Designing an effective work place

When I first glanced at the link below my initial reaction was that the recession must nearly be over. When firms start to advertise the benefits of the office you could be working in, it’s usually a sign that they are having trouble finding recruits for their organisation. But watch it anyway as the clip raises several interesting points about how work place design could influence workforce performance.

How to spruce up the work place

Back before the recession, firms like Google were looking to attract applicants (and presumably keep the staff that they had) by hyping up the ‘delights’ of their wacky workplace. I was a little bit dubious about several of the claims being made (although I guess it could be fun, for a while). The reporter in the video clip above uses the word ‘gimmick’ when describing the HQ of hip firm Trunki . What do you think?

Of course, there’s nothing new in the desire businesses have always had to create workplaces that maximise employee productivity. You might have heard of the famous Hawthorn Effect and it’s an issue worth giving some consideration to.

I often ask students to think about the possible business implications of encouraging staff to work from home and that issue is addressed afresh by the BBC at why can’t everyone telework?. Last winter I asked Is ‘working from home’ a skive?