Businesses should adopt teams of ‘workplace guardians’ to curate work spaces that support employee wellbeing and overall business performance, international support services and construction group Interserve has said.
The findings come as part of a new study from the company, Designing and delivering effective workplace experiences – a practical guide, which calls on businesses to shift their focus away from functional issues, such as cost per square metre, and towards the productivity boost that can be delivered through well-designed work spaces which engage employees and make them feel valued.
Interserve’s report sets out a six-stage programme for businesses to create effective workplace experiences which it says should be led by a team of experienced workplace coordinators or ‘guardians’ – a process that sees workplaces shaped by employees, for employees.
The six stages outlined in the study include: developing a workplace brief that aligns with wider business objectives, brand and personality; synthesising ideas from a team of technical, business and creative specialists; mapping people’s interactions with the wider work environment; developing a detailed design specification; honing solutions to create a joined-up experience; and managing the workplace experience over time.