Insights from the forefront of future of work thought leadership

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.