A company’s workspace has the ability to speak volumes about employees, productivity, goals, and doubly so about company culture. Meanwhile, the connection between creating an inclusive, collaborative, and inspiring workplace culture and office furniture may not seem obvious, there’s indeed a direct connection. At the end of the day, the quality and the design of the furnishings chosen can impact productivity and employee satisfaction.
It’s important to carefully consider all office staples in a building. For example, popular and useful, workplace cubicles offer privacy for employees while encouraging working in solitude. On the other hand, open and shared conference tables will likely stimulate collaborative work, conversation, and discussions. Both working formats have their advantages and setbacks, which is why office furniture should complement workplace culture as well as portraying the right image.
The ideal decor helps reflect values in a workplace, which in turn translates to 33% higher revenue (according to a Gallup poll) by attracting the right talents. As a result, there are numerous steps that are necessary to ensure that the office furniture present in the working environment represents workplace culture and complements the place on the whole. How does a business owner successfully achieve all of this?
The first step is to take into consideration the values that the working space should emphasize. There are quite a few options for each one, such as:
Creativity
Selecting a lively and bold color scheme showcases a focus on creativity. Employees will also enjoy working in a unique setting by employing standing desks, pedal exercisers, and treadmill desks. Take into consideration inspiring industry figures and hang them in the hallway or common areas. It’s also crucial to encourage employees to share their creativity and ideas in a non-judgmental manner.
Timeless Appeal
Selecting a working office design with a timeless and elegant appeal can speak volumes about the quality of work in the office. If the company culture is meant to reflect elegance and luxury, selecting high-end designer furnishings with comfort in mind will send the right message.
Wooden furniture offers a timeless design and a natural feel. Consider including some wooden coffee tables in a general area to inspire connectedness and a place for casual team meetings.
Technology Oriented
As the world embraces more and more technology, it’s crucial that many company cultures also reflect embracing modernization. Tech driven furniture can help accentuate these office values through the use of docking stations, digital whiteboards, high-resolution monitors, and smart building management systems. Employees will become more productive as a result while also having a sense of pride working in a modern digitized space.
Collaboration
Teamwork and collaboration are the backbones of success for many office environments. For workplaces where a collaborative culture is crucial to success, it’s wise to remove boundaries such as cubicles or isolated desks in favor of desk benches, common large work tables, and modular sofas. Reading rooms and break rooms with a cafe-style can further give the space comfort.
The easiest way to determine workplace culture in an office is to simply ask employees for their input. Informal employee chats can help offer valuable insight as to how objective parties perceive working conditions. Most importantly, they can also share decor and furniture ideas that they believe would best represent company values.