Why is workplace design important?
Every business owner should know that they have seven seconds to make a first impression, yet all too often, I’m left scratching my head wondering why one would even get out of bed in the morning if the appalling workplace environments are a reflection of the organisations who occupy them.
Never has workplace design been so important given the shift in demand for talent and the ever-increasing competitive world we live in, so wake up guys and get a grip! Don’t forget, you and your business are assessed by every person who steps across your threshold as I was, when viewing some London real estate just last week.
As I approached the battered front door with its flaking paint, I was met with an array of ‘no doubt highly important’ but illegible, faded and water-stained instructions sellotaped to the glass whose presence I doubt the occupants even knew were there. This however failed to prepare me for the impending gloom within! A once, ‘state of the art reception’ now overflowed with empty water machine bottles and the one remaining functioning spotlight light, conveniently threw a shadow across the coffee stained and peeling carpet tiles strategically taped down at the edges; no doubt a temporary fix following a recent health and safety audit.
I cautiously sunk into a dated and saggy black leather chair, the only seat not accommodating DHL packages, sweets for charity and various other miscellaneous items.
Already feeling claustrophobic I stared at an empty chair behind a large, veneered reception desk, which in a bygone era would no doubt have accommodated a friendly receptionist providing a warm welcome, an experience long abandoned along with the TLC which had once nourished the now leafless Yucca plant which too had given up the will to live.
So where does one start to make improvements and how much will it cost?
The answer is start now, agree a budget and do a walkthrough of the space as if it were your first visit.
Be unsparingly critical then come up with a plan. Consider immediate and costless improvements such as clearing away clutter, redundant furniture, removal of stickers and old notices and generally perform a deep clean.
Compile a list in priority order of least costly and biggest impact items which might include a coat of paint, re-lamping of light fittings, replacement flooring and entrance mat, corporate graphics and appropriate yet functional furniture. Consider too a TV with corporate video. After all, this is your chance to shine!
But, if you’re really wanting to take your space to the next level where it becomes a revenue boosting asset, now is a great time to engage with an external D&B firm to advise and oversee a more impactful renovation to the space.