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Evaluating the Impact of an
Upgraded Office on
Organisational Performance
Problem
Our client wanted to move from their traditional, outdated workplace to a new, modern office that better supported their employees’ wellbeing and performance.
The client wanted to test if the upgraded space was not only cost-effective but also prioritised employee needs, performance, and experience.
Current and potential risks of not correctly analysing the new office:
- Lack of understanding of how the built environment directly impacts performance and wellbeing.
- Uninformed workplace design, leading to an unsuitable working environment that doesn’t meet employee needs.
- Unnecessary spending due to incorrect prioritisation.
Method
To address this question, we gathered data on employee experience, wellbeing, and performance from over 80 employees based at their “old” site. We collected a variety of data sources over an initial 10-week data collection period, observing
employees both in the offce and remotely. Following this, we paused data collection until employees had moved and settled into their “new” offce space, where we collected the second phase of data for an additional 10 weeks.
Findings
Whilst commute times were still perceived as a problem, the study highlighted a number of positive outcomes with respect to the upgraded office space. Notably:
- Employees reported the new office to be a 24% more desirable place to work and were 17% more active compared to when working from the previous office.
- There was a 6% improvement in cognitive performance scores in the new office compared to the old one.
- There was a significant 76% increase in high levels of natural light in the new office compared to the old, which positively impacted cognitive performance.
- Commute remained the leading limitation for coming to the office, with 35% of employees spending over 2 hours commuting each day.
Actions
⭕ Collaborate with the corporate real estate team to introduce a variety of work areas tailored to different tasks, including quiet zones, collaboration spaces, and designated areas for focused work, driving a greater balance of utilisation across the full office footprint.
⭕ Work with the HR team to adjust the office policy to a minimum office attendance of two days per week, aligning with employee preferences and enhancing workplace experience.
⭕ Work with the HR team to adjust the office policy to a minimum office attendance of two days per week, aligning with employee preferences and enhancing workplace experience.
⭕ Support the real estate team to implement acoustic solutions to mitigate noise levels, including soundproofing materials and soundscaping, to reduce noise-related impairments to productivity and cognitive performance.
Value
The value of workplace science in helping to drive informed decisions is acutely demonstrated:
- By working with management leaders to better support their employees, it can create a better working relationship and improve employee satisfaction. Research shows that 54% of managers say leadership is out of touch with their employees (Microsoft).
- The main value in the project was quantifying the impact of the office space on employees’ wellbeing and performance. In this study, we were able to approve the new space and work with the client to roll out their findings into wider portfolio decisions and workplace design.
Key Takeaways
The findings and actions delivered through this project allowed the client to test if their upgraded office space was fit for purpose.
Using this project, we were able to provide objective data-driven insights to confirm:
- More efficient space utilization through innovative workplace design.
- Cost efficiency.
- Improved employee wellbeing and performance following the office move through evidence-based, people-centric solutions.
Explore more real life examples in our solutions series and discover how our unique experience across elite sport, academic research and the corporate landscape, combined with our scientific and data-driven approach, puts us in a unique position to identify opportunities that can drive increased productivity, performance and positively impact workplace wellbeing.
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