How the Physical Workspace Affects Employee Productivity

As mentioned in a previous post, the physical work space of a business has a lot to do with promoting or discouraging employee productivity. Honestly, who ever thought it was healthy to throw an employee in the equivalent of a square box and call it a day, or place people in offices with absolutely no windows? How is that conducive to promoting sanity, yet alone productivity? Why has the word "office" become synonymous with words like bland, drab, lifeless, standard? What's so wrong with an office space being fun, energetic, lively, and a place that doesn't box you in (literally)?  No wonder more and more people are telecommuting. I'd opt to work from home or choose my own work environment any day over coming to work and sitting in a cube. Trust me, I've done it. Dilbert has, too.

A lot of thought has been put into the idea of creating effective workspaces, as exhibited in this HBR article. The article goes on to say,

"The key metric companies use to measure space -- cost per square foot -- is focused on   efficiency. Few companies measure whether a space's design helps or hurts performance, but they should. They have the means. The same sensors, activity trackers, smartphones, and social networks that they eagerly foist on customers to reveal their habits and behavior can be turned inward, on employees in their work environments, to learn whether it's true that getting engineers and salespeople talking actually works."

The idea of an open office plan, while ideal for some, might not be right for others. Workers who often crave solitude and silence might find it more distracting than before. Dilbert, for example.

This article, appropriately titled "The Death of the Cubicle..." talks about how many companies in the Silicon Valley are moving or have moved toward open space layouts, like Google and Facebook. But again, these companies thrive on collaboration, innovation, discovery, teamwork. A completely open space arguably suits them. Maybe more of a balance between open space and separate private spaces would better suit your company. It's all about assessing that need. They key is for companies to strike a balance. Give employees a variety of different environments within one space, so that they can pick and choose what suits their mood at the moment. Give them flexibility. This Microsoft Blog sums it up nicely:

"The key is to create an office space without barriers that can also be private. Given the increase in mobile devices used in the office, it's important to have a flexible work environment where people can move around and work in different places. One way is having private breakout rooms where a person or small group of people can work together. Other solutions include alcove sofas and workbays to break up an open space and provide workers with more private options. 

The challenge for tomorrow will be designing a space that creates a feeling of psychological privacy but is also flexible enough that people can easily move around and collaborate. With technology enabling a more grab and go work style, we need workspaces to reflect that increased flexibility."

In conclusion, workspace design matters. If telecommuting is not something you want your employees to lean towards, make the office a place where people will actually want to spend their time. Strike a balance between open, collaborative space and private, quiet rooms. Make it a fun, colorful, energetic environment where employees will be encouraged to thrive, not bang their heads against the four walls of their cubicles. With that said, I'm going to end with this Dilbert comic, partly because it's semi relevant, but mostly because it's funny.