by Shane Henson — November 11, 2011—Employers wanting to ensure workers are engaged and content should put more focus on one aspect of the workplace often overlooked—the office environment, and more particularly personal workspace—according to a new study released by the British Council for Offices (BCO) in which 1,000 office workers across the U.K. were polled.
The research found that 68% voted their personal workspace as a vital element of workplace design, one which 67% said had a positive impact on their ability to work efficiently. This comes as organizations increasingly opt to erode desk ownership through open plan office models.
Noise was seen as one of the worst aspects of the office, suggesting employees are not well served by one-dimensional work places with a single design model rather than a range of working environments. Half of all respondents (50%) said fewer interruptions was one of the biggest benefits of working from home, while 48% opted for “quiet” and 35% said that it was easier to concentrate. This was particularly the case for women—42% of female respondents compared to 29% of male employees could focus better in a domestic setting.
The study further revealed that employers risk alienating employees by not getting their buy-in before redesigning office space to support flexible working. Only 32% of employees had ever been consulted on the design of their office space, despite the fact that 77% said they would like to be involved. The recommendation is the key point in the BCO’s new Guide to Fit-Out, launched this month, which will provide a framework for best practice in office design.
The research also revealed the consequences of getting office design wrong. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said an unattractive workplace would make them less proud to work for an employer, and half (50%) said they would have to be paid more than 10% extra to stay in a workplace with very poor offices. Almost a third (27%) said they would have to be paid 11% to 20% more.
Despite a focus among employers on investing in technology, the majority of employees rated home comforts—the nuts and bolts of office design—most highly. Almost two-thirds (61%) of those surveyed said that having a view from a window had a positive impact on their ability to work efficiently, while 60% said the same of the quality of facilities (kitchen and toilets) available. Just 40% of employees said wireless technology improved efficiency and 39% said it made no difference at all to workplace effectiveness.
