Imagine this: You’re sitting in front of your desk. Typing mindlessly on your computer, surrounded by a gray and dull cubicle with only the fluorescent lights as your companion.
If that workspace seems unappealing to you, you’re not the only one. Based on research done by Clutch, 61% of employees value pleasing, comfortable workspace when it comes to the physical office space.
Here’s the thing, we know that talents aren’t settling for mediocre workspaces anymore because working for hours on end in a boring office space is not enough to encourage productivity.
Our own mood can affect the quality of our results and this 700-person experiment conducted in Britain by the Social Market Foundation shows that happiness can increase productivity by at least 12%.
It just makes sense to us that a comfortable and good workspace equals happy people—which in turn increases productivity because you can focus on getting your work done!
If you want to work for a company, you wouldn’t want to end up in a place that makes you miserable… would you?
Bottom line: Better workspace encourages better productivity.
But, what makes a workspace “better”?
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for cultivating a comfortable workspace. But, there are a few rules-of-thumb that we follow to make an awesome working space!
- Comfort is Key!
One value that we truly believe in is that a comfortable environment is the most valuable workspace trait that a company should have.
Amenities such as high-quality chairs, clean (and enough) bathrooms, separate space for meetings and brainstorming sessions, and a pantry/eating area are some of the basic comforts.
Beyond that, a comfortable workspace should be able to provide an aesthetically pleasing space that makes the inhabitants feel good. When talents ‘feel-good’ in their space, it can translate to a faster pace and a higher quality of work.
While ‘aesthetically pleasing’ can mean different things to different people, here are a few basic guidelines that make total sense to us:
- Enough space for everyone (about 80 square feet per person)
- Enough natural lighting that helps regulate our biological rhythms and reduces stress
- Having a space that you can customize
- A ‘nature contact’ either with indoor plants or nearby location to a park
These guidelines are great for most companies. But modern companies are unafraid to experiment and play around with different workspace designs to make the office space more comfortable.
In our offices, we added play areas with ping-pong tables and dartboards for our teams to relax and destress after working hard. There’s also a huge lounge zone where we get together to socialize and share ideas, bond, and even have Friday drinks😁!
The best part about these spaces? Each of them was ideated by our own colleagues! Something that we value at ME!
- Keeping it Flexible!
One trend that’s quickly becoming important is flexibility within the workspace. This can mean the freedom to move within the office or work in different locations.
Clutch’s survey mentions that over half of the talents surveyed (53%) value the flexibility to work in different locations, making it the second-most-valued quality in a work environment, after comfortable workspaces.
Being “locked” to your desk for hours on end can be stifling, which is why having the ability to work in different spaces feels reinvigorating. Plus, we get to move and stretch our bodies!
A study done by Dropbox and Ipsos MORI shows that employees are 19% more likely to be happy at work when they have access to flexible collaborative workspaces (remember what we said about happy workers being better workers!).
- It’s The Community!
Comfortable office space and flexible working environments can improve productivity. But ultimately, what we believe really pushes us to be better is a sense of community in the workplace.
And Clutch’s survey supports this as nearly half (47%) of surveyed workers value a community atmosphere in the workspace.
A sense of community helps to build camaraderie amongst us, which in turn, motivates us to achieve better results.
Without a doubt, team spirit is the area, where we have accomplished the most, having managed to build a family like environment in every office and company overall. We go above and beyond to celebrate personal and team achievements, to make our people feel that they are a part of the community.
This is why “Winning Together” is such an important core value for us.
For example, our sales teams use gongs to celebrate milestones and victories in sales. We also have weekly kick-off meetings to acknowledge everyone’s victories, play games, and welcome new people!
Then there are the Daily/Weekly/Quarterly team competitions between offices and team-building events (Paintball, parties, trips, team dinners, etc.) that let us socialize and bond beyond working hours.
And the pinnacle is our Billnäs Kick-off, a yearly Company Kick-off event where we celebrate the people who worked the hardest and give them the recognition they deserved in a 3-day team building and party event!
It should be obvious by now that a modern workspace that prioritizes comfortable, flexible work environment and cultivates a sense of community is the best path towards productivity.
And for us, it’s a path that we’re excited to walk towards with our colleagues!