The influence of office interiors on productivity

Productivity? Discover the influence of your Office (including tips)

Would you like to increase your team’s productivity and reduce absenteeism? First take a critical look at the design of your Office. With a few simple procedures you create an inspiring, creative and healthy environment for your employees.

Absenteinsm costs

On average, 4% of office workers is sick. Sick employees cost you as an employer between the 200 and 400 pounds per day. So as an employer you may consider bringing down these costs. For example by investing in inspiring office spaces and office fit out Glasgow. So you do not only reduce absenteeism but you simultaneously increase the productivity of your employees and therefore the profitability of your business.

Increase productivity

Increase productivity of your team by taking care of an office interior, how do you that? In this article we present some tips. And mind you an office interior, set up in such a way that employees become more productive, does not need to break the bank. With a few simple adjustments you already create a happier and more productive team.

1. Promote physical movement

Because of the technological developments of recent years fewer and fewer people need to be away from their desk. Very convenient, because now they can work harder, Right? Unfortunately, that is not quite true. Because endorphins, the speck of dust that keeps you engaged and alert, is created by exercise. And that is what you will miss if you sit still all day. It  is exactly what we need in order to stay happy, healthy and productive.

Tips to promote physical activity

Encourage exercise. Motivate employees more frequently to take the stairs instead of the elevator, introduce alternatives to the office chair, like sit stand desking and standing meeting tables and encourage everyone to get his own Cup of coffee.

2. Get the outside in

Do not think to be practical when decorating the Office. Decorations without functional purpose in the workplace enhance the mood and deliver more cheerful employees. In fact, research by the University of Exeter found that plants increase productivity with one-fifth. Green Office or Biophilia improve the concentration, reduces stress and improves air quality by allowing more oxygen and absorption of dust, pollutants and insects. Air cleaning, low-maintenance office plants include grass lilies, lemon balm and philodendron. So it is definately a good idea to integrate this into office interior design.

Tips for more nature in the Office

Place at least one plant in each space. If you want to bring this to the extreme the take the example of the new office of Amazon in Seattle where you can hold meetings in tree houses and can flex work along rivers that flow through the property.

3. Make escape possible

Nice these open-plan offices that should promote cooperation between departments. And really, it has its advantages. But the distracting sounds and conversations can decrease productivity by 66 percent, warns Julian Treasure, President of The Sound Agency.

Tips to give employees free space

You don’t need to completely eliminate the open plan office space, but do offer employees different types of work areas. Areas where they can retreat to concentrate, where they can meet undisturbed or brainstorm or to make phone calls quetly. Although in the latter case also noise reduction may be the solution.

4. Paint the walls

Gray, beige and white office walls evoke a sad feeling in women. That is the result of research conducted by the University of Texas. Men get depressed especially if them all day to purple or orange walls. Proper use of colors can promote the State of mind and productivity.

Tips to the Office colour

Would you like to improve the efficiency and concentration? Then paint the walls green or blue. Choose a red wall if you want to inspire enthusiasm and want to draw attention. And paint the walls yellow if you want to help staff feeling optimistic, energetic and refreshed.

5. Let workers relax

We wrote it before, sitting all day is not healthy. In addition to physical movement promoting, it is good to encourage employees to change regularly from sitting position. Especially now that desktop computers increasingly lose ground, it is easier to switch workplace a few times a day.

Tips to make staff relax

Place next to the ‘regular office chairs’ also some alternative chairs in the space. In the Zurich office of Google there are sleeper seats and massage rooms. Of course, you can also start with a bean bag.

Inspiring and productive environments

An inspiring and productive environment should start at the entrance of a building with a stunning reception desk, like for instance this one at One Lochrin Square Edinburgh:

Looking for even more inspiration of office environments that increase productivity and reduce absenteeism? Check out the weblink at the bottom of this page.

Meetings at Grandma’s home

Google is of course famous for the wide range of facilities that they offer their employees. Similarly in their office in London. They have close to 50,000 m2 available for their employees and it is filled with sleep-pods, a ‘granny flat’ and a secret rooftop terrace. 

Bring out the child in you

Walkong down the stairs is healthy, but also very boring. Much more fun (and faster) is to do it with a slide for going down two floors. Also Microsoft has a high slide in its Office in Vienna. Incidentally the other spaces in that office decorated in productivity-raising colours and furnishings. 

Working in an air-raid shelter

An air-raid shelter doesn’t sound much like the ideal place for inspiration. Yet nothing could be further from the truth, witness a data center in Stockholm that is built in a cave. Very special is that you feel suddenly overwhelmed by the cave and a few steps further you will finf yourself in a completely different space. 

Office interior design and fit out in Glasgow and Edinburgh

If you are looking for an inspriring office environment in the Glasgow – Edinburgh area then have a look at the projects that Scottish interior designers and fit out specialists Amos Beech have created by visiting their website.