Workspace Design
A Productive Space:
Tips for Creating A Work Environment Your Team Will Want to Spend Time In
Office working vs. working from home vs. hybrid working – this debate’s been going around in circles since pandemic working restrictions fully lifted.
Regardless of where employers stand, there’s one inescapable truth that all businesses must come to realise – workers are only as productive as their working environment allows. This means Facilities Managers might be in for some big changes to get the most out of a workforce returning from home.
Last year, around 28% of UK workers1 performed their jobs
in a hybrid working model, according to the ONS. But with big employers – including Amazon and Dell – instructing all employees to move back to the office, there’s a big opportunity to improve in-office productivity, especially since only 36% of workers2
feel most-productive in an open plan office.
To ensure Facilities Managers make the most of their workspaces, Joanne Gualda, Director at commercial painting3 and decorating specialists,Bagnalls, has compiled the best ways workspaces can be adapted to boost productivity and incentivise office working, informed by 150 years of company expertise.
Invest In Mood-Boosting Colour Schemes And Designs “Curating a workplace around colour and design isn’t just a fun, employee wellbeing ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s fundamental to the mood and productivity of your workforce,” says Gualda. Multiple systematic reviews4
have proven that colour is crucial when it
comes to supporting mood during working hours. “For example, we’ve worked on refurbishments
that have
prioritised cooler hues, like blues and greens, on office walls. This is because these colours have been proven to promote focus in the brain,” Gualda explains. “Whereas, oranges and yellows are more closely associated with creativity, a mood-booster better- suited to the productivity of children in nurseries, perhaps.
“As well as the tactical use of correct colour theory, vibrant, well-kept and cohesive office designs are more enjoyable to be in – something which is undeniably important in making employees want to be in a space,” Gualda continues.
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Make Your Workspace Hardwearing And Maintenance-Friendly
“No one wants to work in a space that isn’t fit for purpose. After all, how can an employee be expected to give 110% when their facilities don’t fit the same expected standard?” asks Gualda.
“Whether your workspace is office-based or labour-based – such as in manufacturing or warehouse environments – it should be comprised of finishes and materials that can withstand plenty of footfall, touch and use.
“Some offices inject fun and creativity into workspaces using murals, as can be seen in accountancy firm UNW’s and Inspired Outsourcing’s Newcastle offices, both of which have used murals in different office rooms to boost employee mood.”
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