How Analysis Can Inform Your Future Workplace. Part 2

PEOPLE PROCESS & PLACE

Our approach & process has always focussed on People, Process & Place... the analysis of which provides the DNA behind our evidence based design. 

At a time when the people, process and place are being challenged, productivity is now high on the agenda. How can you be sure your existing business model or future aspirations are now pertinent, effective and productive?

Our analysis process informs us, as designers, how your business and people work. We identify worker profiles and appropriate work styles and settings that will support your colleagues and their activities. We speak with people and learn about cultures and appetite for change; what works and what doesn't. We review the environment; what you have and more importantly what you should have. Essentially we identify what makes you tick and how that could be improved.

All of this before we even think about getting creative...

THE STARTING POINT IS; WHO NEEEDS TO BE IN THE OFFICE?

Worker profiles dictate the toolkit required to carry out their roles, but has the mix of these profiles changed and how? 

From our recent studies we found that on average 78% of respondents felt that their experience of working from home was a positive one and that the desire for change indicated a decrease in fixed desk workers by 52%. However, 67% of those people also reported a negative impact to output due to being away from colleagues.

Moving forwards, people want the choice and flexibility in where and how they work. They will require the right work settings and equipment to minimise negative impacts and improve performance which in turn create opportunities for employees to do what they do best.

Working from home may be successful for certain process driven tasks, but in today’s knowledge based economy, most jobs involve some degree of teamwork & creativity.

So depending on how truly successful the largest foray into remote working has been, we may see more working outside of the traditional office setting in the future. However, for those spending more time away from the office, retaining a connection to the mission statement or purpose of the organisation is going to be fundamental going forwards. 

Engaging with other staff, communicating quickly & effectively, sharing information, as well as idea creation will be crucial to any successful business.

With this in mind, do you know who needs to be in the office?

HOW THE BUILDING REQUIREMENTS AND SIZE COULD CHANGE

As we move into a new era, living alongside or post COVID-19, the effect of how worker profiles change and how people work differently under current guidelines, or in the near future will have an impact on workplace requirements as well as business property strategies.

"We will not class ourselves as a working from home business, we will class ourselves as an agile business. There will be so many more opportunities. This is about collaboration, conversation, discussion and colleague priorities. It's not about lone working... I want to be a million miles away from that." 

The above quote is from a recent study where we were able to provide desk agility ratios based on our findings that enabled the business to meet their aspirations for a new agile model. Furthermore, to inform their requirements for a brand new headquarters, we  provided a space budget and planning strategy illustrating how they could support the same number of people in 60% of their existing space.

A reduction in desks will revolutionise the office environment, allowing the workplace to become a collective creative 'hub' to innovate & socialise. The ‘doing’ will be done remotely but the office will still be the driver; the place that gels everything and fulfils the human element and interaction that everyone desires and needs.

The office ‘hub’ is an environment that needs to support interaction, a place that offers flexibility for varying day to day worker occupancy, future growth, as well as evolving user profiles and their activities. 

It is this direct social interaction that generates new ideas and innovations, driving growth and success.

The workplace becomes a place of purpose and an environment that offers an experience that people want to go to. 

WHAT DO WE AT SQUAREDOT THINK THE FUTURE WORKPLACE SHOULD BE ABOUT?

Hybrid working presents us with a once in a generation opportunity. We think the future workplace should be about activity based working, offering variety and flexibility as well as enabling effective collaboration. It should be within an intelligent building that enables human - centric design and it should offer technology that is mature and cost effective.

We think the future workplace should...

Support culture and brand

Attract and retains talent

Respond to health & wellbeing demands

Increase the asset value

Increase productivity, reduce absenteeism 

It should be...

Designed for longevity and flexibility

Sustainable – Net zero carbon – Reduction in travel

Resilient to future pandemics

Examining staff behaviours and reaction to current events, so that we can learn from this experience, and prepare the workplace for new ways of working as well as future pandemics, might just be the best insurance plan to put in place.

Now is the time to get creative & develop a new bespoke workplace for your unique requirements that addresses the challenges of our time.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss this topic further or have any questions about Workplace Analysis or any of our other creative services.