If your organization is sincerely interested in creating an inclusive workplace for its employees and stakeholders, it’s time to analyze and reevaluate your physical work spaces.
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Having more inclusive and inviting work spaces can improve employee productivity rates and levels of happiness, decrease turnover rates, and more. But designing more inclusive, effective, and functional work spaces is a lot more complex than making sure they’re aesthetically pleasing to look at or that they’re abiding by contemporary design trends.
Continue reading to uncover more information about how you can inspire more inclusive work spaces for your employees.
1. Consider Different Types of Working Modes
According to Gensler’s Workplace Survey, there are four distinct “modes” of working that employees must be able to engage in without impediment in the workplace: focus, collaborate, learn, and socialize. And there must be a balance between spaces that allow employees to focus on specific tasks, as well as work together on projects and socialize.
While some employees are more extroverted and want to constantly socialize, other employees may be more introverted and want to work more on individual tasks in quieter spaces. However, every employee, whether he or she is more extroverted or introverted, should encounter a healthy balance of getting work done and interacting with others if he or she is to remain productive and happy in his or her work space.
2. Monitor How Your Employees Actually Work
Before implementing changes to your work spaces, monitor your employees, gather real data about how your employees actually work, and consider what spaces will make them more productive and engaged.
For example, Mars Drinks placed sensors on employees’ desks to monitor how often employees used their desks. It quickly discovered that its employees preferred to move around and go in conference rooms and other quiet areas and that employees liked to work in areas besides their desks. So, the company redesigned its office space to cater to how its employees actually prefer to work.
3. Have Work Spaces Mirror Your Company Culture
If your company sells advanced technology, you should have advanced technology available to your employees. If your company loves music or design, you should include work spaces that reflect this passion. If your company is innovating new types of transportation or dabbles in travel, your décor and work spaces should match this, too, and so on.
Whatever your company’s mantra or mission is, it should be clearly present in all work spaces with appropriately placed and designed furniture, paintings, color, etc—because regardless of an employee’s gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc., all workers will and should connect with and be inspired by your company’s culture, which is why they’re there in the first place.
Watch out for tomorrow’s post, which will include more information about how you can inspire more inclusive work spaces for your employees.