Measurable data: No matter how your business defines ROI, you need to be able to measure data around participation rates, performance and productivity so that you can manage all pre- and post wellness initiatives and see real ROI. Villar recommends that organisations embarking on wellness improvements use just one provider to keep things constant. For example, if you’re getting a new office fitout to include a communal space for yoga classes, your chosen workplace design partner is best-placed to help you measure against the relevant metrics before and after the fitout.

What are some easy ways to improve the quality of your environment?

The first step to doing this is to ‘use data to understand where you’re at first,’ says Noonan; without knowing where you stand currently, you won’t know how much you need to improve. This includes tangible elements such as the building itself, and intangible elements like HR policies around issues like mental health.

Then, it’s about changing mindsets. How can we change the question around wellness to be less about ‘how can we do less harm’, to ‘how can we do more good?’.

Instead of focusing solely on minimising harm (with things like asbestos, poor lighting, and poor ventilation), Noonan says that businesses should also speak to occupants to learn what they actually want, and invest in people and HR policies. Combine these elements, and organisations can see a huge return on investment.

It’s not news that changing our environment can make an impact on staff wellbeing. But with a new project, businesses are usually thinking solely about the cost of the fitout – when in fact, 90% of the cost of your business goes to your people, according to Noonan. So investing in the fitout is part of investing in your people, and if you see improved staff performance, attraction and retention, then there’s your ROI.

Noonan also reports that some commercial fitouts pay for themselves through ROI in less than 3 months.

From a physical standpoint, what changes should business leaders implement in order to improve wellness in the workplace?

Over 50% of Australians have at least one prominent chronic condition, yet most organisations say that they have no budget for wellness initiatives. If you consider the cost of absenteeism (currently at $44 billion per year across Australian companies), it’s easy to see how a wellness program will pay for itself in the short- to mid-term.

Additionally, you don’t need a big budget to start implementing wellness-led activities in your business, even small things can make a big impact. For example, encouraging employees to take meetings outdoors, creating a walking club, providing healthy snacks in the kitchen and encouraging people to stand up and walk around every 15 minutes.

Noonan also encourages creating a supportive environment; allowing people to come and chat to you if they have an issue about their health. He also revealed that more than a third (39%) of potentially preventable hospitalisations are due to chronic diseases; however, only 1.5% of health spending goes to the prevention of chronic diseases. He opines that in relation to our buildings, there are so many ways to design our workspaces that can encourage physical activity and prevent chronic diseases. An example is to prominently feature staircases instead of elevators in a building design; if you make wellness easily accessible and inviting, people will want to take part.

How can organisations collect and use data to help them continually improve their wellness programs?

There are a few ways to measure your wellness programs:

• Participation rates: How many people take part in your wellness initiatives? If the number isn’t too high, it could indicate that the programs aren’t relevant or difficult to access.
• Health data and outcomes: If the wellness program is customised to the health needs of employees (through needs testing and health risk assessments), then metrics against employee health can be used, e.g. absenteeism due to falling ill with the common cold.
• Satisfaction measures: For example, how happy the team is with services, worker’s compensation, sick days, stress leave and other data from HR.

In talking about data, it’s important to note that with certain programs, you might see immediate change, but no sustainable difference in the company. For example, after a physical challenge intended to promote health, you may see staff losing weight – but what about their health in the long-run? Noonan says that it’s important to also consider wellness initiatives that take into account long-term health and wellbeing, and that’s also how you retain staff for longer.

Want to learn more about wellness in the workplace?

Download our eBook, The fundamentals of wellness and wellbeing in workplace design, which discusses the seven principles of designing for wellness and wellbeing at work, including agility in the work environment, the impact of technology and the demands of a multi-generational workforce.

And don’t forget to stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog, where we cover the experts’ discussion on industry trends relating to workplace wellness! Subscribe to our blog below to make sure you don’t miss out.

Once you’ve decided you’re due for an office revamp, it’s time to engage the services of a professional to ensure the entire process goes as smoothly as possible.

While it is perfectly sensible to search for ‘interior design firms’ or ‘commercial fitout companies’ or ‘office refurbishment businesses’ in your area, you may in fact be wasting an opportunity to reap maximum benefit – and ROI – from your workplace redesign.

Consider, instead, enlisting the services of a workplace design partner.

What is a workplace design partner?

Most office refurbishment companies tend to approach a workplace design project from a purely aesthetic point of view, quickly producing design concepts without taking the time to truly understand your business, its culture, and your future goals. This means that, while these concepts are impressive and visually appealing, they won’t necessarily deliver much in terms of tangible benefits or ROI.

A workplace design partner, on the other hand, won’t even put pencil to paper without gathering extensive insights about your business, learning about your strengths and weaknesses, and factoring ways in which to accentuate the former and minimise the latter into their design.

For example, is your culture one that thrives on collaboration, or solitary contemplation, or perhaps both? Is your company using certain technologies, or moving to new ones? How can the redesign further facilitate communication, or promote health and wellness, or cater to a multigenerational workforce?

Advantages of a workplace design partner

Here are just some of the benefits of working with a workplace design partner:

They’ll develop a workplace design strategy

The best workplace design partners will take an evidence-based approach to the design, creating a strategy that is carefully tailored to your employees’ preferred ways of working, your company’s culture and aspirations. (Not to toot our own horn, but this is a particular strength of Axiom’s.)

They’ll point out things you may not even have considered

The best workplace design partners are extremely detail-oriented, and will not only consider how a design looks, but also how practical and functional that design is. They may even assist you in cutting costs by helping you to determine things like how much office space you really need with greater accuracy.

They’ll think outside the box

Your business is unique – your office should be too. A great workplace design partner will be up to date with the latest trends, changing regulations, and new materials and technology, and they’ll be able to apply this knowledge to ensure each design is fresh, modern and will last long into the future.

What to look for in a workplace design partner

In order to help you find the right workplace design partner for your next fitout, here are some questions you should ask during the vetting process.

1 . What is their process like?

You want to ensure your workplace design partner is really going to take the time to get to know your business inside and out, so you get an outcome that everyone loves, but that also helps them perform at their peak. It’s important, therefore, to look carefully at the process your shortlisted design firm takes, and ensure information gathering and analysis is a key part of that process.

2 . Do they have a wide range of experience?

A workplace design partner that’s produced great results for clients in diverse industries shows that they can create a design that’s highly customised to your business. Be sure to look at case studies to get an idea of their previous projects.

3 . Do they deliver on time and under budget?

A workplace design project that is delayed or over budget can have negative repercussions on the business, so you want to be sure your workplace design partner has a proven track record of delivering projects on time and under budget. It can also be useful to talk to previous clients to find out more about what it will be like to work with them.

At Axiom, we have extensive experience using an evidence-based approach to design office interiors for a range of clients. Could we be the right workplace design partner for you? Contact us today for a free consultation.

With the so-called Silent Generation and Baby Boomers delaying retirement, Gen Z workers just starting to enter the workforce, and Gen X-ers and Millennials also in the mix, today’s workplaces are more diverse than ever before. But a diverse workforce also means that there are often conflicting preferences.

Millennials, for example, prefer to blur the lines behind home and work, favouring residential looks for their office spaces that evoke the comforts of their living spaces. Baby Boomers, however, have reported feeling uncomfortable about this trend, preferring more delineated lines between home and work.

This difference in preferences of course has important implications for your next office fitout. After all, the last thing you want is to have invested all that time, money and energy into an office relocation, only to find productivity and employee satisfaction plummeting as a result.

But how exactly do you keep everyone happy and achieve maximum ROI from the new office fitout?

Here are our top 5 tips for designing for a multigenerational workforce.

Focus on functionality

Forget the ping-pong table and beanbag chairs for a second, and ask yourself, ‘What is it that employees actually need to be able to do over the course of the working day?’

Is it a creative agency that needs a space dedicated to brainstorming? Is it a finance organisation where people need quiet, private booths for deep concentration?

The tasks your employees need to perform, as well as your company culture, will have a marked effect on the types of zones and features your new office needs.

A large formal conference room with water views, for example, may look terribly impressive – but if most of your employees prefer to collaborate informally and in small groups, this space is going to be underutilised. And an underutilised space is simply a waste of money.

That’s why, at Axiom, we are big proponents of evidence-based design, which configures the design around actual evidence regarding the culture of the organisation and the ways in which your employees prefer to work (as opposed to assumption-based design, where you impose a design that you think will work, and expect your employees to adapt to it).

Find common ground

It can be easy to get hung up on the seemingly irreconcilable differences between generations – for example, younger generations might want more spaces to socialise, while older workers might want private offices that reflect organisational hierarchy.

But there are also many similarities, and these similarities can be the key to designing a workplace that makes everyone comfortable and productive.

Both Baby Boomers and Millennials, for example, want to feel they are doing meaningful work, so finding ways to reflect the company’s mission and its positive initiatives through a workplace redesign can help boost employee satisfaction.

This is precisely what we did when we overhauled our own head office. Our new design showcases our vision and innovation, with our mission statement, ‘Creating thriving workplaces’, visibly emblazoned on the wall as you enter the space.

Most generations also value mentorship and personal connections with their employees, which could be fostered by including more informal socialising spaces or introducing collaborative technologies, to help bring disparate generations together and encourage knowledge sharing and mentorship.

Provide flexibility

You can bridge the gap between generations even further by being clever with how you utilise spaces and what types of furnishings you use in order to make the space as flexible as possible. Indeed, flexibility is a key consideration when it comes to attracting A-grade talent.

Having a variety of spaces, for example, such as quiet spaces; small, informal meeting rooms; collaborative areas; and large gathering areas for town-hall meetings, will ensure that workers of all generations can find the conditions they need to operate at their peak.

You could also use flexible desks that can be configured to standing desks, or movable desks that can be easily wheeled into a variety of configurations to easily transform spaces as needed.

It doesn’t have to be fancy – at Blue Chilli, for example, we used simple stools and stackable crates that could be easily moved around, allowing people to gather informally, socialise or take a coffee break wherever and whenever they saw fit.

Prioritise employee buy-in

A successful multigenerational workplace depends largely on employee buy-in, which is why it’s important to communicate regularly with employees not just before an office fitout, but also after, to help make the integration into a new space as smooth as possible.

Having clarity around how new spaces should be used, for example, can help ensure that employees understand their purpose and use them appropriately, and that there is no anxiety or conflict arising from misunderstandings or different expectations.

Training is also important – after all, there’s no point investing money in the latest cutting-edge technologies if employees don’t know how to use it.

All these measures can help staff adapt quickly to their new environment, to ensure you start reaping the goals of the fitout as soon as possible.

Get an outside perspective!

When contemplating an office fitout, it can be difficult to wade through all the data, as well as people’s many opinions, all on your own. It can be helpful, therefore, to have an outside perspective from an expert to provide a neutral, evidence-based view.

At Axiom, we have extensive experience designing for multigenerational workforces, so if you want an office fitout that has everyone – no matter what age they are – looking forward to going to work, we can help! Contact us today for a free consultation.

You have a niggling feeling. It’s been bothering you for some time. Your work colleagues are getting snippier every day. There’s a bruise on your leg from when you accidentally bumped into that desk (had it always been there?). You’ve just had to push back yet another meeting because the meeting room was booked until next Tuesday.

Is it time for a new office space?

An office redesign or relocation takes time, resources and planning, so you want to make sure you’re making the right decision if you’re considering a refurbishment or move. So here are 5 tell-tale signs your business may be ready for a new space.

1. You’re crammed in like sardines

You probably thought it was no big deal when management decided to move the rows of desks just a few inches so they could fit another row in – but now you can’t even move your chair back without bumping into the person behind you.

This might seem like just a minor annoyance – but lots of minor annoyances across lots of employees can quickly add up to major problems for your business.

Here are a few ways you can tell if the office space is overcrowded:

• OH&S incidents are on the rise: When space is overcrowded, people bump into desks, equipment and even each other more often. This could potentially lead to a rise in the amount of sick leave taken.
• There are more employee complaints and workplace conflict: Like bickering siblings who have been sitting in the backseat for too long, forcing employees into each other’s personal space can quickly make tensions rise and tempers flare. This can even lead to more absenteeism and a fall in productivity.
• Full and booked-up meeting rooms: Are meetings often delayed because employees have to find extra chairs to squeeze around the conference table? Are the meeting rooms constantly booked up, forcing employees to delay meetings in order to find an available slot? Do a sizable portion of your employees have to stand when you have company-wide conferences? These indications certainly point to overcrowding – and all that precious time lost finding seats and rebooking meetings is time that could have been spent putting value back into your business.

2. Your employees have nowhere to relax

When businesses try to squeeze employees into every nook and cranny, often one of the first spaces that gets encroached upon is breakout areas. Not only does this mean there are often lines to use the microwave and coffee machine, it also means that more employees resort to eating lunch at their desks, which is not so great for workplace morale.

Studies have shown that when people eat together, work performance actually improves, and people are also more altruistic and helpful to boot.

But you simply can’t reap any of these benefits if people don’t have anywhere to hang out together.

3. Your company culture needs a revamp

Sometimes the problem is not the lack of office space – it’s a lagging company culture.

You may, for example, have accommodated for new employees by leasing out another floor in your building. Your employees now have all the space they need – but collaboration has taken a steep nose-dive, because employees no longer interact organically like they once did.

Or you may have just undergone a period of massive turnover, which has perhaps brought in some new values and ways of working, or even introduced some bad habits.

Or the company has naturally grown and branched into new markets or new products, but in the midst of all that, your company culture has fallen by the wayside.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to be proactive. A strong company culture is the bedrock of a healthy company – it unifies employees behind a cohesive identity, and helps to validate those values that characterise your business. It also helps attract and retain top talent, while contributing to a clearer brand identity in the mind of your clients.

The physical environment can have a marked effect on company culture. If, for example, creativity was an important value in your company, you could encourage this by introducing brainstorming rooms with more of a casual set-up, and whiteboards on the walls so people can take down their ideas.

A office redesign, therefore, might be the perfect opportunity to revive and enhance the positive aspects of your company culture – and perhaps even mitigate some of those not-so-positive ones.

4. The paperwork mountains are starting to take over

Growing piles of paperwork on people’s desks are another sign your office space might be in dire need of an upgrade.

It might seem innocuous, but if people don’t have anywhere to store documents, then messy desks won’t be the only issue – documents will get misplaced, more errors will be made, and employees will waste more time searching for the information they need. And your clients will likely be the ones who suffer.

Sure, you could get some more filing cabinets – but these will take up even more valuable real estate, making the office feel more crowded than ever.

When considering an office redesign, therefore, it’s worth putting some careful thought into not just how much space your employees need, but also how much space your documentation requires, particularly if you work in a paper-intensive industry that requires extensive record-keeping.

5. The location is not so hot

It might not be the office space that is the problem, but rather where it is. Maybe you moved the office there several years ago, having been told it was an area on the way up, but things didn’t quite pan out that way.

Or maybe you opted for a location a bit further from the action, because, at the time, you couldn’t afford the exorbitant city rents, and now you can.

Or maybe the location was at the epicentre of the industry once upon a time, but, over the years, businesses – and your clients – started moving elsewhere.

Being in a good location can have lots of benefits to your business – it can put you in closer proximity to your clients, it can help attract and retain top talent, and it may even save you a lot money if, for example, you manage to get into an up-and-coming neighbourhood before the rent hikes start.

Yes, an office redesign or relocation is a lot of work – but staying in an office space you’ve well and truly outgrown will be far more frustrating and costly in the long run.

If you’re relating to one (or more) of the above signs and think an office redesign might be the answer, we’d be happy to talk about your options. After all, understanding what solutions make the most sense for your business is the first step to creating a refurbishment or relocation plan that stays on schedule.

Whether you’re moving to a new office space, or refurbishing an existing one, a workplace redesign requires getting buy-in from senior leaders in your business before you can start putting a plan in place.

Sure, you could tell them a workplace redesign delivers a whole host of benefits – improved employee wellbeing and performance, better ability to attract top talent and increased productivity, to name just a few – but this isn’t enough. You have to be able to prove the return on investment (ROI) that a workplace redesign will deliver.

The best way to do this is by building a solid business case, laying out the cold, hard facts, and demonstrating beyond a doubt that a workplace redesign is the best thing for the company.

Here’s how to go about building a business case for a workplace redesign.

Step 1: Crunch the numbers

One of the biggest things the C-suite really want to know is, how will this workplace redesign affect the bottom line?

A sensible place to start, therefore, is space and operations costs.

In a traditional office, only about 45–50% of the space is occupied at any one time – and you can expect this number to drop even further as people adopt more flexible ways of working, such as having four-day weeks or work-from-home days. With a workplace redesign, you can effectively reclaim all this lost space.

So do the math:

• What are you typically paying for each workstation/square metre?
• How many workstations/square metres could you potentially eliminate in the workplace redesign?
• What do you stand to save in operational costs, like energy, cleaning, facilities maintenance and security?

It also helps to be proactive about exiting your lease – while it can be tempting to simply hand over a cheque to avoid ‘back to base’ obligations, in reality, cash settlements are often inflated by landlords. Taking steps like getting a second opinion and negotiating can save a lot of money – meaning an even healthier ROI.

2. Focus on the value-add

Saving costs is of course important, but a successful workplace redesign will deliver tangible benefits long after the big move too. After all, your employees are the company’s biggest expense, so even incremental improvements on their comfort and productivity can have a marked effect on the redesign’s ROI.

Here are just some of the ways a workplace redesign can have a positive effect on revenue:

• Lower attrition: Replacing employees can be a substantial cost – according to the Society for Human Resource Management, it costs a company on average 6–9 months of an employee’s salary to replace him or her. Workplace redesigns can help lower attrition by creating a desirable environment to work in.
• Less absenteeism: According to the World Green Building Council, one company in the UK saved £28,000 in absenteeism costs by moving their office to a ‘green’ building.
• Better productivity: A study by KPMG showed that Dutch company Heerema Marine Contractors’ move to new sustainable headquarters was expected to reap productivity benefits worth €42 million over 20 years.
• Better ability to attract top talent: Consider how much time and money you spend trying to find the right hires for your business. A redesign can help make your workplace more desirable to potential employees.

3. Rely on evidence to get the best results

In order to reap all those benefits, and provide employees with a workplace redesign that will work best for them, it is important to use evidence-based design.

What is evidence-based design?

This means that, rather than creating a design based on assumptions, and forcing employees to adapt to their new surroundings, you instead configure the design based on the culture of your organisation and the ways in which your employees prefer to work.

For example, an open-plan layout might save space and increase collaboration – but it may not necessarily be the best arrangement for your sales team (or the department that sits adjacent to your sales team) if they spend all day on the phone.

Evidence-based design can help ensure you get maximum ROI from your workplace redesign, ensuring it is tailor-made to deliver happier employees and greater profits.

It is prudent to enlist the help of professionals for this step, who will approach your business from a multidimensional perspective and make sure to ask the right questions, before creating a design based on data and a thorough understanding of your organisation.

At Axiom, we like to think of ourselves, not as an “office fitout company”, but rather a “workplace change partner”.

Need a hand?

If you’re planning a workplace redesign and need some help backing up your business case with cold, hard data, Axiom can help. We’ll work with you to carefully audit and analyse your needs, so you get a design that’s a perfect fit for your business. Contact us today!

When it comes to open-plan offices, there are generally two schools of thoughts. As Ethan S. Bernstein, associate professor at Harvard Business School, puts it:

You hear so much said about how much people don’t like open offices, but there’s also so much said about the vibrancy of an environment when you open space and data up, about the collisions and interactions that will happen there. For me, the promise of open offices was at least as compelling as the traps. Would everyone bustle with productive collisions, or simply put their big headphones on and become numb to the space?

Together with co-author Stephen Turban, Bernstein sought to find the definitive answer.

Using sociometric badges to accurately measure interactions in the workplace, they conducted a study comparing the behaviour of workers before and after a shift to an open-plan office.

The results were startling.

They found that, after the move, face-to-face (F2F) interactions decreased by around 70%. Electronic interaction took up some of this slack, though, increasing by roughly 20–50%.

This seems to suggest that, rather than collaborating more with their fellow employees, people were actually withdrawing.

So does this study signal the death of open-plan offices?

The findings are compelling. But we don’t believe it tells the whole story. If you’re considering whether the move to an open-plan office is right for your commercial fitout, here are some other things you should consider.

The missing pieces of the puzzle

A scientific study has to be rigid, to ensure you’re actually testing the variables you want to test. But a real-life environment comes with a myriad of other factors that will affect whether a move to an open-plan office is successful or not.

Becoming ‘open-plan’ is about more than just tearing down walls. After all, if you’re simply taking things away, then it should come as no surprise that your employees aren’t exactly going to be thrilled.

For example,

• Are you adding a variety of functional spaces – like quiet booths, social areas and collaboration zones – to give employees plenty of options depending on their needs?
• Are you repurposing that extra space in a way that benefits employees, whether that’s by installing a coffee area or gym?
• Are you considering how factors like noise, daylight and views will affect employees?

Had these sorts of factors been considered in the study, it’s likely the results would have been different.

Even Bernstein himself admits:

There might be other things a manager could do to mitigate the potential negative impact on interactions: hybrid or flexible spaces; train people differently; allow work-from-home time; set a tone and work culture that tries to deprogram us from our natural instincts to respond the way these organisations did. There are those who love open offices, in part because organisations mitigated the downside with other deliberate managerial actions.

Face-to-face (F2F) vs. electronic communication

According to the study, F2F communication dropped dramatically after moving to an open-plan office. But is that necessarily a bad thing?

Electronic communication is the normal form of communication for digital natives, more of whom are entering the workforce each year. Indeed, many are more comfortable with this form of communication than with F2F interactions.

There’s also no evidence that one form of communication is better than the other, and with the wealth of digital collaboration tools available to us today, it seems crazy to give our employees great tools and not expect them to use them.

These days, effective collaboration is highly dependent on these tools – as well as on having great spaces to spontaneously huddle without having to book a meeting room a week in advance.

It’s about change management

Successful open-plan offices come down to change management. After all, you can’t just take people’s offices away and expect them to be happy about it. If, however, employees feel they have been able to contribute to discussion and voice their needs, they’ll be much more receptive to the arrangement.

You may even find, after gathering feedback, that an entirely open-plan office isn’t in fact the best thing for your particular company. While private offices are certainly less space-efficient, they’re worth at least putting on the table as an option.

Once the decision has been made, employees then need to be primed for the transition.

As Axiom Workplaces’ Annelie says, “The behavioural aspect is really important…getting staff ready, getting them excited, and making them aware that the whole space now belongs to them. Shifting their thinking to taking greater ownership of the space is really important and actually builds a stronger culture.”

Consider how you can make the path to change as smooth and stress-free as possible for your employees.

What is right for your organisation?

In the end, it’s not really about whether open-plan offices are “good” or “bad”. It’s about what type of commercial fitout is best going to serve your organisation.

If you’re not sure whether an open-plan office is right for you, we’re always here to help – just get in touch.

So, for whatever reason, you’ve decided to refurbish your office for the new year. Whether that’s because you’re moving into new premises, or simply upgrading your existing office, it’s all very exciting!

Once the excitement wears off however, it’s time to double-down and get stuff done – after all, you only have a few months to get organised. While that might seem like an arduous task, it’s also one that’s doable (in fact, we deal with this situation regularly with our clients).

It’s also worth it. A new office fit out in the new year is an opportunity to enhance your company culture through a workplace design that improves team collaboration and staff wellbeing. For your bottom line, that means improved employee engagement and productivity.

So here are our top five tips on making sure your office move or refurbishment is done on time, on budget, and on brand – and with minimal disruptions to your business.

1. Determine your objectives

Your new space needs to be guided by your overall business objectives around your workforce, so ask yourself why you’re refurbishing your office or considering relocating in the first place.

Is your end goal to attract and retain talent, or enhance collaboration? Or are you changing the way of working to reduce real estate costs?

Did you notice that an existing space is being under-utilised? Are you expanding, downsizing or just hoping to move to a new location? Is it because you have an upcoming lease expiry?

It’s important to understand your business goals because they will impact your office fitout requirements, which will then need to be balanced with your company’s vision, culture and values.

2. Set a budget

If you’re able to request a budget, consider how this office relocation or refurbishment will help you achieve your business objectives, and start from there.

Will clients be walking in and out of that space, making it highly visible? Do you work in professional services, where the morale and productivity of staff members are key to the company’s success?

It can be difficult to strike a balance between having a modern and functional workspace, without breaking the bank. However, a partner like Axiom Workplaces can help you establish a budget to assess the financial impact of the project early on, considering all aspects of the fitout.

3. Establish a timeline

While this is not always a fun activity, it is a crucial one. Without excellent project planning and organisational skills, you will find it difficult to keep the project on track and on budget.

A thorough timeline with key deadlines, milestones and meetings should be determined from the outset to maintain transparency as to the project delivery’s progress.

This can be the most difficult part of the process to manage without an experienced workplace design partner that knows the process inside out, so it’s worth consulting with one to ensure that things get done on time and on budget.

4. Get the team together

You’ll need to get your steering committee together to make sure that there’s enough collaboration on the vision of the new office throughout the entire process.

There are multiple elements to an office fitout – including strategy, design, technology and project management.

Getting all the relevant stakeholders together will not only result in faster approvals across each aspect of delivery, it will also ensure effective change management during the transition, because everyone is kept in the loop.

5. Embrace the opportunity

Instead of seeing this project as a daunting hassle, see it for what it is – an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of everyone who touches your business.

You’ll be able to implement the latest design trends – and not just for design’s sake, but to boost staff morale and wellbeing, and show your customers that you’re adaptable, forward-thinking and believe in your business.

Want some help?

If you’re planning an office fitout in the new year and are feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it, meet with us and get a comprehensive design assessment and execution plan, obligation-free. This is a limited offer so act now to secure your spot.

We’re confident that we can deliver an end-to-end solution, encompassing strategy, design and delivery, that will have you and your team reaping the benefits of their new space in a matter of months.

At Axiom, we’re excited to see office interior design trends sweeping offices across Australia. These trends show we are clearly well into the era of “people power” – businesses are putting their most valuable asset, their employees, at the heart of their designs, and they are reaping the benefits in terms of more innovation, better productivity, and improved talent attraction and retention.

If you’re looking to outfit your office in the near future, these 5 office design trends will ensure you get maximum bang for your buck.

Infuse Hospitality and a Homely feel into the Workplace

When it comes to attracting the best talent, how a workplace looks and feels can make a world of difference. Businesses are designing more comfortable flexible workspaces and infusing a hospitality experience into the workplace in order to make them more appealing places to be.

Canva’s headquarters in Surry Hills, for example, offer cafes, bars, outdoor spaces, events, volunteering and collaborative work, as well as child-friendly zones, a gym, bike parking, e-charging stations and areas for meditation.

Designing Flexible Workspaces for Enhanced Productivity

Today’s businesses have to be agile – and so do their offices. Companies are therefore providing a wide variety of functional spaces in order to help their employees perform at their peak – think cosy, quiet nooks for deep concentration; standing meeting rooms for quick-fire discussions; comfy lounge spaces for informal chats and open-plan areas for teamwork.

The new Slater & Gordon office at Collins Street Melbourne, for example, was designed with flexibility in mind, featuring dedicated zones for concentrated work, casual areas to engage informally, collaborative zones for teams and mixed areas for sharing information.

Encouraging Collaboration through Innovative Interior Design

Collaboration is a key component of innovative businesses. According to a joint study by The Institute for Corporate Productivity and Babson College. Companies that actively work to leverage team collaboration as an organisational skill are five times more likely to be high-performing organisations.

For this reason, more businesses are cleverly using workplace design to foster collaboration between their employees, using features like open-plan areas, large communal desks and flexible breakout spaces.

Some companies are taking an even more unconventional approach. Hipages have some rare open space in the middle of Sydney’s CBD, with a patio space which is completely screened for their teams’ privacy, and fitted out with plants, lounges and deck chairs.

Adopt Sustainable Practices into Office Interior Design

Companies are taking sustainability seriously, designing energy-efficient office spaces that reduce costs while increasing employee satisfaction.

 Seqwater, a major water supplier in Queensland, recently revamped their offices with a keen focus on sustainability. Key sustainable aspects of the project involved reusing and repurposing existing joinery, carpeting, and structural elements.

These initiatives greatly reduced landfill waste, reflecting Seqwater's dedication to sustainable practices.

 Prioritising Health and Wellness in Modern Office Design

Companies that prioritise health and wellness in the workplace not only benefit their employees but also see improvements in their financial performance.

Numerous organisations use the WELL Standard as a framework to design their workspaces and enhance well-being. The WELL Standard offers a comprehensive collection of over 500 evidence-based strategies encompassing design, policy, and operations that, when applied, can elevate the health and wellness of your team.

• Improve air quality
• Ensure safe drinking water
• Reduce burnout
• Enhance sleep and mental wellness
• Cultivate a healthy culture
• Choose healthier materials
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Encourage regular movement
• Cater to the diverse needs of hybrid, remote, and on-site workers

There are countless ways that environments can contribute to the well-being of their occupants, whether through better air quality, access to natural light, or spaces for relaxation and physical activities. At Chevron's Head Office in Perth, a wellness center offers massages and other spa treatments, alongside a tech and learning hub.

Ergonomic design is crucial, with height-adjustable desks gaining popularity. While the cost of replacing each workstation was once a hurdle for many office managers, there are now adaptable solutions that modify existing furniture for this flexibility. As standing desks become more popular, they also integrate seamlessly into the office aesthetic.

These 5 interior design trends suggest several ways to create a smart workplace design that promotes wellness and wellbeing at work and in turn fosters a positive workplace culture. A happy and healthy team equals a thriving organisation.

Learn more in our new guide: Workplace Design Trends 2024

The modern office has transformed. Employee wellbeing, collaboration spaces, open-plan layouts…these qualities were rare in workplaces a decade ago. Organisations now spend a significant amount of their resources bettering their workspace design to optimise the performance and wellbeing of their employees.

Workplaces are changing. Organisations are moving towards modern workspaces, where employees can collaborate and work together. Open designs are replacing traditional – isolating – cubicle-style offices. But many organisations are yet to perfect this design shift and should consider the benefits of investing in a space solely for collaboration and socialising.

Peace is hard to find in the office. Constant chatting, keyboards tapping, and music blasting can interrupt employees, impacting productivity and affecting their wellbeing at work. Noise is one of the top disrupters to employees and costs Australian businesses billions in absenteeism and staff turnover. Organisations need to ensure their people are well looked after, both mentally and physically, and this can be achieved by adding quiet zones.

A study by Steelcase found 95 percent of employees today need quiet and private areas, but only 40 percent say their workplaces provide them.

In a workplace, ‘ownership’ can mean different things: taking responsibility of your work, physically owning a space in decorating your workspace, and the power you have in making decisions. For us, ownership is about all of these things. It’s about feeling valued in the work environment and like an integral part of the team.

But why is feeling like you own your job important?

When we go to work, we don’t want to feel like we are imposters in an unfamiliar environment. Studies have shown that employees who feel estranged from the work environment can feel the need to “surface act”, leading to attention diverted from their tasks and responsibilities.

This affects the organisation negatively as it reduces employee engagement and productivity levels – therefore, the mental wellbeing of the employee is impacted because they feel a lack of connection to their workplace. However, there are some employee engagement strategies to rectify this. On a wider scale, combating this could be as simple as changing the floor plan of your office to encourage wellbeing at work. There are methods to create a more connected workplace by doing away with the traditional cubicle-style office and implementing a more modern open plan office.

On a smaller scale, employers should make conscious effort to allow their employees a sense of control. For instance, allowing freedom within an owned space to help boost employee engagement.

Each employee may have a designated station where they carry out the brunt of their work. Allowing employees to decorate and use this space as they want – displaying family pictures, colour-coordinated office supplies and even incorporating plant life – gives them a separate and comfortable space they can feel at ease in and productively carry out their work.

Read more: Marking your territory: why personalisation is important

Alternatively, for offices that employ hot-desking, employees should be encouraged to use their chosen space how they want and when they want. A part of this new concept is Activity Based Working, which allows employees to work on what they want, where they want, when they want.

If employees feel completely responsible for the work they are undertaking, they are more likely to perform excellent-quality work because they have taken more time to research and perfect it, employee satisfaction levels will be higher, and they will demonstrate more initiative concerning tasks.

A study by IFMW Sweden and Leesman surveyed 70,000 employees in 575 workplaces and saw a marked difference in employee engagement when working in an ABW-style office environment compared to those within a traditional one. There was a 22% increase in satisfaction in creative thinking for individuals in a more open work environment, as well as a 27% difference in satisfaction for individual work focused away from the desk.

While ABW might not be the perfect work solution, it certainly allows employees a level of ownership they might not feel within a traditional office layout.

Where these traditional office layouts – cubicles, less natural interaction with colleagues – make communication difficult, modernised offices enhance communication channels and allow for input from team members.

If employees have a say in strategy, projects and other processes that impact on their work, even giving feedback to their managers and bosses, they are more likely to want to own bigger roles and responsibilities in future. Additionally, staff retention is likely to increase as employees feel more valued. A survey by the O.C. Tanner Institute showed that employees who feel undervalued and disempowered by their employers are less likely to be productive and satisfied at work.

With staff turnover rates at an approximate 18%, costing about $1 million per year for companies with 100 employees, the financial situation for organisations is serious for those ignoring employee wellbeing.

If employees feel as if they are unable to communicate with their colleagues and managers freely, this affects the overall satisfaction of the employee because they feel they do not own their job role or projects, despite the effort they spend on them.

Employees should be feeling as if they own their jobs, their space and themselves in the work environment and employers should look at physical design to help implement these behavioural changes.

Axiom designs office workspaces to increase a sense of employee engagement, ownership and productivity. Find out how by contacting us today.

Spec fitouts are a shrewd means for breathing new life into dead properties. While a property manager may be able to see ‘beyond the cobwebs’ to the hidden value of a less than perfect space, potential tenants might sometimes need a little more help. That’s where a spec fitout can be extremely useful.

With a spec fitout, you get to provide a little bit of gloss and functionality without going overboard. Think of it as the first stage in a refit before the individuality and cultural specifics of a tenant company are put into place. Spec fitouts are particularly practical for B-grade properties or older hi-rise buildings. Axiom’s own HQ is a perfect example of what can be achieved in a structure that was considered less than ideal but now serves as a showpiece for state-of-the-art workspace design.

If you’ve got a commercial space you’re having trouble leasing, you may be tempted to quickly commit to a company to complete a spec fitout; after all, time is money, especially when it comes to the rental market. But, there are some very important things you need to consider before taking that leap. By doing so, you ensure your spec fitout doesn’t turn into a ‘spec blowout’.

1. Can they deliver within an extremely tight timeframe and budget? 

Every moment your property sits on the market without a tenant, you lose money – we don’t need to tell you that. Consequently, you should ask your spec fitout company how quickly they can deliver on fitout promises and whether they can work within the budget you’ve allocated. If you can’t find alignment with costs and turnaround time, then you need to either find another fitout transformation partner or reconsider your budget and timelines, as they may not be achievable.

2. Do they understand the needs of tenants across various industries?

No company meets a one-size-fits-all template but that’s exactly what you’re trying to do with a spec fitout. At the very least, you’ll want to create an attractive workspace that has the potential for any company to mold into their own vision – and that includes companies across many different industries. By partnering with a fitout company with a broad range of experience across a variety of sectors and industries, you help ensure your spec fitout has across-the-board appeal to catch more potential tenants in your net.

3. Can they creatively overcome challenges with minimal fuss (and dollars)?

Whatever can go wrong will go wrong – that seems to be Murphy’s Law when it comes to any kind of property renovation. So why should spec fitouts be any different? They’re not. The value you get from a spec fitout company is the know-how they possess to overcome stumbling blocks with creativity and smarts. Do they have the runs on the board of overcoming challenges without spending an arm and a leg?

4. Do they have the insight to identify and accentuate the positives of a property?

There are a number of desirables when it comes to commercial property – natural light being a high priority. Your spec transformation company should be able to cast an eye over a space and spot the attributes that can be emphasised or introduced. For example, a skylight in a particularly dark corner may be less expensive than you think, or the removal of just one wall could make the space so much more functional. A good fitout company will be able to see all the best moves to make.

5. Are they up-to-date with workplace trends and desirable design elements?

Property advisers have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to property trends but the nitty-gritty of workspaces – little details such as the space around workstations and the placement of the watercooler – are the domain of workspace design specialists and, consequently, should be entrusted to those in the know. Your spec fitout company should understand the psychology behind workplace design and the direction in which workspaces are heading, so your property will stand out from the rest.

The company you engage to perform your spec fitout may be able to talk the talk – but can they also walk the talk? Don’t be scared to do some digging. Ask the questions we’ve mentioned above, and also request that you see evidence. Any fitout transformation partner worth their salt will fully appreciate the due diligence you undertake in turning your property from a diamond in the rough.

Want to see what Axiom can do with spec fitout? Take a look at our Design File: hipages   

It might be an unfamiliar scientific word, but if you’ve recently moved into a new office or joined an organisation that boasts a contemporary fitout, biophilia should have made a meaningful contribution to the ideas, philosophies and aesthetics underpinning the final design.

Biophilia is best explained, literally, as meaning a love of nature or a love of life or living systems. In the early 1980s, American biologist Edward Osborne Wilson created a philosophy and resulting book called The Biophilia Hypothesis, an ingrained affinity between humans and our natural world. Many of the world’s leading universities have also conducted numerous studies into biophilia but, as studies have moved into the biological including psychology, we’ve learnt more about how it can impact workplace productivity and satisfaction.

In a report by Interface Design, Human Spaces Report: Biophilic Design in the Workplace, psychologist Sir Cary Cooper explains the relationship between workplace design and biophilia as “an innovative way to harness this affinity in order to create natural environments for us to live, work and learn [in]. By consciously including nature in interior or architectural design, we are unconsciously reconnecting; bringing the great outdoors in to our constructed world.”

In layperson’s terms, workplaces incorporating natural plant life are likely to be happier, more productive workplaces.

Offices that successfully incorporate the principles of biophilia into their workspace design are likely to create more productive and satisfying places for their employees compared to offices without natural plant-life. The beauty of this type of design is you don’t need to completely overhaul your present space to bring the natural world into yours.

How do you give your workplace a natural face-lift? We’ve provided you with some simple ways to introduce – or increase – the foliage in your office without smashing your budget to smithereens or taking you beyond a messy point-of-no-return.

Incorporate a living wall or vertical garden

As housing affordability issues increase, more people are turning to apartment living, especially in inner city areas. Along with this, the opportunities to cultivate traditional gardens diminish, yet the desire to create personal green spaces remains strong. One of the more innovative solutions for incorporating natural plant-life into our increasingly cramped private and workspaces is the vertical garden – or living walls, as some might call them.

The beauty of a vertical garden is it can be as big or as small as you desire. Possibly start with a relatively compact space and give yourself the scope to expand the size of this garden as it flourishes, and the productivity and employee satisfaction benefits start to materialise.

The maintenance of a living wall can also give your people the opportunity to take more ownership around the office, offering their input into the design of other creative vertical garden ideas around the workspace.

“We should pay homage to our tradies.” 
Jodette Cleary, Chief People Officer, hipages

As Australia’s number one site for hiring tradies, hipages wanted to redesign their Sydney-based headquarters to make it feel like a second home to their staff. A typical corporate space, the office needed a homely readjustment to bring the aspects of home and work together and optimise employees to their fullest.

Before Axiom…

The original hipages office space was a traditional corporate space that lacked natural light and distinctly felt like a place away from home. With the goal of creating a sense of home, the hipages headquarters provided the perfect canvas for the Axiom Workplaces team to employ creativity and think beyond the usual design for corporate spaces.

Axiom’s Managing Director, Shane Hales, describes the undertaking as “applying creative thinking to not only align with our client’s commercial objectives but to create that unique environment of an unconventional workplace design.”

First impressions are important and, in keeping with this philosophy, Axiom wanted to create a memorable experience for hipages staff, clients and visitors when entering the main floor.

Axiom’s Senior Workplace Strategist explains the team’s approach: “We had to ‘de-corporatise’ the space to get that homely feel. The most important thing was in the selection of the details – things that you would see at home. All the little details came together to make up the full picture.”

“You don’t often see this attention to detail in corporate projects, and it’s usually a removed decision-making process. But not with this project.”

The structure of the building had potential, already standing head and shoulders above most corporate spaces in Sydney. It housed a balcony, with ability for a second one. But the existing balcony was a sorry sight, in desperate need of a makeover. This was a challenge relished by Axiom’s design team.

After Axiom…

The team drew design inspiration from the exterior of a typical house – with brick cladding – but combined it with state-of-the-art technology. The lobby was stripped-back to project the hipages logo onto the floor, to signal innovation but also authenticity. The colours echo those in the hipages corporate palette. The entrance is a typical domestic front door, beginning the immersive experience and reinforcing the feeling of having arrived at home.

“Even the door framing was chosen for domesticity, rather than the typical aluminium framing, And the choice of carpet was soft and luxurious, the kind of carpet that makes you want to throw off your shoes and sink your toes into it.”

The real heart of the project and hipages home was the kitchen and adjacent ‘family’ rumpus room, together making it the team’s ‘town hall’. The area has multiple access points to avoid congestion, and an extended island bench ensures there is sufficient space for catering during hipages’ famous team functions.

Both of these casual time-out spaces are positioned away from general work areas to provide staff with the permission to truly relax, while not being concerned their actions and conversations may be distracting co-workers.

Axiom was inspired to create a piece of wall art with the hipages team as artists, something that is visually interesting but does not dominate the space. This artwork is also a sneaky method for concealing a base building services door, while having some abstract fun.

On hiding other unsightly and high-rise sights, “We hung curtains over the building services cupboard so instead of being greeted at reception with the firedoor and hydraulics, it’s all covered up with a floral curtain. That also helped to soften everything.”

To bring in natural light, Axiom took advantage of the balcony, terrace and deck area to provide a softer visual impact. It was decided to cover the side walls in murals that reflected the workstation screen colours, effectively melding the outside and inside to make it feel like one seamless space, and to extend the office outwards and provide an opportunity for staff to work in the fresh air – weather permitting.

Centralised recycling stations were installed alongside the hydration stations and printing facilities. Existing furniture and partitioning was all re-used where it was feasible to meet the requirements. Bringing fresh, green plants into the space is yet another homely touch that invigorates and provides health benefits for everyone.

When asked for the most satisfying element of the hipages project, the Axiom team says, “Reflecting the client’s personality. You walk in and it really feels like hipages home.”

At a glance…

• • Designed to visually reflect brand
  • Homely integration to a corporate space
  • Green elements to emphasise natural element
  • Sustainable practice

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” 

– Winston Churchill

There are many things we may assume when it comes to workplace or office design. For instance, we might believe an open plan layout suggests a modern mindset, or incorporating a ping-pong table into the office demonstrates we are edgy and dynamic to young people, or that piping chill-out music through the workplace will help your team relax.

But what if the nature of your business requires heavy concentration with minimal distraction? And what if nobody is going to use the ping-pong table, whether they are young or not? And what if some of your people find chill-out music incredibly irritating? This is where your workplace design and company culture are more important than you think.

Instead of assuming what is best for your workplace and following a template of ‘cool things’ as dictated by other businesses around the world, your office or workplace design should be grounded in evidence that is specific to you and – even more specifically – specific to the nature of your particular site, if your organisation is spread across multiple locations.

This is the difference between evidence-based design and assumption-based design and it can be the difference between having a new design that works for you or is merely a waste of time and dollars.

What is evidence-based design?

Evidence-based design is the process of configuring your office around the culture of your organisation and the way you work, rather than forcing your team to work around an imposed design scheme.

When evidence-based workplace design is correctly actioned, your office redesign or relocation project has the ability to enhance productivity and help your people achieve more. According to Envoplan in the UK, implementing evidence-based office design can even result in real-estate savings, often saving space by up to 30 percent.

The process of collecting then evaluating the evidence to inform your design is a process that needs to be enacted by professionals. By choosing a professional workplace partner, you ensure the appropriate evidence is collected and then applied in the best manner. However, you can start by asking yourself some of the questions a workplace design partner will be asking to move you into the next phase in your company’s evolution.

What is your workplace culture?

Now really think about this question. In fact, you might need to ask yourself a series of mini-questions in order to paint a proper portrait of your company’s culture. For example:

What does your brand represent and how are these qualities reflected in your workplace culture? Show practical examples of how these qualities are reflected in your business, rather vague platitudes; such as how you’re an eco-friendly business and, therefore, you only use sustainable materials in the office, etc.

Is there an overall personality to your workforce? Do you employ a certain type of person – introverts or extroverts or a mix of both? Is your office a multi-generational one? All of these questions help build a profile of your people and how their different personalities can be incorporated into the design.

What are the habits of your workforce?

In this new technological climate of flexible workspaces, the office is no longer the place where everyone works. In fact, it’s highly likely your official company office is only inhabited 50 percent of the time. In this regard, the habits of your workforce will have a great impact on your workplace fitout or design.

As Annelie Xenofontos, Senior Workplace Strategist at Axiom, states, “There’s no use putting Google-style beanbags in the office if your team wear pencil skirts.”

So, once again, ask yourself some further questions:

Do you have a workforce that is united in the way it works and the tasks that need to be fulfilled, or is everyone functioning in a unique fashion? You might have salespeople on phone calls and conducting meetings everyday while there are other members of your team trying to write legal briefs and tenders. This is a case where an open plan office layout could be detrimental to the productivity of your workspace, especially for those who need quiet zones.

Does your workforce move around the workplace across the course of the day? If not, could they benefit from such mobility? Could they – and do they want to – work from home? Maybe you’ve had team members complain about where they are expected to work or other elements of the office?

Where do your company’s aspirations lie?

No business is a static entity, or one that should remain fossilised the same way forever. All companies are organic and can move in whatever direction they wish – with a little bit of careful planning, of course. Therefore, you need to think about your company’s aspirations before introducing a new office design:

What changes would you like to make to the way your business operates on a daily basis? What currently irks you and your team members about your workplace? And – it’s an oldie but a goodie – where would you like to see your organisation in five years’ time? What would your future and the future of your workplace culture look like?

These are just some points of view to get your head around for an evidence-based approach to office design. Once it’s put into action, rest assured, you’ll never rely on assumptions again.

Ask Axiom today about our latest advances in evidence-based workplace design.

Workplace wellbeing used to stop at the water’s edge of smoke-free spaces, artificial plants and brightness diffusers that sat over your computer monitor. But, in today’s workplace, such things are just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll also find that technology is playing an increasing role in the kind of workplace design that facilitates staff wellness.

The CEO of Limeade, Henry Albrecht, is adamant that, in time, the amount invested in wellness and its outcomes will be measureable. What he means is companies will be able to see the impacts of workplace wellness on their bottom-line.

With greater measurability on the cost of investing in a healthy and happy workforce on the horizon, here are some ways that you and your organisation can you get ahead of the workplace wellness curve, with technology that both complements and seamlessly integrates into modern workplace design (when implemented correctly, of course).

Wellness portals

If the term is not something you’ve heard before, wellness portals are basically online hubs that serve as a one-stop destination for you and your staff to access health and wellness information (e.g. make a health insurance claim, book into a Yoga class or access other healthy lifestyle features). When integrated with the data collated from wearables (i.e. technology that can be worn close to the body to collect bio feedback), wellness portals can assist HR departments by tracking employee wellbeing on a global scale.

‘Connected’ workplaces are already a key feature of today’s office design and fitout concepts but, as the adoption of wellness portals and wearables ramps up, it is important your office workspace design incorporates the flexibility to adapt to changing technology. Make sure you keep front-of-mind the necessity to have IT infrastructure that can provide your employees with reliable and effective access to tools that will improve workplace wellbeing.

Breakout spaces

Breakout spaces are not a new concept in workplace design. What is new with these spaces, however, is their effectiveness in promoting workplace wellness. Where a breakout space may have merely once had a coffee machine and some unused office chairs near a window, the modern breakout space takes into account a wealth of aesthetic factors – like custom-made furnishings – alongside functionality considerations such as accessibility and effective use of light and sound.

While breakout spaces have traditionally been ‘tech-free’ zones, workplaces are now seeing technology as a positive contributor to relaxation and wellbeing – whether that means following a guided meditation from an app, playing a networked game or chilling out to some music. However, making sure your connectivity is seamless is the key to ensuring your workplace technology functions in this manner – there’s no better way to raise blood pressure than to have Wi-Fi signals dropping in and out!

When it comes to planning an office makeover, it is vital you have a crystal-clear understanding of the purpose of your breakout space. Will it be a room for quiet discussion? Will it be a refuge for employees who may be experiencing a stressful day to escape and breathe out for a moment or two? Will it be somewhere that your people can carry out work away from their desks?

Knowing what parameters you want to set around your breakout space – and, possibly, creating multiple breakout spaces for different purposes – will ensure the resources you dedicate will efficiently boost workplace wellbeing.

Ergonomics

A really simple example of effective ergonomics is the rise of standing – or height-adjustable – desks.

The health and productivity benefits of height-adjustable desks are widely agreed upon. However, the cost of overhauling each workstation with new furniture can be daunting for many office managers. Thankfully, manufacturers are creating sit-stand desk solutions that alter existing furniture to allow for this versatility, as well as the provision of completely new workstations. As the popularity of standing desks has increased so have the aesthetic considerations, meaning height-adjustable desks look right at home and play an important role in workplace wellbeing.

Consider introducing sit-stand solutions with one-touch electronic functionality that can accommodate hot-desking and be easily modified to the height specifications of different employees.

Workplace wellbeing is more than a buzz term - it can give back to your business if you consider it wisely. Click To Tweet And technology should be your friend in workplace wellbeing, so embrace it.

Learn more about creating spaces that promote wellness and wellbeing at work in our eBook: The fundamental of wellness and wellbeing in workplace design.

Finding potential in the impossible.

“Given the limited supply of space in the CBD of Sydney, tenants can’t afford to wait to secure their ideal office spaces so they are starting to create their own instead. Axiom is an example of those who have taken on the fitout themselves to create a workspace to their own standards.”

– Dean Bracken, Colliers International

As one of central Sydney’s older hi-rise buildings, but without any heritage appeal, 6 O’Connell Street was considered a B-grade space, offering tenants very little in terms of design and modernity. Yet, with unfettered views of Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge, the building’s location is one of the best in the world, which simply cannot be ignored.

Before Axiom…

The uninspiring interiors of 6 O’Connell Street did not deter Axiom. As a progressive workplace transformation company, the team saw this building as a blank slate that opened up a plethora of possibilities for creating a work environment in Axiom’s own vision – to walk the talk, as the saying goes.

Axiom was eager to use this move to showcase the company’s approach to workplace design. The fitout would act as a functional example of the more futuristic elements of office transformation that are now implementable and available internationally, as well as demonstrating to clients what can be realistically achieved, even within restrictions.

As Shane Hales, Managing Director of Axiom, admits, “Similar to our clients, moving office was a huge undertaking for us and we wanted to seize every opportunity that a move like this presented. This meant not only walking in the shoes of our clients and solving their problems via our own experiences but also putting into practice the kind of workplace transformation that we can proudly say is ours.”

After Axiom…

The three tenets of brand, wellness/wellbeing and the attraction/retention of staff are fundamental to today’s workplaces. Accordingly, the implementation of design features that honour these motivating tenets underpin every aspect of Axiom’s fitout at the new O’Connell Street headquarters.

The new Axiom brand was launched simultaneously as the new office, revealing a compass motif that visually and directionally reflects Axiom’s positioning as ‘change navigators’. Consequently, the updated office fitout physically emulates a compass in its structure and in the way that ‘people traffic’ flows around the floor. Circles feature prominently in the design – even the incorporation of a gong – with a Hub and Virtual Reality Display as the anchor in the centre of this compass.

Other design embellishments include exposed ceilings, concrete treated flooring and terracotta plant boxes that frame entrances and windows and sit overhead, as a way of introducing a soothing aspect of green into the work environment without causing any obstruction.

The Hub is an enclosed workspace that offers seclusion and integrated technology solutions for collaboration but sits at the very centre of the Axiom ‘compass’. A touch screen desk allows for the placing of multiple ideas and can also send images to the screen on the wall for discussion. Glass set into the walls turns opaque at the flick of a switch to give occupants privacy from prying eyes and security to pursue brainstorming and idea-generation.

“We designed the Hub so it has two separate entries,” explains Shane Hales. “Occupants sit around a semi-circular table in bench-style seating, which we feel facilitates interaction. It is a very dynamic space. It’s really the perfect hub for closed-door collaboration sessions where everyone can feel comfortable in developing and discussing concepts, and really letting the creativity flow.”

Axiom uses the Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Display as a planning tool so clients can see into spaces that have yet to be created before costly choices are made.

“Elements such as seating, furniture coverings, wall treatments, lighting and furniture arrangements can all be brought into sharp focus, as if they’ve already been completed,” continues Shane Hales. “This is especially useful for clients who have trouble visualising what we are explaining to them. It’s useful for both us and for them because it enables us all to be on the same page before moving ahead with anything.”

Far from being reserved exclusively for internal staff, the Axiom team is forthcoming in inviting clients and interested parties into their new space to experience the future of workspace design.

As Shane Hales concludes, “We’re very happy with what we’ve managed to achieve. And we cannot encourage others to follow our lead unless they experience it for themselves. So pay us a visit.”

At a glance…

• Fit-for-purpose creative fitout of a B-grade space
• Designed to visually reflect company brand
• Technologically appointed central Hub for closed-door collaboration
• VR/AR Display to enable tactile experiences for clients
• Comfort and green elements at the fore

There’s no use forcing a square peg into a round hole – and the same goes for your workplace.

Different people have different ways of working. This can be influenced by the era in which they were born (multigenerational workplaces), ethnicity, gender, personality, and a myriad of other factors. You might not understand why a certain employee works in a certain way but – if you want their best performance to enhance your office productivity – you need to respect these differences and accommodate them in your workspace design.

Think of it like this: Would you expect an introvert to work well when positioned in the middle of a noisy, open-plan office? How could a person accustomed to freelancing and choosing their own work times excel when inflexible hours are imposed on them? Why would you put a finance team or other employees requiring intense concentration in areas near the kitchen or meeting rooms?

Before you give even a moment’s thought to the design of your office, you need to first survey the personalities populating your space, as well as the personality types you wish to attract. Only then will you be equipped with the necessary insights to create a desirable workplace for your dream team.

Taking the personality test

There are several online testing tools that you can use to determine the personality types in your office space. One of the more popular methods is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment, which defines 16 personality types based on preferences, differences and interactions in how individuals use their perception and judgement.

Of course, these are broad categories that don’t necessarily consider the many unique nuances of people. However, personality profiling can still be extremely helpful in providing evidence of how your office workspace design may be tailored to reality, rather than fantasy to best suit those in management.

If you are engaging a workplace transformation partner in your office space planning, this partner should assess the personality types in your office as part of their workplace strategy process and, consequently, create the corresponding design scheme. Once the personality profile of your office has been determined, you can then concentrate on creating the zones and workplace connectivity to meet your company’s unique culture and bring out its best.

Workplace designs tend to cater for extroverts, with an emphasis on interaction and collaboration. This is reflective of extroverts having the voices most likely to be heard. Typically, however, introverts are the majority personality type in any office – and catering for introverts may be particularly relevant in your workspace. Here are some useful behaviours to consider when working with introverts and extroverts.

How to care for introverts

1. Respect their need for privacy
2. Let them observe first in new situations
3. Give them time to think – don’t demand instant answers or interrupt them
4. Provide advance notice of any planned changes
5. Give them 15 minute warnings to finish what they are doing
6. Be mindful not to embarrass them in public
7. Teach them new skills or reprimand them privately
8. Enable them to find one best friend that has similar interests and abilities
9. Don’t push them to make lots of friends
10. Respect their introversion – don’t try to turn them into extroverts

How to care for extroverts

1. Respect their independence
2. Compliment them in the company of others
3. Accept and encourage their enthusiasm
4. Allow them to explore and talk things out
5. Thoughtfully surprise them
6. Understand when they are busy
7. Let them dive in
8. Offer them options
9. Make physical and verbal gestures of affection
10. Let them shine

Getting into the zones

One way of caring for both introverts and extroverts is to consider the way they will work in your workplace design across three main area types – collaborative, quiet and social.

1. Collaborative
   

   Areas that encourage conversation, interaction and creative brainstorming. These are meeting rooms or break-out areas, what would previously have been known as ‘the board room’.

2. Quiet

   Areas that are more intimate and removed from the main thoroughfare of the workspace so their inhabitants can concentrate without distraction. This is typically a private office or enclosed pod.

3. Social
   

   Areas that are designed for ‘time out’ and relaxing, as defined from the work zones.

While extroverts may be suited to collaborative and social zones, there will be times when introverts will benefit from interaction with others and extroverts will need the space to concentrate without distraction. Consequently, no personality type should be ‘locked’ into a specific zone but instead have the option to move around the entire workspace across the course of any given day.

For example, you might have full-time employees who are in the office eight hours a day but not always performing desk functions. They may choose to go to a quiet room to write a report for two hours, and then they might seek out a collaborative setting for a change of pace.

Who are your dream team? How do they like to work? What do you need to do to bring out the best in them? The design of your workspace is so integral to attracting and retaining talent that it could be the difference between success and failure. Considered design shows that you respect your people.

Axiom Workplaces takes the time to know you – and your dream team – to create the perfect office fitout.

Start a conversation today.

You might be looking around your office interior at this very moment and thinking it’s renovation time. But change for change’s sake is not the solution.

Many office refurbishment companies – including interior designers and other fitout specialists – will take a purely visual approach to enacting your commercial office refurbishment, without considering the unique culture and drivers of your business.

How can your culture be leveraged to promote staff wellness and workforce performance, attract and retain A-grade talent, and meet the demands of a multigenerational workforce and rapidly evolving technology?

Only by approaching your business from a 360-degree, multidimensional perspective will your new office fitout be a change worth making. That’s why you need to enlist the services of a workplace transformation partner, not just another office fitout company.

Here’s how a workplace change partner, the likes of Axiom, will dig deeper and deliver generously:

Insight

Many companies offering office refurbishment services will be quick to produce a design concept to wow and dazzle you. But there is a lot of discovery that should occur before even one single thought is given to the design of the office interior itself.

The right workplace transformation partner will spend the time getting to know your business and people to determine exactly what makes them special. All of this information will then be used to accentuate your strengths – or, alternatively and additionally, make improvements where they can be made – as part of the Ideation of your new office fitout.

Questions that might be asked:

• How do your employees prefer to work?
• Do they need to gather together or do they require quiet spaces or both?
• What sort of technologies are you using and where is your business headed in terms of agility and connectivity?
• How are you currently communicating across teams and how can this be further facilitated?
• Do you have high rates of absenteeism or employee churn?

The answers to all these questions should directly influence what occurs next in the Ideation phase.

There are lots of reasons to consider implementing sustainable practices in your business. Not only is it good for the environment, but it can reduce overheads in the form of energy costs, improve the health and satisfaction of your staff, and attract customers looking to do business with likeminded brands. Here are some simple changes that will make your office more environmentally sustainable.

1. Go Paperless

Many organisations are well on their way to becoming paperless, but for some businesses, cutting out paper completely isn’t an option. If this is the case, make sure you recycle all paper and change the settings on your network so that paper is printed on both sides. If your company data is sensitive, look for a shredding company that offers a service where the paper is recycled once the information has been destroyed.

Of course, digital documents are easier and more affordable to store and retrieve. They reduce clutter in the office and if your business is in the cloud, the documents can be accessed from anywhere. It’s also a more secure way to run your business, should disaster strike. If you do need to print on paper, make sure you buy recycled paper from sustainable sources and use draft or toner-saving modes for internal printing that doesn’t need to be high quality. Don’t forget the paper towels in the bathroom—hand dryers can be a more hygienic, affordable and sustainable option.

2. Reuse & Recycle

Recycling is one of the easiest ways to make your office more environmentally friendly. Simply set up recycling bins around the office, with dedicated bins for glass, paper and plastics if your building collects these separately. Ink cartridges can be collected by Planet Ark, while electronic waste such as old monitors, printers, computers and cables can be dropped off at your nearest Tech Collect for recycling. If your coffee machine uses pods, recycle your capsules to avoid adding to the landfill toll.

Try to look for ways to reuse items, such as replacing disposable kitchen items with crockery and steel cutlery, or promoting the use of reusable mugs for the morning coffee run. You can also encourage employees to collect paper that’s only been printed on one side and use it as a notebook.

3. Reduce Energy

Reducing the electricity bill is not only good for the environment, but also for your bottom line. Here are some quick and easy ways to save energy in the office:

• make sure your office temperature is the right balance of comfort and cost, by setting the thermostat a few degrees lower in winter and a few degrees higher in summer
• walk around the office and see which areas are being heated or cooled unnecessarily, such as storage areas
• install energy efficient light globes in the office and consider sensor lighting for bathrooms and other places that don’t need to be constantly lit
• switch off TVs, lights and equipment when they’re not being used and disable screen savers—computers screens should go to sleep when they’re not in use
• close applications that you don’t use regularly on your computer and change the setting so they don’t open on login
• use laptops instead of desktops as they use less energy
• turn down the brightness setting on your computer screen to a level that’s both comfortable and energy efficient.
  
  

4. Add Plants

Adding some greenery to your office can do more than brighten up your office interior design. Psychologists at Exeter University found that employees are happier and perform better when living plants are added to the workplace, with a 15% increase in productivity and significant improvements in memory retention and other basic tests.

Plants also emit oxygen and reduce air pollution, making the air in your workplace cleaner and healthier to breathe. It can also reduce noise pollution, which is particularly important in an open-plan workplace. Try to use pot plants evenly around the office, so everyone can enjoy the benefits of nature.

5. Choose Sustainable Suppliers

Many suppliers understand that customers are looking for green products, so look at what your business purchases on a regular basis and see if there’s a more sustainable option. This may include natural bathroom or kitchen products, biodegradable cleaning products and recycled stationery.

Think about how far the products travel to reach you and see if there’s a local business offering a similar product to reduce your carbon footprint. Before procuring services, ask whether they have an environmental policy in place or relevant ISO certifications. Gaining accreditation through the Green Building Council of Australia can also let your customers know that you’re committed to maintaining a sustainable workplace.

As well as providing a more sustainable office, smart workplace design can also create spaces that promote wellness and wellbeing at work. Learn more in our eBook: The fundamental of wellness and wellbeing in workplace design.

Or, to learn more about sustainability in the workplace contact our expert consultants today.

The simple answer is ‘yes’.

As the war to attract, retain and develop top industry talent heats up, staying that extra step ahead of your competition has never been more important. And one powerful means of creating a compelling and highly attractive employee experience is in the workplace design itself. Namely, creating an inviting company culture to improve employee engagement and staff retention.

Susan Peters, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at General Electric, told Forbes she believes employee experience is taking the time to see the world through the eyes of the employees. She said, “In the last year, we have appointed a Head of Employee Experience and we are developing a strategy to create an employee experience which takes into account the physical environment our employees work in, the tools and the technologies that enable their productivity and learning to achieve their best at work.”

A 2016 study by Workplace Trends found, of the HR leaders who participated, 51 percent were dedicating more resources to improving their physical workspace. That percentage is sure to increase as workplaces engage more in employee engagement strategies like building loyalty through a prominent company culture.

A great example of how the physical environment helps drive employee satisfaction and engagement can be found at Medibank. Kylie Bishop, Executive General Manager, People and Culture at Medibank, told guests at the 2015 AHRI National Convention, 79 percent of staff at their state-of-the-art Medibank Place in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct reported working more collaboratively in just four months of moving into their new building. A staggering 70 percent of staff even purported to feel healthier.

Similarly at Qantas, Jon Scriven, Group Executive HR and Office of the CEO, said staff at the Flying Kangaroo’s new Mascot office stated 10 percent higher employee engagement levels compared to the Qantas average.

It’s important to adopt a philosophy that a workplace where people want to work is preferable to creating a space where people have to work. This philosophy also has a crucial role to play in how workspace design can help HR professionals in doing their job in sourcing and retaining talent. These objectives can be achieved by encouraging your organisation to develop a company culture for the benefit of its employees.

The modern workplace needs to enhance moods and make it easier for personnel to carry out the duties they are employed to perform. Consequently, effective workplace design helps improve productivity and reduce turnover by presenting design solutions that are exciting, enjoyable and practical. For example, incorporating spaces that facilitate group discussion and collaboration but, at the same time, provide options for staff who prefer ‘quiet time’ to concentrate help accommodate different personalities and the varying needs of a multigenerational workforce.

With employees working in more and more flexible ways, it’s increasingly important that the work environment helps to enforce brand and company values. The office is not just a place where work duties take place but one in which personnel should derive their identity and feel a sense of belonging. The physical landscape of the workplace is one factor that can contribute heavily to the identity of an employee and what it means to be part of a particular organisation.

As Jeanne Meister of Future Workplace noted when speaking to Forbes, “The workspace is not just a building but part of the HR agenda to extend the company’s culture and engage employees.” Creating a space that supports this will only have positive impacts on employee satisfaction, your organisation’s bottom-line and, ultimately, make everyone’s job a whole lot easier.

Working green is the new normal. If your workplace needs an environmentally friendly overhaul, this guide breaks down the definition of a green/sustainable building, how an organisation can reduce its office eco-footprint, and the benefits of a sustainable workplace, including energy expenditure and increased productivity.

What is a green workplace?

According to the Green Building Council of Australia: “Green Buildings incorporate design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative impact on the environment and its occupants”.

The aim of a Green Building is to reduce the overall environmental impact or ecological footprint of a building or office, during construction and over the life of the building through ‘built-in’ sustainability.

Building green is an opportunity to use resources efficiently while creating healthier environments for people to live and work in. Examples of building green include:

• Reducing the use of material resources, waste & environmental degradation
• Reducing pollution of air, earth and water in material sourcing & manufacturing, during construction and over the life cycle of the building
• Reducing damage to natural systems & bio-diversity
• Efficient energy, water & resources
• Providing high quality & healthy productive spaces, utilising elements such as natural light and responsive heating/cooling measures

These can all be linked to the principles of sustainable development which a green or sustainable building should reflect: environmental protection, economic development and social development.

How to reduce your office environmental footprint

Reducing your environmental footprint helps you waste less energy, reduce operational expenditure, and invest in your people.

Here are pro-active things you can do:

Reduce the amount of energy & water usage in your office

• Use sensors to control lights in low use areas & timers for after office hours
• Utilise energy efficient light bulbs
• Utilise natural light/daylighting to its full potential where possible in your office
• Use recycled water for bathrooms
• Look into rainwater storage options on your building
• Encourage water saving practices in common areas of your workplace, e.g. kitchens

Minimise waste during construction & building operations

• Incorporate recycled and/or responsibly produced materials into your building/office design (check ethical production registers for provenance)
• Only order the necessary amount of material & responsibly dispose of any excess
• Consider the heating & cooling of your office space during construction
• Use sufficient insulation to reduce the need for artificial temperature controls thus reducing energy costs
• Increase natural ventilation when building your office space through consideration of window placement, etc.

Use green power

• Research the possibility of creating onsite generation of renewable energy sources such as solar & wind power
• Design for disassembly & material re-use
• Consider the future of the products and materials you are using and how they may be reused in your office space as time goes on

Utilise furnishing & fittings with non-toxic off-gassing

• Off-gassing is the release of a gas that was trapped, dissolved or absorbed in some material. There are concerns that in closed environments some industrial products can produce gases that may be harmful to human health.
• Be sure to research the origins and make-up of your materials to ensure a healthy atmosphere in your workplace

Consider parking & transport to your office location

• Aim to promote use of public transport if choosing a new office location
• Offer storage facilities to encourage use of other modes of transport, e.g. bicycle racks

Benefits of a sustainable workplace

The ROI of going green is now well established. Buildings and offices are seeing measurable benefits across a range of areas, including reduced expenditure, workforce productivity and staff engagement.

Recent studies have shown that green workplaces:

• Reduce the average sick days per employee
• Reduce sick leave costs
• Improved productivity
• Increase job satisfaction
• Talent retention

Some research suggests that as many as 91% of millennials would switch to use a company or brand based on its commitment to social good and investment in things like sustainability. With this pillar so vital to an organisation’s success, it pays to engineer your business environment in a way that’s good for both the planet, and your bottom line.

As well as providing a more sustainable office, smart workplace design can also create spaces that promote wellness and wellbeing at work. Learn more in our eBook: The fundamental of wellness and wellbeing in workplace design.

An office move or refurbishment represents an important step in the growth of your business, but it can also represent a significant expense – so it’s important to stay on top of your budget.

A well-planned budget will make every other aspect of your office relocation or refurbishment easier and help you avoid unexpected costs down the track. Of course, it’s often easier said than done, so we’ve put together some advice to help you prepare a detailed budget for your new workspace and stick to it.

1. Create a strategy

Develop a workplace strategy before searching for a property. It will help you define the kind of space you need and how to align your work processes to the physical environment. It will also assist you prepare a budget across several categories, from leasing and moving expenses to upgrading furniture and technology.

If you’re moving to another property, don’t forget to factor in the exit strategy from your current space. You may need to cover the costs of breaking a lease, repairing damage, disposing of items you no longer want etc.

2. Get multiple quotes

One of the first steps in the process is to get quotes from all suppliers involved in the project, from office removalists to stationery designers. Ideally get three quotes from each provider for comparison, and document all costs in a spreadsheet. Suppliers will provide quotes free of charge, so you can plan your budget and understand the financial impact of creating your new workspace.

You’ll also need to consider the design and refurbishment of your new office. We recommend budgeting an additional 20% above your planned costs, in case the unexpected occurs.

Technology has transformed the workplace and had a powerful impact on employee satisfaction, productivity and efficiency. Enterprise networks, mobile devices and cloud computing, in particular, mean that work is no longer a place we go: it’s what we can do – wherever. Here are a few ways technology trends are profoundly changing how and where we work.

Working remotely

Today, people no longer work solely from a single, ‘corporate’ office. They work from home, cafés, co-working spaces, meetings, public transport and while travelling.

Advances in secure corporate networking and cloud-based applications mean employees can work anywhere, anytime, from any device. This has led to increased productivity, reduced commuting stresses, greater flexibility and thus higher employee satisfaction – along with improved business operations.

Workplace flexibility

The right technology enables staff flexibility, leading to enhanced collaboration and productivity. There’s no longer a ‘one size fits all’ approach, where all employees must use the same technology; today’s working environment must identify the needs of individual roles and deliver the technology they need to do the job.

Different teams have different needs, so it’s important to consider the technology to best enable them. By giving employees the right tools to do their job more effectively, you’re creating a positive workplace culture and empowering them to take control of the way they work.

Employee mobility

The days of waiting until you get back to the office to complete tasks are long gone. Employees need to be able to access, edit, print, share, search and send information from wherever they are. Think about your technology and consider whether it measures up to today’s standards. Is it mobile-friendly and easily accessible on any device?

Consider the needs of your employees first, then the technology you need to support those needs. Think about where your employees will be working, what information they’ll need to access and who they’ll be collaborating with. The ability to be able to work from anywhere without compromising productivity is as important for your employees’ satisfaction as it is for you. New talent in the market considers mobility a given, so make sure you’re winning and keeping the best by empowering them to work the way they choose.

Virtual teams

More and more, companies are creating teams across geographic boundaries. Shared workspaces, social enterprise platforms and multi-point video conferencing make it easier for distributed teams to collaborate on tasks and deliver cost-effective opportunities for training and education.

Connection is a critical element of developing distributed teams. You’ll need to have robust systems in place and provide top internet speeds, otherwise your employees will spend more time connecting and processing, and less time communicating. Choosing the best technology for your virtual teams does not necessarily mean using the latest platform or the one with the most features. It’s all about ensuring it will best support your employees and business operations.

Looking to drive employee satisfaction and efficiency through technology? We develop strategies to align technology with your workplace design, to help your employees stay productive wherever they are. Get in touch to find out more about our technology solutions or read our Progressive Leaders Guide To The Future Of Work.

Office space size is a primary consideration when you’re relocating, renewing a commercial lease or having employees return to the workplace. The right office area not only helps your employees stay productive and efficient but can support the growth of your business in the future.

If you’re not sure how much office space you really need, here’s what we typically factor in when we’re developing a customised workplace strategy for our clients.

Your organisational strategy

What type of organisation are you? Your physical and hybrid work environment reflects your brand, intentionally or unintentionally.

The first step to calculating the space you really need is determining how your employees or customers will use the environment. What type of tasks do your employees perform and how often do they spend time at their desks each day? How much storage space do they need – physical or digital?

Is your culture fostered aroundworking collaboratively with each other where defined spaces encourage interaction, inspiration & innovation? How much storage space is required - physical or digital? You also need to consider how many meetings take place in your company, how large the meetings are and potential technologies to maximise collaborative efficiency.

Read more: How technology trends are impacting workplace design

Your business objectives

Before you get bogged down in details, it’s important to consider your overall business objectives and the purpose of your workplace relocation or redesign.

Are you hoping to improve staff productivity? Reduce building management costs? Enhance collaboration between teams? Focus the office experience towards a healthier, supportive and sustainable environment? Use your office more efficiently?

Understanding what you’re looking to achieve will help you determine how much floorspace you’ll need to achieve it.

Your spatial requirements

The Building Code of Australia requires a minimum of 10m² per person for office workers, but many companies prefer to estimate their spatial requirements at a comfortable 12 to 14m². Organisations that require more enclosed office spaces for client or acoustic privacy, such as law, psychology or accounting firms, may need to calculate their requirements at 14 to 18m² per employee.

These figures are based on approximate net lettable area's and don’t include common building core zones such as kitchens, bathrooms, shared corridors, or lift lobby areas. They’re just estimations, so it’s best to talk to a workplace designer to get an accurate estimate before renting or buying new office space.

Read more: Top tips for budgeting an office move

Your future needs

As well as thinking about your current needs, it’s essential to consider the future needs of your business.

The only constant we can count on is change. Many commercial leases run for three years or more – which is an age in today’s fast paced world.

You’ll need to ensure capacity for additional employees if you’re thinking of expansion or operational consolidation. You should also consider how much office space you’ll need if you downsize, automate workflows, divest or outsource business functions, merge with another company or undergo a restructure where teams will grow or change in size.

The amount of space you need for technology is also likely to change in the future, particularly if you’re planning to move your IT infrastructure into the cloud or relocate your data centre operations offsite. By considering how your business will look in three, five or even 10 years’ time, you’re in a better position to choose a workplace flexible enough to grow and change as your business does. How can you create a workplace flexible enough to accommodate the future?

Need expert advice in developing a workplace strategy and design to make the right decision on the size of your next office move?

Read about how workplace design influences to enhance wellness and wellbeing in the workplace below or contact us and discover how we can help.

Many people underestimate the time it takes for an office relocation and end up stressed, over budget and behind schedule. The key to avoiding this?

Effective planning.

We recommend you start reviewing your options around 12 to 18 months before your existing office lease expires, regardless of whether you are renewing, renegotiating or relocating.

If you’ve decided to relocate your office, here’s a general timeline of activity to help you stay on time and on budget.

Develop a workplace strategy: 2-4 weeks

Before starting your search for a property, it’s best to undertake a workplace strategy. This will help you define the goals of the business and understand what kind of space will support your business now and in the future. Your workplace strategy will include a needs analysis, an accommodation analysis and a location feasibility study. This process generally takes around two to four weeks, and is well worth it.

Search for a property & lease space: 6-9 months

Finding the right space can take time, but it’s an important decision that will affect the long-term success of your business, so it’s important to be patient. Your workplace strategy will help you narrow down options for your new space.

The next steps are to:

• Inspect potential properties
• Submit offers for short-listed properties and start negotiations
• Choose your preferred property and finalise negotiations
• Conduct spatial test fits and a building evaluation
• Provide final approval and sign the lease

Design your space: 8-10 weeks

Once you’ve leased your property, it’s time to start planning what is required in the new premises. You should start with an in-depth briefing and a needs analysis with a design consultancy firm.

Get fees from a number of design consultancy firms, preferably ones with the capacity to build, as this will make for a smoother refurbishment process. Once you’ve chosen your preferred design, develop contract schedules and seek any statutory approvals required.

Delivery: 10-12 weeks

Don’t underestimate the time it will take to have all furniture and fittings delivered and installed. Renovation works like reflooring and painting should be factored into your timeline.

The big move: 2-4 weeks

Planning ahead will help you minimise downtime and ensure your team can set up their workspaces and get settled in with a minimum of fuss. You’ll need to work closely with your delivery team to ensure they move items at a suitable time and place them in the correct position.

Account for extra contractors you may need to set up and test your IT networks and phone systems so your staff can get on with their work in the new office fast. This is especially critical if you are taking existing equipment from old office to new; if it’s nearing end of life (or end of lease) consider replacing it.

Need more? Check out our ultimate guide to planning your office move

Common mistakes to avoid when moving offices

When it comes to office relocations, even the smallest mistakes can make a big impact. A collaborative effort is required from key people in your organisation, as well as external stakeholders.

Here are some of the most common mistakes we see in office moves:

• Lack of planning or preparation, or leaving  it too late, resulting in hasty decisions, increased costs and fewer options when it comes to service providers
• Not having a budget, or having unrealistic expectations about costs
• Lacking the right advice and expertise in place, leading to poor communication and expensive mistakes

Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your relocation or workplace strategy needs.

In today’s competitive market, innovation in the workplace is something we all need.

It leads to new ideas, new approaches and new ways of working, which can drive business growth and put your company on the path to long-term success. It’s become essential for doing business. However, companies often make the mistake of focusing on products and services when looking for opportunities to be innovative, forgetting that the most valuable source of creativity in any business is the people that work there.

“If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.” Richard Branson

The benefits of a positive workplace culture

Workplace culture is essentially the personality of your company. It involves the physical workspace, company values and staff mindset, as well as the expectations and goals of people across the organisation. A company has a positive workplace culture if its employees feel like their needs are met and they’re aligned with the mission, vision and values of the organisation.

The result? A highly-motivated workforce and better outcomes. A study from the University of Warwick found that happy employees are up to 20% more productive. Staff satisfaction also has a significant impact on innovation in the workplace, with positive moods associated with creativity and goal attainment. A positive culture can also predict strong financial performance, with research by Deloitte showing that companies with a sense of purpose beyond profits were more likely to find long-term success.

How to boost innovation in the company

One of the best ways to foster a positive workplace culture and boost innovation in the workplace is to develop a workplace strategy. We start by defining the needs and values of your company and its employees, looking at every aspect of your new office to determine how it will support those needs and values.

We also ensure your physical environment is aligned to your work processes, so you can maintain peak performance at every stage of the project.

Here are some tips to consider when refurbishing or relocating your office, so you can foster a positive workplace culture and nurture the creativity of your team:

A good office layout is essential for a positive workplace culture. Open meeting areas, collaborative hubs, quiet rooms and wellness rooms encourage staff to build relationships and work together as a team.

Designing the desk layout so certain people are seated together can improve relationships between employees and teams, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making across the organisation.

A creative office interior design can inspire employees to think outside the box and enjoy the time they spend in the office. Whether it’s textured paint colours, natural light or inspiring artworks, there are plenty of ways to brighten your workplace.

The technology you use can support the work of your employees, so they spend less time being frustrated at slow or duplicate systems and more time being creative and achieving their goals.

Spacious breakout areas and modern kitchens encourage staff to collaborate and supports their health and wellbeing. The old days of squeezing staff into a pokey kitchenette to cook their lunch are long gone. Many companies now provide healthy snacks or meal offerings to keep brains fuelled.

While considering your workplace strategy read our Progressive Leaders Guide To The Future of Work to ensure that you shape a thriving workplace,