Influence corporate culture with office design

Workplace design makes a statement to employees, clients, and visitors about the mission and values of your business. An environment where space and resources are shared, doors are unlocked, and group accomplishments are celebrated reflects a company that values trust and integrity. However, an office where everything is locked down or hoarded suggests the opposite.

When laying out new office space or reconfiguring an existing workplace, keep in mind that different setups promote different employee behavior. For example, a brokerage that wants its agents to spend most of the time out of the office meeting with clients has different design needs than a company that needs employees at their desks all day.

Some general trends are influencing the design of modern offices. Today’s business climate is often interactive. People work in teams and share ideas and expertise. Studies have shown that increasing the connections and communication among workers increases profits.

As a result, informal gathering areas are growing in popularity, as are offices with sliding translucent doors or panels. These provide some privacy without the isolation of traditional offices.

Now that documents and manuals can be stored electronically, companies often need less space per employee. In some instances, a more democratic work environment results in moving management offices to more accessible locations.

Business owners and managers who redesign their workplaces are concerned about the effect on recruitment and retention of employees, time management, efficiency, exchange of information, and creativity. As much as possible, professional design consultants measure these factors before and after the redesign to determine effectiveness.  

Changing workspace alone will not change the culture, although it represents one element of such change. What matters is that the workplace fits the culture and vision of the company.

Photo © Digital Vision.

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