FUTURE TALENT November - January 2019/2020 | Page 45

the office must act as a conduit for culture, creating a positive atmosphere , HR must be involved. Sarah Dowzell, founder and chief operating officer of start-up business Natural HR, agrees “it’s imperative that HR is involved in the design and location of any office. Design should foster productivity, collaboration, f l ex i b i l i t y a n d s o c i a l interaction between colleagues.” During her firm’s move from a small office with a shared kitchen space to its own premises in the Jewellery Quarter of B i r m i n g h a m , D ow ze l l factored in the growth of the business, selecting a space that was comfortable for both its current and potential future workforce. Shopping around for premises like a consumer, and finding spaces that fit with financial expectations, allows a business space in which to grow organically. “Look at your business plan and be realistic,” advises Dowzell. “We have a model that interlinks our financial forecasting and resource planning so we’ve mapped out which roles will be coming into the business over the next three years. We chose an office that will allow for that growth.” Whether allowing for grow th or maximising teamwork, it’s clear that effective office design is integral to getting the most o u t of yo u r p e o p l e . Regardless of budget , creating a flexible space where people can interact w i t h t h e i r wo r k a n d colleagues in different ways should lead to a happier and healthier workplace. Hopefully then, our brains will keep working when we get into the office. 2 3 4 5 People like working in their local café FREEDOM TO ROAM – AND A PLACE OF OUR OWN We may require a variety of environments to suit different modes of working, but we also crave a place of our own. A survey of UK workers by HR consultancy Brickendon found that 92% have issues with ‘hot desking’; eight in 10 report that such arrangements have had a negative effect on their mental health. At video game developer Valve’s headquarters in Washington DC, all desks are on wheels, allowing staff to move freely around the office. Staff are divided loosely into clusters called ‘cabals’ and individuals, but are free to wheel away to a quiet corner, or attach themselves to another bank of co-workers. ON TOPIC DELIVEROO HOLDS TOWN HALLS ON ITS ‘ROO-BALL’ PITCH BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN Flavie Lowres, associate director at building science centre BRE Group, describes ‘biophilia’ as “listening to the principles of nature and bringing some of these principles back into building”. For example, The World Wildlife Fund's Woking office, the Living Plant Centre, is a large open space, built on top of a car park, and filled with plants and natural wood, providing high air quality and an abundance of natural light. CO-WORKING COMMUNITIES By 2020, two-fifths of the US workforce will be independent contractors or freelancers. For both freelancers and small start- ups, co-working spaces have become a popular workspace solution, giving businesses the ability to recruit without fear of out-growing a fixed location. Melanie Paronson runs the social app Panion with her three employees out of Minc, a city-run co-working space in Malmo, Sweden. “Being in a co-working space really allows you to expand your network,” she comments. “People are willing to collaborate on shared marketing information and promotion.” O HOME FROM HOME Many co-working spaces now look more like swanky student complexes than offices. Take Second Home, whose spaces (in the UK, Portugual and US) offer features such as showers (with towels and products); in-house cafes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and lending libraries. Its Hollywood offices boast a wellness garden, recording studio, editing suite and rooftop bar. The company aims to develop a creative community and “to build spaces that help members unlock the potential of their business”. November – January 2019 // 45