British businesses could be hindering ‘innovation and creativity’ due to the design of their workplace, according to a study.
Results from a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Oktra, UK’s leading office design and build company, has highlighted how important the office environment is to the office worker.
Research of over 2,000 British employees across three different generations found that less than half (43%) believe the design of their workplace encourages innovation and creativity – a substantial statistic to consider, especially for creative and tech companies.
With creatives frequently drawing inspiration from their surroundings to develop new ideas, UK business owners must reassess their office environments in order to remain at the forefront of creativity in their industry. Furthermore, over a third (36%) of respondents would be less likely to take sick days if they worked in an inspiring workplace.
Nic Pryke, Design Director at Oktra said: “It can be easy to overlook how the design of an office impacts the people within it. By conducting a thorough assessment of a workspace, we can begin to understand what works and what is holding back not just the evolution of a business, but the employees’ personal development too.”
The research also found an overwhelming 85% agree that visitors and clients typically make a judgement of a business based on their workplace. While over two thirds (79%) believe that if they were looking for a new job, a well-designed workplace would make them more inclined to want the position. It is therefore evident that the design of an office is a valuable and persuasive asset when looking to both attract top talent and win potential clients.
Workplace wellbeing has become a topic that cannot be ignored or treated as merely a box-ticking exercise. Temperature, lack of natural light and noise levels are currently the biggest workplace wellbeing concerns to British office workers. Considering a typical day in the office can range between 7-12 hours, it is undeniable that the environment in which they work needs to accommodate and support their daily requirements in order to maximise productivity and wellbeing. A well-designed workplace with the right lighting, acoustics and air conditioning can help resolve some of these issues affecting wellbeing.
Sleeping pods are the emerging design feature in offices with nearly three in ten (29%) British office workers confirming they would be likely to use a sleep pod if it were available in their office.
Nic Pryke added: “There has been an increased focus on work-life balance and employee’s needs and sleeping pods are one of the by-products of this movement. Relaxation and meditation rooms are becoming increasingly popular and recently we installed sleeping pods in Gymshark’s new headquarters in Solihull.”
