As the role of the office has evolved over the last century, it has become as much a cultural hub as a functional workspace. It's where company values are expressed at their best, where collaboration thrives and where a sense of organisational identity is most tangible. A well-designed workspace reinforces the core focus of the organisation, and cultivates interpersonal connection, ultimately developing strong relationships. This creates resilience in times of change and pressure, and therefore is essential in a world of fluctuation.
In an era where remote work is widespread, many employees—especially younger professionals—are experiencing increased loneliness and a reduced sense of belonging. Without regular in-person interaction, it's easy to feel disconnected from both colleagues and the company itself.
These factors contribute significantly to staff turnover and disengagement - in fact, a recent McKinsey survey found that over half of employees who left their jobs in the past 6 months did not feel valued by their organisation or manager, or lacked a sense of belonging.
.png)
The objective of the workspace must be that every time someone pays a visit, they feel an increased sense of connection: an environment in which your people feel 'at home'. Home must provide a reassuring balance of stimulation and simple stability. To do that, it must include a mix of spaces that encourage interaction and engagement with other work family members, but also quieter spaces for personal unwinding, and the opportunity for deeper one-to-one conversations with managers and senior colleagues.
The perfect balance will feel safe, inclusive and supportive to your people - a parallel experience to what is felt at home. If this is truly achieved, then every visit to the office will achieve the desired mission: an experience of returning 'home' to the work family.
.png)
In the face of unsettling change all around, there is opportunity for organisations to provide a haven of stability for their people, and those who do so will be the ones that earn team loyalty and business growth, and ultimately reduce attrition and discontent.
Our Workplace Dynamics workshop, the first step in our process that clarifies the type of space that will support culture-enriching behaviours. We work with you and your teams to identify the habits, activities and interactions that foster an unmissable atmosphere. Having established these practices, this lays the foundation for a fantastic work environment which will rival the experience at home.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.webp)
.webp)
