Six office design must-haves to attract and retain top talent

Workplace design is something that needs to be approached on a case-by-case basis. Every company operates differently with a differing view on how the ideal workplace will look for their company and respected teams. When it comes to designing your office space, it's essential to take into account the working practises and wellbeing of your team. In addition, to considering your workplace culture and a sense of community when constructing your office space.

A collaborative, human-centric workspace will foster community and enable employees to work more productively. Depending on the size of your office, there are multiple ways to configure the space, so that it fully reflects your company and your culture. 

Certain aspects of office design will certainly appeal to all types of organisations, such as sufficient lighting, breakout spaces and cafes, but there are other elements that could be a lot more specific to the company, such as a gym.

One of the main benefits of a collaborative, inclusive workspace is its impact on employee engagement. For instance, studies have suggested that employees that engage in collaboration report being 17% more satisfied with their job, while companies that promote collaboration can reduce employee turnover rates by 50%.

A recent survey carried out by OfficeSpace found that people miss interacting with their work colleagues. Most people want to continue to work from home in some capacity, but the desire for more face-to-face interaction within collaborative spaces is a key driver in the push for hybrid work.

A human-centred office destination that fosters collaboration is a reflection of your company culture and will help to entice potential employees and will provide a clear vision of the benefits of working within your office.

The design of your office should place importance on the health and wellbeing of your employees. Years of studies and research have proven that employee wellbeing can have a direct impact on company success and growth, and the design of a workplace can massively impact wellbeing and productivity.

A recent government study identified that there is compelling evidence that workplace wellbeing and job performance are directly equated. Benefits include:

Higher levels of energy, leading to greater output and a decrease in sick days, in addition to elevated creativity and problem-solving, and an increased attitude to work.

To highlight the financial impacts this can have on a company, look at Pret a Manger as an example. Last year the sandwich chain reported a 16 percent sales increase in their annual figures, and the Chief Executive, Clive Schlee, puts this down to the happiness of his workforce.

According to the Leesman Index, nearly 75% of employees feel managed noise levels are an important quality in an effective workplace. This can have a big impact on productivity and wellbeing, so it is vital that this is taken into account when designing the workspace.

To begin with, don't forget the essentials, such as the colour scheme, lighting, layout and acoustics. Insufficient lighting can have a negative impact on the brain function of your employees and can lead on towards headaches, eye strains as well as blurred vision, impacting their work. To prevent this, we need to ensure that the sunlight gets in to provide sufficient, quality lighting especially in the poorly lit areas of the office. Incorporating elements of biophilia throughout the office, such as incorporating natural materials and colours and plants in the office can add real value for your employees.

We have identified through extensive research, as well as crucial feedback from clients, that having a touchless, high-quality coffee machine isn't just an important work perk to offer employees but can also have a range of health benefits in addition to enhancing productivity. Investing in a high-quality coffee machine, such as TopBrewer, will help improve employee wellbeing.

Ensuring your work team are productive, inspired and feeling positive, along with reinforcing to potential employees that you have their best interests at heart and value their thoughts, is a key way of getting the attention of the best talent out there.

The IOT (Internet of Things) as well as multiple advances in technology are rapidly changing the way we work and live. Technology plays a vital part of our everyday lives; from the smartphones and virtual assistants (Siri, Alexa), to the laptops and desktop computers we rely on for work. The aim of enhancing the employee experience is often the catalyst for optimising the workspace experience with modern technology. Another reason for technological advancement is to improve the sustainability of the workplace and improve efficiency.

Today's generation entering the workforce have grown up with technology, garnering a firm grasp of how it can be used and have high expectations on how it is to be used consistently. 

A study comparing employee's experiences with technology for work, both at home and in the office, showed that younger workers are more demanding and discerning, particularly when it comes to the quality and suitability of the technology and systems provided by their employers. About 64% criticise their workplace technology saying it lagged behind the tech used at home compared to 43 percent of the over 40s.

The newest generations entering the workforce have grown up with technology and expect it to be used consistently and compassionately in the workspace to increase productivity and enable collaborative interactions. Making technology the foundation of your office design will strongly help your company appeal to the best new talent in addition to improving productivity and engagement with your current employees. 

Just as great office design can change drastically between companies, it can also vary between teams and employees. Everyone works best in different ways and is at their most productive in different environments, and it’s important that this is acknowledged when designing an office space.

If you think about it: in today's society, everything is ‘on-demand’, from TV programmes to food, music to travel. Shouldn’t workspaces be as well? To garner up the challenge of stepping into the future of work, workspaces should be treated like living, breathing organisms that adapt to accommodate your teams needs. 

1 in 5 office workers are currently working a hybrid model (a mixture of working from home and the office) and 8% of UK workers did not enter the office for the whole of 2021.

The office has evolved to become a destination employees want to go to collaborate and be creative. Working at home has seen good productivity, but can also contribute to burnout and feelings of isolation.

A strong benefit of hybrid workspaces include; being able to hold meetings, brainstorm sessions, as well as other collaborative activities. This in turn can lead to an increase in social interaction, engagement, and collaboration amongst employees.

Activity-based working is built on the idea that employees can, and should, move between different workspaces depending on the work task they are working on. Different areas or zones throughout the office are set up for different types of task, for example there may be an area for meetings, an area for individual work and a space for teamwork and collaboration. The creation of diverse work environments will help attract staff and drive performance and creativity.

And with many companies reimagining the workplace, including the variety of workspaces that will be offered like collaboration areas, huddle rooms, etc., employees get to experience a new way of working when at the office.

When it comes to the environment, decisions we make today have a long-term impact on the health of the planet. Environmental issues are no longer seen as a conundrum for future generations to solve, in contrast they are vital matters that need to be confronted in order to solve today. Decisions that your company make can have an important impact as long as you decide to embrace sustainability within your office design. Most recently, a Reuters survey revealed that 65% of employees would be more likely to work for a business with “strong environmental policies".

Companies in the UK, such as Ninety One, have ensured that their new workspace delivered for the environment with creative reuse of existing materials including choosing to reuse and move their existing TopBrewer coffee machines to their new office, thus investing in solutions that are future-proof to prioritise their sustainability beliefs.

In August 2020, Censuswide with 2,000 UK office workers conducted research into employee engagement with sustainability. Sixty-five per cent of those surveyed were more likely to work for a company with a strong environmental policy and 63% said they would like to learn more green skills to become more valuable in the workplace, highlighting the demand from employees to play a more active role in making their business more sustainable. 

As mentioned, in order to keep and attract the best talent you need to embrace several key factors when designing your office space. Flexibility offers employees hybrid work environments where they can strive in different locations. Sustainability enables your company to showcase to your employees that you have an opportunity to deliver longevity in addition to thinking beyond the current iteration of a building. Embracing modern technology into your office space can help enable endless possibilities for your company. A premium coffee machine like TopBrewer can help your office space take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and gain inspiration through a cup of coffee. 

Introducing a premium coffee solution to your office space not only encourages your employees to return to the office, but will enable them to reconnect in-person relationships and establish new ones, not forgetting that top-quality coffee is expected and a key element of the experience within every organisation. 

Contact us today to discuss how we can help you level up your office coffee experience with TopBrewer.