As awareness of neurodiversity is growing, employers should take a closer look at how their organisations are fostering the growth of people with various needs and how their offices can enhance employee comfort. Many companies are choosing to redesign workspace functionalities - this may also be an opportune moment to improve acoustics, air quality, lighting, and fit-out materials. Experts of global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield who design work environments for clients on a daily basis have audited their Warsaw office to identify areas for improvements that could benefit people with diverse cognitive styles.
In sync with the daily rhythm
The impact of office space on employee wellbeing has become a focal point of interest for employers and designers who follow evolving workplace expectations. In-office days vary, depending on how we feel, the type of assignments to complete, personal life experiences, as well as individual cognitive styles associated, for instance, with diagnosed ADHD, dyslexia or sensory processing disorders. This means that our workspace needs are ever changing. Workspace analysis is, therefore, advisable to answer the question how well office spaces meet a team’s actual needs and whether we have a choice of how we want to work on a particular day and what we need to work efficiently,”
explains Mariola Bitner, Head of Workplace, Cushman & Wakefield.
For example, proper acoustics resulting from the use of sound-absorbing materials, appropriate wall structures, and space divisions will translate into less noise distraction for employees and better productivity. This may be particularly helpful to people with sound hypersensitivity that is likely to cause anxiety or a stress reaction. If unwanted background noise is an issue in the office, you may want to give out noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to your team, introduce open-plan work etiquette and - most importantly - provide space for focused work and video calls,”
explains Mariola Bitner.
One of the most desirable office features by employees is the presence of greenery, whether through natural plants or patterns on wallpaper or furniture upholstery. Biophilic design incorporating nature items such as plants, natural materials and patterns may have a therapeutic effect. The addition of plants is a relatively simple trick to enhance an employee experience. What’s more, greenery improves acoustics and air quality in the office,”
adds Mariola Bitner.
An audit at the source, or Cushman & Wakefield testing its office
In creating our Warsaw office we began with the assumption that we are all different and have different work styles. We have extensive experience in office design and know that the office should foster both collaboration and individual work, promote creativity and enable focused work. We don’t see an attractive, functional office as an extra benefit - it is, in fact, one of the basic tools in fostering employees’ personal growth. Its organisation translates, above all, into operational efficiency for all of us. And at the same time, a user-friendly and compelling work environment allows us to build a long-term competitive advantage and to attract talent. So, let us boldly embrace the office design process and give it the time and attention it deserves,”
says Krzysztof Misiak, Head of Cushman & Wakefield Poland.
We opted for the audit because we wanted to begin the office design change process with ourselves. At Cushman & Wakefield, we embraced inclusivity which we want to promote more widely. I hope that we will transfer all the lessons learned from this project to our clients’ projects,”
says Mariola Bitner.
There are also some unusual places in our office such as a meditation and yoga room, a massage room and focus rooms - they were met with positive feedback. However, the audit also helped us identify areas for improvement: signage for better navigation in the office or colour temperature controllers,”
adds Mariola Bitner.
The audit was an interesting exercise for us; it demonstrated how well we managed to design an office that suits the diverse needs of our employees. Inclusivity is one of our top priorities which we are implementing across our organisation, and creating an office that addresses these needs was a key step in the implementation of our strategy. What the audit made particularly clear to us is that the office space must align with the firm’s culture and values,”
concludes Krzysztof Misiak.