Moving into another office soon? This might be the perfect opportunity to design a more work-conducive space, because an efficient office fitout can greatly boost employee morale and retention.

Cameron Edmond of HC Online reported the results of a survey conducted among 349 Australian workers, which found that 88% of the participants believe that office fitout has a significant impact on their performance:

Separate areas for entertainment/relaxation were also found to be important, with close to 90% acknowledging their importance. Despite this, only half of those surveyed actually have such areas.

With many acknowledging the importance of fitouts, it seems Australia is on the right track. The vast majority (75%) of participants said their current office has a positive influence on staff morale and retention, with 12% feeling it has a negative effect.

The survey also found that office spaces in Brisbane are generally the largest in Australia, and they have the biggest tendency to stay put. Some of the most popular office plans were open spaces and combination offices, which can be found in 90% of the offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Open plan offices, however, are not advisable as office fitouts in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. A separate study noted that this kind of layout contributes to decreased productivity among employees, since it is linked to frequent interruptions, which in turn can cause exhaustion, stress, and doubled error rates. While it is easier to shut out a call or an e-mail temporarily, ignoring co-workers is another matter altogether.

Another factor to consider is the overall well-being of each worker, especially when choosing your office’s furniture, lighting, and the like. This is where ergonomics–the science of fitting workplaces and products to human dimensions–comes in. The main aim of ergonomics is to increase safety, convenience, and overall well-being (or, in simple terms, making the office more user-friendly).

Considering your employees’ well-being is imperative for ensuring their productivity, for the workplace can also heighten the possibility of health problems. For instance, medical organisations suggest that the time a person spends sitting down can determine one’s risk of acquiring cancer, hence a person should spend less time sitting down and more time engaging in physical activities. This can be achieved with building specific areas for relaxation or other activities, which, according to the survey discussed above, only 50% of offices have. This could be a good addition when changing an office fitout in Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

To help with all of these, specialist firms such as Urban Group can provide designs which are not only functional but are also conducive to the optimum performance of your workforce.

(Source: How important is your office fitout?, HC Online)