Continuing our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, Vantage Spaces write about biophilia, health, wellbeing = business efficiency.
We know that the simplest things make a real difference. Walking into work to the smell of freshly ground coffee. Connecting with nature through green walls and plants.
Biophilia is described as ‘an innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world’ and means “love of life” from bio- + -philia. There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that by incorporating simple changes into our working environments, we can increase our health and wellbeing which in turn impacts business efficiency.
Biophilic design recognises that we are unconsciously connected to nature and that this connection within the spaces that we live and work in can positively influence our physical and psychological health.
This biophilic principle is one of the most flexible aspects when it comes to design. Typically, colours that occur naturally (especially green) are used in conjunction with materials such as cork or distressed wood.
Simply adding a touch of greenery with something as small as indoor plants can have major positive benefits for employees, enabling them to feel more in tune with nature and making their day simply better.
There is a variety of ways to incorporate greenery into the workplace in addition to floor standing or table top solutions. Living or replica walls, moss walls, hanging plants, wall art and planter tops are now a staple in the modern office due to wellbeing becoming such an important factor for employees. In fact, Human Spaces study The Global Impact of Biophilic Design in the Workplace (2015) reports that plants are the second most wanted element in the workplace.
Creating a more natural environment in your office is said to enhance employee performance, including memory retention, reduced staff turnover and deterring stress related illness. Being able to enjoy natures beauty and feel more connected to the outside world can ultimately lead to happier and healthier employees and visitors alike.
Another way to ensure natural wellbeing is by encouraging employees to stay hydrated throughout the day. A reduction in dehydration levels of as little as 2% of body weight can influence mood, leading to greater feelings of fatigue and reduced levels of alertness1. Investing in a water cooler for your employees can serve as a reminder to keep hydrated while also preventing the need to purchase bottled water.
The workplace today is constantly evolving, and the moral views and wellbeing requirements of the modern worker are changing with it. Employers are having to keep up with the demand for the changing office but these ‘simply better’ and easy to implement changes will add instant results into your place of work.
1 Masento NA et al. Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood. Br J Nutr 111(10):1841-52
Guest post by Vantage Spaces,
delegates and exhibitors at Workplace Trends London on 17 October 2018.
With almost a third of those over 60 still in the workforce, a new retirement age is on the cards. For those looking to enter the job market, they may have to compete with an older workforce for a position. But it’s not all about the money, those above retirement age are holding onto their jobs for other reasons too. The ideation of those at retirement age dancing a jig on their last day at the office in order to spend their time travelling and fishing are slowly coming to an end as retirees decide to keep their expertise within the job market.
While it’s no secret that those at retirement age can hardly afford to retire, the financial drawcard isn’t the only one keeping retirees fixed to their posts. There is a strong sense of still wanting to be part of a thriving society and being able to contribute to the economy holds a stronger pull than the possibility of spending endless days tinkering away in a garage or hobby room. While the percentage of the older workforce hit a record low of 10.1% in 1995, this figure doubled to close to 20% by 2015.
While those at retirement age have the option to take their retirement benefits, they may want to delay the retirement withdrawals as long as they can. This not only allows them to build a bigger lump sum for later, but may also help them secure a bigger monthly income. In fact, in some instances, benefits can be up to 76% bigger for those who wait until 70 to retire. Those who are in debt can reduce their payments in this period and perhaps even settle their debt. This allows them to have more funds available for travel and unexpected medical expenses.
While a large portion of older citizens who decide not to put down the tools just yet do so because they want to remain part of an active society, necessity still drives a large portion of seniors who work beyond their retirement date. With the market slump of 2008, many who are at retirement age now have to make up a significant portion of their retirement savings again as they have suffered huge losses. The UK still loses up to £6,000 in lost income due to this event. Brexit may also have an effect on the job market and those wishing to re-enter the job market after the proposed exit might not find a suitable position.
Working beyond retirement is the perfect way to remain engaged and for those who enjoyed their corporate journey, retiring just based on age is simply not an option. The financial benefits can’t be neglected either.
Author: freelance writer Lucy Wyndham
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Continuing our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, neuroscience and sensory processing expert Tania Barney looks at the growing number of distractions around us, and what individuals can do to minimise their impact.
Email alerts, social media, people walking by and colleagues on the phone. The list of distractions goes on… This constant stream of disruptions in the workplace are not only annoying, they are also costly for your business. How much time do you lose each day due to distractions?
Research suggests that:
How do we find a way to reduce all these distractions and make the most of the time available?
What are the key things that distract you? Is your work flow disrupted more by sights, sounds, boredom, or your own thoughts? Our unique sensory wiring means that different people are distracted by different things.
Once you are clear on the main distractions, use a problem solving approach to find solutions. As we are all different, there is not a one size fits all approach. Some ideas include:
It is not possible to sustain optimal attention and focus for the whole day. We are more productive when we work for focused blocks of time of 90 – 120 minutes. Then have a break, shift your focus, get up and move (but try not to distract those around you!).
Here’s to a more productive week!
Guest post by Tania Barney of Tania Barney Consultancy and Training.
Tania will be speaking with Paige Hodsman of Ecophon about ‘Designing for Differences: Neurophysiological Factors and Office Acoustics’ at Workplace Trends London on 17 October 2018.
In our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, conference manager Maggie Procopi discusses biomimicry and biophilia, which have been engaging topics of discussion at recent conferences.
Over recent years at our Workplace Trends Conferences we’ve been lucky enough to welcome Michael Pawlyn and later Richard James MacCowan to speak on biomimicry, as well as Bill Browning and Oliver Heath on biophilia.
They enthralled audiences with tales of how the natural world can solve human problems through design solutions (biomimicry) and by satisfying our innate need to connect with nature (biophilia).
But biomimicry is more than just the famous design solutions we hear about, like the stability, aesthetics and economies of the Eden Project’s bubble raft shapes, or Sharklet Technologies printing sharkskin patterns onto adhesive film, which repels bacteria and so is ideal for installation in schools and hospitals, or harvesting water in the desert like the Stenocara Beetle.
Biomimicry casts its net wider than just design. The human race has only been here a fraction of the time that nature has. We can look to the wild world for tips and best practice on people management and leadership. Just Google and learn – from how a wolf pack works to the way a beehive operates and ant colonies manage themselves.
Most interestingly for the workplace is that nature never throws anything away, unlike our largely linear economy (make, use, dispose).
In a 2010 TED talk, ‘Using Nature’s Genius in Architecture’, Michael Pawlyn illustrated a ‘close-looped system’ (circular economy) with the ‘Cardboard to Caviar Project’. Put simply, restaurant waste was turned into horse bedding, then fed to worms, which were fed to fish, whose caviar was then served at the same restaurant. Nothing is wasted, and the whole process is economically and environmentally profitable.
Over the past 10 years, PwC has systematically applied the principles of the Circular Economy to its business. I’m especially delighted that Bridget Jackson from PwC will be sharing their experiences at our up-coming conference on 17 October 2018. It’s a story that has inspired BITC to create a Circular Office programme, with c. 75 companies now signed up to follow suit.
So as well as pondering the FM budget sheet, we need to take a hard look at the contents of our bins at home and work. What things need never be in existence at all (over-packaging, I cry!), what might be reused, what might be properly recycled?
Post by Maggie Procopi, event manager of the Workplace Trends and Design & Management of Learning Environments Conferences.
This article was originally published at FM World.
Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash
Further in our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, top workplace recruiter James Saunders looks at the benefits for him of attending the conference.
Workplace Trends London 2018 is fast approaching and I’m already looking forward to it.
Last year it was great to meet more workplace professionals, network with existing clients and candidates, along with learning more of the industry from some great speakers. All the topics for this year are going to be compelling, with Artificial Intelligence as one area which I’m particularly interested in. Hearing that AI could be changing how the workplace is not only designed, but what it could mean for the future of Workplace Recruitment and similarly other industries, will be invaluable knowledge for me.
For most that know me, you will know I’m professional and love the workplace world, but also enjoy a bit of humour and apply a common-sense approach – Last year I was met with several tongue and cheek comments (mostly from those I knew) as to the surprise of a ‘recruiter’ attending an Industry Workplace event!
I welcome such conversations and I attend because I enjoy it and it adds value to my work. I find it a real benefit attending Workplace events throughout the year, so I can understand more about the industry, and specifically the thoughts on future ways of working and thinking for the workplace community.
Having this industry knowledge from guest speakers and professionals allows me to further understand the sector, clients and candidates; by knowing the latest trends and topics, along with a solid understanding of my clients’ businesses, I can present the right workplace professionals to the right companies. I like to work as a partner to my clients, providing advice and introductions to available talent in the industry as well as taking on specific headhunting assignments. The event is a great place to meet new professionals, who may just know me as the ‘workplace recruiter’ on LinkedIn, and to catch up with some of my current clients and candidates who will also be attending.
To anyone in the workplace industry, I would highly recommend attending Workplace Trends 2018 – it may just give you an idea of what the industry could look like in the next 5-10 years, you’ll meet your industry peers, oh and if you are lucky you may bump into me!
Guest post by James Saunders of The Talent Locker.
James will be one of our exhibitors at Workplace Trends London on 17 October 2018.
Photo thanks to rawpixel on Unsplash
60% of millennial employees plan to leave their company by 2020, according to a survey by Deloitte.
Unlike their older counterparts whose challenges would generally be solved by a salary increase, the problems of millennials are not largely salary-related. In a bid to hold onto their millennial employees, companies are offering more and more perks. The good news is that the perks that may attract millennials are not necessarily the most expensive but they may require the employer to think outside the box. Here are some perks employers in the UK are successfully using to persuade millennials to stay with their companies.
64 percent of millennials are interested in company perks. This is in contrast to 54 percent of Baby Boomers, for example. In the eyes of the millennials, perks should come as a standard (and not a bonus) with any job. A simple gift can show an employee that you appreciate her work in a way a bonus cannot. Enterprising employers can save money on gifts for employees by subscribing for curated boxes of product bundles. These boxes can be chosen to meet the tastes of certain employees and are usually offered at a fraction of what they would normally cost at retail outlets.
One of the number one desires of many millennials is to work for a company that has a work-life balance. Many employers shudder at the mere thought of reducing their employees’ work hours. Companies can, however, help their employees to get more time for their families without sacrificing time they would otherwise use to work. Johnson and Johnson has a service which runs errands on behalf of employees. This includes booking concert tickets and things like that. IBM, Accenture, and GE are known to help nursing millennial mothers to transport breast milk home when they have travelled abroad for work.
Millenial employees value experiences over things or money. Over three out of four millennials would prefer to spend money on an event or experience as opposed to buying something, according to findings by the events company Eventbrite. That is why companies like Yahoo offer concert tickets, backyard barbecues, and all-expenses-paid trips to foreign countries.
80 percent of millennials are interested in working for a company that has an arrangement for student loan repayment assistance. Companies like Pricewaterhouse Coopers have implemented this avenue of giving perks. Helping with student loans can help a company attract millennials.
Perks are an invaluable part of the compensation package for most employees. Because Millenials are very conscious of their employer company’s culture and values, perks are especially important for them. Companies in the UK are experimenting to discover the perfect perks for this demographic. Running errands for the employees, contributing to their student loan assistance repayment package, and sponsoring them to go for unforgettable events have been proven to be an effective perk for millennials.
Author: freelance writer Lucy Wyndham
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Continuing our series of guest blogs by speakers and supporters of our up-coming Workplace Trends Autumn Conference in London: People, Place, Performance, Herman Miller’s Mark Catchlove asks, “Have you heard it all before?” (Looking at our programme we don’t think so!)
Agile Working, The Future of Work, The Generations at Work, Social Capital in The Workplace, An Engaged Workforce, New Ways of Working – the list goes on and on.
I know some of you reading this may well have heard all there is to hear about these subjects and there will also be some amongst you think the subjects have been overdone. The reality is however, that you are in an elite and somewhat privileged minority. As I travel around Europe delivering seminars, I find that there is still a thirst for insight into these and many more subjects looking at the role workplace can play in today’s business world. Many are interested in what’s happening now, as well as what the future may hold, so that they can improve the whole work and workplace experience.
Seminars are attended by a range of people with a variety of agendas.
One thing I always ensure is that the occupiers attending realise that whilst what we share may add to their knowledge bank, they will benefit from working with experienced and trained consultants to maximise the opportunity to deliver a great outcome.
So, please be patient with those of us who regularly commission and share workplace knowledge. I know you may have heard it all before, but I hope you will accept that not everyone has.
If you are knowledgeable about workplace matters, why not look at ways you can share some of the knowledge in interactive workshops, or even by putting yourself forward to speak at the many conferences that are now being organised.
There is also the added benefit of networking in a real, rather than a virtual environment. Don’t ever underestimate the value of networking in the current climate. You never know, you might even learn something new.
“I work best when I’m pushed to the edge. When I’m at the point where my pride is subdued, where I’m an innocent again” Bill Stumpf
Guest post by Mark Catchlove, Herman Miller.
First published at Mark Catchlove’s Blog
Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels
In this guest post Christopher Glass of workagile describes the concept of Salutogenic Design.
What if health became the basis for judging every public space, every building, every workplace and every home?
Carolyn-Rickard-Brideau explains salutogenic design as “A measurable aspect of design that can help people operate at peak performance and help them to maintain physical and mental wellbeing. It is the ultimate investment in people in an architectural sense.”
Coined by Anton Antonovsky, Salutogenesis links health with the ability to comprehend, manage and apply meaning to stress, understood as a “sense of coherence.” The higher the sense of coherence, the less negative the impact of stress will have on mental and physical health. The three factors integral to a sense of coherence are:
Salutogenesis is thus most easily explained as the opposite to pathogenesis – fighting disease and illness once a condition has appeared. Whilst we hear a lot about fitness, managing diet and taking time to pause effectively in our day to day lives, there are more subtle aspects to the promotion of good health that are particularly relevant to the design of the workspace – daylight, sound, colour, ability to interact with nature, space, human interaction, empowerment, privacy and more. As people are likely to spend between 80,000 and 100,000 hours of their lives at work, it is critical that workplace design is a solutogenic design.
Dilani and many other architects, designers and theorists have begun to further explore Antonovsky’s salutogenesis theory and to approach architecture, interior design and urban design through a salutogenic lens. In doing so, they have provided useful framework to guide designers and planners who want to consider how the physical environment impacts wellness factors in order to promote health. Mapping design attributes to Antonvosky’s sense of coherence factors could look something like this:
In workspace design, elements of salutogenic design are becoming apparent as designers create spaces that encourage activity, creating outside work spaces, making internal stairs more engaging to encourage their use, and laying out enriched environments that provide the variety and novelty that humans instinctively seek.
The ideal spatial framework for salutogenic design is thought to translate into three key components: welcoming spaces for meeting and social exchange, familiar spaces for orientation and reassurance and quiet spaces for focus and/or restoration.
Designers are now beginning to understand the importance of designing restorative elements in buildings – these typically involve views to natural settings and biophilic elements that provide a sense of scale, offering a calming evolutionary memory which has been shown to reduce blood pressure and stress levels. These places provide a place for unconscious processing in the brain and allow a renewal of attention and focus.
Spaces are now being considered as complex ecological systems where salutogenic design intervention can lead to new structures of interaction, new resources, and individual, social, and organisational learning.
In the design world, Salutogenic design is being evaluated and endorsed through vehicles such as the Delos WELL Building Certification which focuses not just on those well-known elements of the wellness industry such as air, water and light but also elements associated with comfort, nourishment, fitness and mind. Salutogenic design has been shown to provide sensory design with high outputs, be cost-effective, sustainable and require very little maintenance.
Whilst biophilic design is about engaging with nature and natural elements to help with the restoration process, salutogenic design encompasses these elements and much more with the aim of encouraging active health, productivity and efficiency. It is easy to see why salutogenic design is beginning to represent international best and emerging practice in workspace design.
Guest post by Christopher Glass of workagile.
Workagile will be at our Workplace Trends London conference on 15 October 2019.
In the first of our guest posts from supporters and contributors to our Workplace Trends London Conference on 17 October 2018, Vanessa Champion of Argenta Wellness takes a look at biophilia for the workplace and in healthcare.
For many of you reading this article, you’ll likely know all about it, or at least have heard the terms “biophilia” or “biophilic design” used in various magazines or newspapers, in fact I see it’s recently been covered in media outlets as random as NBC and the Daily Mail.
Companies like yours and mine, if you subscribe to these wonderful Workplace Trends updates, know the huge benefits that nature, biophilic and human-centric design can bring, not only to our health and wellbeing but also to companies’ staff retention and bottom lines. And it is also likely that you, like us, are creating some amazing spaces and transforming lives.
At Argenta Wellness, we were established after witnessing first hand, the total difference a simple image of nature made in an NHS isolation ward. From a view of a grey messy pinboard, dustbin and clock, the patient’s view was transformed into a vista of calm and beauty. Doctors and nurses commented on what a positive and refreshing difference it made, and were amazed that the print could be cleaned and was hospital grade. I suppose they were used to Ikea prints that harbour dust and the subject matter of New York taxis in a traffic jam is not that appropriate for inducing calmness and wellbeing! As founder of our company, I now have a personal bee in my bonnet to bring nature into every NHS in the country. If you would like to join us on this journey, let’s talk!
The thing is, while I am talking with heads of procurement for acute care wards, it is the administration staff and also other suppliers who are approaching us to bring biophilic enhancements into their offices too. Knowing the value and understanding the qualitative evidence-based research that has been done on biophilic design in workplaces and hospitals has been key in unlocking interest and sales. It’s not all pretty pictures and pricing.
I honestly don’t think it will be long before Jo Public will start sharing and shouting #biophilia from the rooftops, Instagramming like mad and over-taking #hygge and #lagom as the new must-have trendy term. The important thing though, is for us as professionals and pioneers of biophilic design to ensure that people are educated properly, that they understand what it is, what types of images make a difference, what lighting is best, what shapes and spaces make for happier homes and workplaces. Events such as these inspirational conferences run by Workplace Trends, bring us all together, one big voice and a strong movement to make people’s lives better. Our company is one piece in the biophilic jigsaw puzzle, which is why we work with designers, innovators, disruptors and other suppliers, together we can make a bigger positive impact.
I am learning all the time, and I am excited how future workplaces will look, heartened by media coverage of the benefits of biophilia, although they are churning out the same quotes from EO Wilson. Maybe there is a need for a “standard” in biophilic design? I’d be on the board like a shot!
Guest post by Vanessa Champion of Argenta Wellness
Photo copyright Vanessa Champion.
Vanessa and Argenta Wellness will be at our supporting exhibition at Workplace Trends London on 17 October 2018.
As digital natives, millennials in the workplace grew up in the first generation of laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Today, it is quickly growing as the future of business with more than four million remote workers in the UK. Their ability to embrace innovation and handle mobile technology offer unique career opportunities and businesses. A recent report by The Modern Workplace 2018, showed that workers from many countries are choosing to spend more time working from home or during their travels. Meanwhile, the UK is comparatively slow in embracing these changes, which could negatively impact worker satisfaction.
With millennials continuing to be the driving force behind this career change, remote work has quickly shifted from short-lived trends to a booming practice in thousands of companies across the globe. Approximately 77% of millennials believe that flexible work hours are key to boosting career satisfaction and productivity, while 37% are, or are currently planning to, work on their own.
These are digital natives that grew up in a world full of technology. They are also diverse, and Gen Z has been forced to face many global issues that previous generations struggled with, such as immigration, same-sex marriage, alternative sexual lifestyles, equal gender pay, and more. However, the most distinctive characteristic of Gen Z is their sense of entrepreneurship. Here are some reasons why millennials and technology are changing the future workplace.
According to the 2017 Deloitte Millennial Survey, research states that two out of three millennials claim their employers have adapted to flexible work arrangements. They found that the greater the flexibility, the higher the results were in company satisfaction, productivity, and engagement among millennial employees. In the United Kingdom, 37% of companies offer flexibility for their staff. While the number of flexible employees continues to grow, so do the hours of team collaboration lost and the lack of human contact. As a result, the rise of working from home and flexible hours has led to an increased investment in Skype or video conferencing chats. However, younger millennials are keen on being productive outside the traditional 9-5 job and working anywhere with Wi-Fi.
According to Adam Smiley Poswolsky, workplace speaker and best-selling author, it is the flexibility of the hours you’re working that defines the role you have. Experts say that, in order to strengthen your candidacy, you must tailor your resume to each remote job that you apply to. Looking outside of the physical limitations of the company allows candidates the freedom to apply and provide a diverse pool of applicants. While the millennial generation continues to raise its influence and demands, our competitive nature allows us to work and solve problems, interact, and develop communication in multiple cultures and languages.
Companies with a remote staff have the opportunity to save money and invest in training. The term “smart working,” allows individuals the freedom to work away from the office, at home, local café, or as they travel. This will enable employees to stay connected no matter where they are located across the globe. As Generation Z continues to enhance its technological skills, we will continue to see the increased adoption of team communication and collaboration tools, whether they are used in the workplace or online.
While the nature of the workplace has changed dramatically within the past decade, the advancement in technology is moving faster than ever. It is estimated that technology will increase up to 32% more from where it is now. This will impact every aspect of management – from how businesses retain and attract employees to how employees communicate and collaborate.
Due to the powerful advancements in communication and technology, moving the physical workplace online will enable the millennial generation to combine life between work and home, as well as achieve balance in both. While our human needs are to be social and collaborate as a team, balancing flexibility and discipline is the key to a successful remote workplace.
Author: freelance writer Lucy Wyndham
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash