Importance of Office Environment: Why Workplaces Still Matter
In March 2020, the government of India imposed a complete lockdown. When the coronavirus pandemic started to wreak havoc across the country. Since then, schools and business organizations have shifted to remote work. Most teams adapted to this new style with impressive speed. Now, over a year and a half later, as the economy slowly opens up with the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, businesses are once again realizing the true importance of office environment in shaping how teams work, connect, and grow together.
Remote work does have its own share of benefits. Flexible work hours, no travel cost or time, an opportunity to be with family and many more. However, work from home doesn’t offer the genuine connection that we, humans, crave for within a team.
We are social animals, and being connected to one another is essential for us to stay productive. Though technology keeps us connected round the clock, here are a few reasons why the importance of office environment cannot be replicated by a screen.
Office Environment Helps Increase Employee Productivity
As soon as we enter an office environment, we tend to focus more on work and spend every hour in a productive way. Unlike the flexible working hours of work from home, in an office our work hours are limited. This pushes us to spend every moment carefully towards completing a goal we set for ourselves. With flexible working hours, work from home for most employees mean working too much or too little without the need to restrict work to specific hours, thus ruining the work-life balance.
A Strong Office Environment Builds Connection and Teamwork
Working in an office creates opportunities to network with different people — those we interact with daily, and those we don’t. Offices are full of spontaneous conversations, whether over coffee or just before an important meeting begins. These small moments build a genuine sense of connection between employees and foster a feeling of belonging within the company. While technology keeps remote teams connected, those conversations tend to stay strictly work-related, missing the human element that a shared physical space naturally creates.
Benefit from the culture of your organization
A well-designed office environment boosts not just individual employee performance but the overall growth of the business too. A positive organizational culture — one built around personality development, team outings, and growth opportunities — helps promote employee well-being and lets people genuinely benefit from being part of the organization. No matter how hard we try, it’s nearly impossible to fully replicate the benefits of company culture in a remote, virtual setup. Thoughtful office interior design plays a big role here too — the physical space itself can reinforce a company’s values and encourage the kind of spontaneous interaction that builds culture. According to Harvard Business Review, workplace design has a measurable impact on collaboration and employee engagement.
Final thoughts
For social beings like us, phone calls and faces on screens can never replace the joy of being in office and working together with like-minded people towards attaining a common goal.
Within the walls of the office, real conversations take place. We are able to read expressions and communicate non-verbally too. From potluck to decorating the office on special occasions, office spaces create a different sense of belonging towards one’s company. Ten good minutes of hearty laugh or a group photo on an ethnic wear day, the time is now to realize that office spaces instill a happiness that screens can’t.
Looking to bring your team back to a workspace designed for connection, culture, and productivity? Explore our commercial interior design projects or get in touch with our team.
