A Workplace
Transformation
In a post-pandemic world, competition for top employees is fierce as employees have shifted careers or taken early retirement. The so-called “Great Resignation” has put our most qualified labour clearly in the driver’s seat. Employers must now reinvent the office environment to attract and retain the best of the best.
It will fall largely to HR professionals in partnership with architects, interior designers, and facilities managers to influence and revolutionize workplace design. Workplaces built only to maximize space efficiency or create an arcade of recreational activities are no longer desirable.
Contemporary workplaces will stimulate collaboration and communication in spaces with a positive sense of place, focusing on creativity and inspiration in a healthier way. Companies must cultivate their culture, creating spaces with a positive sense of place where people choose to gather and contribute toward a greater purpose.
The Office Design
Revolution
A healthy workplace, rich in natural elements and vegetation used to be a luxury. Now in the midst of a stressed labor market, it is a necessity. Access to nature is increasingly critical for employee mental health, productivity, and overall wellbeing.
Ann Hoffman, IFMA, NCIDQ, LEED AP, Director of Workplace Strategies at FCArchitects. wrote in the article “The New Workplace Formula” for WorkDesign.com leaders who brush aside issues surrounding health and wellness do so at their own risk.
“Workplaces have embraced designs that champion natural light, biophilia and healthy habits for over a decade. The conversation must now shift to include C-Suite leadership and human resources to define the cultural hybrid for wellness in their office.”
“Offering the unexpected can give employees the sense that the company cares about them and has put thought behind what they will experience in the physical workplace. Experiences that focus on the individual offer the most opportunity for elevating the space,” writes Hoffman.
And now, more than ever, the financial metrics line up with building nature and humanity into the workplace.
In 2015, “The Human Spaces report into The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace“ led by organizational psychologist Professor Sir Cary Cooper found employees who work in environments with natural elements report a 15% higher level of well-being, are 6% more productive, and 15% more creative overall.
It concluded that office design was so important to workers that a third (33%) of global respondents stated it would unequivocally affect their decision whether to work somewhere.
According to the Human Spaces report, natural light is the most desired workplace element (44%). Live indoor plants are the second most desired workplace element (20%), followed by quiet working space, a view of water, and bright colours.
Unfortunately, even today, more than half of all workplaces still have no plants in them at all (58%).
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A Workplace
Solution
“Okay, I’m sold on the importance of incorporating plants & natural elements into my workplace, but how do I start making these changes?”
First of all, Aquatopia can help, and your employees have your back.
The biggest hurdle to making a change in a workplace is the change itself. Nobody likes change. However, convincing staff that adding plants and natural elements to the office is a good idea is like trying to get a person dying of thirst to drink water. No employee ever said, “Ugh, get those plants out of here!”
Plants represent a symbolic commitment to a clean office environment, even outside any measurable data. People understand plants can improve air quality and create a sense of peace and better health. By extension, this gives employees the feeling that their company’s management cares about their wellbeing.
Secondly, office plants are typically far less expensive than people think. Installation of workplace greenery within an existing project adds less than one percent to your interior buildout budget. And one month of professional plant care costs less than buying lunch for employees once a month – the equivalent of a single premium espresso coffee per day.
Finally, we will manage the entire process for you. Simply contact our team to arrange a time for a site visit, so we can photograph your workspace, measure light levels, evaluate office décor design, and discuss budgets. Our horticultural experts will prepare a full proposal with all plant & container options, imagery, pricing, and ongoing maintenance recommendations for your review. Once a decision to proceed is made, most installations can be completed within 30 days.