Creating People-Centric Spaces

If you're the founder of a business or a CEO, or someone looking after an office project, you're probably, and quite rightly, thinking that you know exactly what your office needs.

You might be sitting there thinking, 'we must have a ping pong table, we've got to have a beer fridge, a slide, and grass on the floor.' But have you ever actually thought about what will people actually need?

What people need

If you're looking at getting a new office and you want to know what to include in it, go and speak to your people.

They might have a vastly different idea of what a great workspace means for them. For instance, they may not be bothered about a pool table or a beer fridge, or a slide. Instead, they might be really, really concerned that there's a gym in the nearby vicinity or that commute isn't more than 45 minutes away, or that they have showers internally so when they're biking to work, they can get refreshed again.

They might request quiet working spaces - such as pods - to go and do quiet focused work. Or they might request more collaborative zones.

[caption id="attachment_2517" align="alignnone" width="600"]

Quiet working area at our project for Vidsy.[/caption]

You see, the way we work has changed and the way the office is used is also changing, and creating a destination workspace isn't just about the fun parts. It's also about having an office that works the way your people want it to work.

Including your staff in the process will increase happiness and productivity and most importantly increase staff retention because they will feel like they have a connection to the space because they've had a positive input into the look and feel of the final space.

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Happy staff! Our project for Ecom Recruitment.[/caption]

So, what are people-centric spaces?

People-centric spaces are, as the name may suggest, spaces that are tailored to the user rather than the other way around. People should naturally function in a space, and not have to adapt in unnatural ways to conform. Humans don't function well when we're tethered to a desk for 8 hours straight, so having a space that allows people to work in a variety of ways has massive benefits. Try implementing things like:

• Sit-stand furniture

• Easy chairs and sofas

• Quiet spaces

• Collaboration zones

However, people-centricity is not just about the space, it's about the mindset of the leaders to focus on the people and their wellbeing rather than just focusing on outcomes and profits. you must consider how your people are motivated and what conditions you must provide to help them do their best work.

So if you're thinking about an office move or an office refurbishment, make sure you go and speak to your people.

Because they know how they work best.

And after all, all you want is a space where your people can be their most productive at work.

if you need a hand getting started, or want to simply chat to someone to see how you can better tailor your space to your people, get in touch with one of the team!