How new office fitouts affect your staff productivity

If there was one thing working from home taught us it’s this: no one wants to return to an office that looks like an outdated hospital wing! 

Those eerie fluorescent lights; those drab blue and grey carpets; those whitewashed walls that look like they will crumble with a touch of the finger - they all combine to make a workplace where one really doesn’t want to work. 

Face it: the days of drab, sterile office spaces are well and truly over, with bright, elegant and functional spaces ushering in a new era of workplace morale and productivity. 

According to the The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace study, there are ample benefits to a more natural fitout, including increased creativity, productivity and wellbeing, the likes of which that can be created through optimising collaborative spaces, making the office a green dream, incorporating outdoor areas and providing greater flexibility for where a team wants to get things done. 

Given that new custom office fitouts have the potential to return such valuable operational rewards, it makes perfect sense that companies across Australia are ditching that sterile look in place for something more natural, practical and aesthetically-pleasing! 

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why an office refurb will change your company for the better:

1. A stunning refurbishment increases morale & productivity 

Think about it: do you want to come into a workplace, wether it be retail or office that looks like it hasn’t had a touch up since the 1970s? With all those dingy hues of brown, grey and white? Or would you prefer you and your team to come into an invigorating space that actually makes you happy to be there? 

A gorgeous, inviting space, one that contains plenty of greenery, natural material furnishings, diverse and practical workspaces and social areas is one that a team feels has been made to suit their needs. 

Humans - the last time we checked - are not yet robots, and require creative, inspirational spaces to work at their very best. There is now a great emphasis on ensuring team members feel calm, comfortable and confident in their working environments, as this is what will help them achieve their very best in the workplace. 

So, a stylish, advanced and highly functional workplace, complete with all the amenities and perks that a good team deserves, will have said team happy with their workplace and more than happy to work onsite!

2. Your office reflects your success 

Do you want to attract and maintain top talent? The kind that will keep the leads coming and the conversions growing? If so, then having a stunning office space or custom made office furniture is important for doing just that.

After all, your workplace reflects your company’s success: if you’re hanging out and trying to make deals in some gloomy, dungeon-esque office out of any given time in the last century then it’s certainly time for a rethink. 

What’s more, having a bright, functional space that your team loves will boost their productivity and, consequently, that of your company, so it should come as no surprise that office design and company success are inseparable.

3. Visitors love a stylish space 

If you’re a client-facing company then you cannot afford a dingy office space. Clients want to be impressed by their service providers, and the very first a client notices when visiting your premises is its aesthetic standard. 

No client wants to walk into a shifty workspace - they want to see that you and your colleagues take your business seriously and are in it for serious success. 

What’s more, given that the workplace design affects the team’s mood and productivity, your clients will be coming into a place where they see them happy and making serious power moves, and not a glum bunch of numbers drones who look like they’re about to slump down onto their aluminium desks…

4. It’s a part of your branding & company culture

Do you want to convey your brand as bright, spritely and up to the challenges of modern business? Or, do you want to appear as tired and drab as a miserable workplace displays? 

Company brand and culture goes far beyond a logo and well-designed website: it includes your talent, productivity and the space where you operate. Therefore, any brand that wants to be taken seriously as a competitive force should prioritise refurbishing their office space. 

A stunning aesthetic and functional workspace are imperative to taking your brand identity to the next level. Are you fun, funky and results driven? Or are you the industry battler? The kind that doesn’t mind if you and your clients are satisfied with the end result? 

The choice is yours, and we know which one we’d be taking…

5. It improves employee health 

Nothing gets a team member down more than working in a decrepit, dirty space. Gloomy lighting, yucky 70s and 80s-style finishings and stained carpets go a long way to bring down your team’s morale which, in turn, affects the individual’s morale, too. 

If someone is coming in daily to a place they find disgusting then there is a pretty high chance their mental health would be adversely affected, too. A lower standard of mental health leads to lower physical health, too, and therefore subpar furnishings and finishings should be left in the 20th Century! 

Conversely, team members absolutely thrive in a bright, welcoming space, one that shows their company cares about them and where they feel comfortable and confident to achieve their ultimate success. 

An employee that is healthy in mind and body is one that will work well for their company, and that’s a company they’re proud to be at, here are some ways you can make that happen for your company…

Ergonomic furnishings 

Okay, we get it, “ergonomic” was a buzzword that we don’t care to hear any longer. But now that it has passed its buzzword phase, it’s just another word, and one that is important when it comes to ensuring employee productivity in the office. 

This means getting rid of those nasty old computer chairs that look like they’re about to cave in on themselves and enlisting some quality ergonomic furniture; ditching those stock-standard desks and investing in some height-adjustable models, or newer desks and enlisting some comfy lounge areas for when employees need to collaborate over a chat or just have a cheeky coffee break.

Switch up the lighting sitch 

Lighting plays a huge role in employee focus and productivity. Think about it: your employees find themselves situated under these lights for, what? Six hours of the day? Therefore, it’s vitally important that they are operating in a bright and warm space that has the lighting to welcome them into another successful day. 

If you walk into the workplace yourself everyday and feel that it is a place that is as grim as a haunted penitentiary then how do you think your team feels working under it all day? 

If you hate it yourself it’s a pretty keen indication that your team isn’t loving it much, either: new light fixtures, whilst apparently subtle, play a huge role in boosting employee morale.

Get a little greenery in there

Incorporating more greenery to the inside has become one of the biggest post-pandemic trends. Why? Because those long days and months spent locked inside on gloomy winter days really invigorated our penchant for getting back into nature. 

And whilst we can’t be roaming free in the Blue Mountains or Dandenongs all day every day, we can have a little greenery planted in our offices to give it a more natural, calm and comfortable vibe. 

Maintaining office plants isn’t the most difficult thing in the world, and depending on how big and how many plants you get you could even just have a team member take care of the watering - the overall feel of the office will lift tenfold and this is ain’t really a bad thing, is it?

Is it time for a paint job? 

Okay, you probably get the idea by now: workplaces should be bright spaces! And, with this in mind, it’s time to look at your workplace’s walls and question whether it’s time for a makeover. 

Bright, natural and vivid tones are sure to invigorate your team’s creativity and optimism, creating a workspace that is one where they are truly happy to find themselves making serious power moves day in, day out.

Is there a place to chill? 

A workplace doesn’t have to operate solely as a workplace, there can also be a space for team members to hang out and have a chat. And we’re not talking about the dingy break room like the one found in The Office - we’re talking about a cosy lounge setup that is ideal for collaboration. 

Team members always need a space where they can collaborate efficiently with other departments, and given that breakout rooms aren’t always available it is probably a good idea to invest in an open area where moves can be made and team members can kick back on their breaks.

So, pretty sure we can now all see the importance of how updated office fitouts are. Let us know if you need any assistance sprucing up your space!