Design now influences all the spaces in our lives, and none more so that the workplace. Since people spend up to 40 hours a week in their workspaces, it makes sense from an efficiency and employee health standpoint that these workplaces are well-designed. And the way that designers create offices and workplaces can also help inspire productivity and employee engagement. Take a look at the following ways in which office and workplace design can engage employees and create better work connections.

Spaces That Engage Workers get more productivity out of them

1. Design with Communication in Mind

When designing an office space, Commercial People suggests that there should be a focus on the easy use of technology that inspires and enables communication, which is particularly important with remote workers. Access to well-designed conference rooms and equipment with high quality web cams makes communicating easier and less stressful.

2. Create Spaces for Communication

In order to engage employees and open up channels of communication actually in the office, designers need to find ways in which people can actually sit down and talk to each other. Therefore modern office design trends make use of plenty of seats for employees in different configurations – in meeting rooms, couches in offices, standing desks, and other spaces. Different spaces should be different sizes in order to accommodate different groups of people.

3. Design a Workspace for Sociable Working

Studies show that people who develop close connections at their place of business and feel like they have friends in the company are more likely to stay in the company and more likely to feel connected. A modern office can make use of modern design trends in order to create spaces that can be used for socialising and including people, whatever their ages, races, or sex. Good spaces that allow for communication at all times of the working day, and which also take into account people’s different social preferences, help to create a cohesive workforce.

4. Get the Practicalities Right

A more connected, engaged workforce has flexibility to work and the ability to plan their workload and day according to their own preferences and way of working. Modern offices must have flexibility built into their design so that people have more control over their working day. This allows people to work more productively and become happier in the place where they spend the majority of their time. Modern office design can accomplish a lot of things, not least the ability to connect and engage people with their work and their workspace.

Image: Image courtesy of Suriya Kankliang/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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