What does an ideal workplace look like?

S M Saad

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In today’s fast-paced world obsessed with outcome and returns, what would a potential employee look at before becoming a part of that sub-culture? 

Pay, perks and perceived image of the company are important but may not directly affect the quality of life in the office. Some may even consider these to be superficial but then again, everyone’s following it; to an extent that the ‘floor-them’ game has gone up by several notches. Expansive work areas, avant-garde technology, and blinding colors and lights are already on the impressive credentials of most global organisations, if not all.

So, while the companies do acknowledge that the focus should be just as much on the employees as on its yearly targets, they’re yet to achieve the seemingly elusive — ideal workspace. The good part, however, is that the stakeholders are taking a step in the right direction; they do realise that the employees should feel good about going to work and spending major time in being away from home. 

In light of the above, if employee centricity is so crucial then how can it be best encouraged? One key factor that sets the tone is the design and planning of the operational working zones. Learnings in the realm of social relationships, behaviour patterns and neuroscience is leading to a greater understanding of our physical work areas. Considering that there are tools and subsequent research to support these studies, it makes us feel that never before there’s been a better intervention of design in an organizational setup.

You’ll be surprised to know how some of the unassuming design variations can exponentially bring about a positive change. Let’s take a brief look at some of them.

Noise reduction

As lucrative they might appear, open offices are more likely to perceive noise than those in cellular offices. Scientists have long focused on the acoustics of a space but the submissions are now getting downright scientific. The perfect note is around 70 dB – loud enough to keep the creative energies flowing, and not so silent to make one feel trapped. 

Tryst with Nature

Organisations have gone beyond the potted workspace theory and are focusing on more effective means of being one with our natural environs. One of them being the ambient lighting, which has been supplemented by many studies — the more we can replicate natural lighting the better it is for workers’ mood and morale. 

Desk design

Spending at least 30-40 per cent time standing at work can greatly reduce back pain and obesity-related problems. It’s hence no surprise that some of the world’s best corporations are now issuing adjustable standing desks to their employees. 

Another crucial element of desk design is its height which is mistaken to be around 30 inches in India. Instead of this European standard, companies here should keep the ideal height between 26-29 inches because it’s rationally based on average Indian’s height (5’6”).

Distance between workers

There’s a definite relationship between organisational interaction and the seating between two or more employees. How far one has to walk from his/her desk to someone else’s workstation impacts the likelihood of interaction between them. Some studies indicate even peculiar thresholds — for instance, sitting 80-foot away from someone is more likely to reduce the possibility of a conversation than if the distance was lesser. 

— The writer is Proprietor of Green & Cobalta