On average people spend 10 hours a day or over 2000 hours in a year in the office which is equivalent to 90 days in a year and yet we care so little about how offices should be! There has been a lot of buzz around High Performance Buildings in the last few years but hardly anyone talks about “High Performance Offices (HPOs)”, which I believe just like High Performance Buildings, should integrate and optimize all major high-performance attributes such aesthetics, energy efficiency, sustainability, safety, engagement, experience, and occupant productivity.

Several studies have proven that the quality of workspace directly affects employees morale, productivity and health. On the contrary over the years employers have rarely invested in the intangible aspect of offices which has proven counter-productive. For all of us the aim should be the creation of a positive, serviced and well-supported workplace experience.

Below are the Top 5 reasons why employers should invest in beautiful High Performance Offices:

1. Enhanced Productivity

A beautiful office with high dose of natural light, fresh air and greenery can do wonders to employees concentration and productivity. The key issues that admin managers (and increasingly HR leaders) grapple with daily are stale air, a lack of natural light, fluctuating temperatures, and a disconnection to nature. A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology comparing commercial offices with and without plants found that employees at offices with plants reported higher levels of concentration. People spend 90% of their office hours indoors and hence presence of stale air and bad lighting can hamper cognitive abilities. Do we need further evidence to connect ourselves with nature even at work?

2. Higher Retention

What better way to attract and retain talent than providing a high performance, beautiful and productive workplace that engages and inspires them? This is so important when you are scaling up your business and want the best out of your team during challenging time. A beautiful and elegant office can also become a part of the brand story, boost company’s reputation and attract better talents especially senior managements.

3. Better Health

High Performance Offices (HPOs) are connected to the environment through generous amounts of sunlight, greenery and natural materials. A better ventilation, improved flow of fresh air and presence of natural environment can lead to reduction in absenteeism through improved health and wellness. According to research by Wageningen University and scientific company Fytagoras people who work in an office that has plants in it took 20% less sick leaves than people working in rooms with no plants. This means more working hours available to the employers and hence better numbers for both topline and bottomline of the company.

4. Improved Company Culture

Workspaces should be an experience for employees and not just an office space. HPOs are not only about aesthetics and sustainability but also about creating a culture that values fun, transparency and engagement. Such a culture helps organisations in attracting, developing, and retaining employees. An office with greenery, natural light and open seating arrangement creates not just a connection with nature but also a connection with the company culture and with each other.

5. Lower Operational Cost

Last but not the least technology can play a vital role in improving the performance of offices. Office automation, efficient HVAC system (AC), artificial lighting, water efficient fixtures, and lighting systems can assure sustainable consumption of resources and hence lower operational costs. When retrofitting an office with the types of improvements associated with high performance offices, energy costs would come down by ~25% and maintenance by approximately 10% as per our experience.

Conclusion

It is clear that employee performance and outlook are connected to the environmental conditions in which they work. So, what can organizations do to promote office conditions that support the well-being of their workforce? Employers should not look at offices as a real estate “cost centre” but as a “strategic tool” to engage, motivate, retain, and hire employees. It is heartening to see that attitudes towards real estate are changing, as focus shifts from having cheap real estate solutions to creating high performance offices. Real estate has a critical role to play in the push for increased corporate productivity.

PS: At ClayWorks Workspace is an Experience, and NOT just an “Office” 🙂 Do visit our website for more details.

-Rahul Singh, Co-Founder, ClayWorks