In our employee experience (EX) framework we carve out a space for the work environment. But how much does the work environment really matter when it comes to providing a positive EX?

 Unsurprisingly, quite a bit but don’t take our word for it, let’s take you into very different workplaces.

Workplace 1

You gently push open the office door open, natural light spills generously across the room, casting a warm glow on the ergonomic workstations that seem to have been strategically placed for both function and aesthetics.

Breakout spaces are adorned with vibrant colours and cosy furnishings provide sanctuaries for impromptu brainstorming sessions or moments of quiet contemplation. The walls themselves tell stories, adorned with colourful post-its, collaborative project boards, and motivational quotes that serve as daily inspiration.

Looking around you see the leadership team is not confined to closed offices but is moving around the open planned office engaging with the team, demonstrating the open-door policy that is actively promoted.

Workplace 2

You tentatively place your hand on the dusty, finger-smeared door handle and push open the door. Fluorescent lights flicker intermittently overhead, casting an unsettling glow on dilapidated cubicles that seem to have witnessed better days.

The workstations, cramped and cluttered, are reminiscent of a forgotten graveyard for office equipment that has long outlived its usefulness. Outdated manuals and dusty office supplies have swallowed up breakout spaces. The walls, barren and lifeless, seem to absorb the vitality of those who once dared to think big within these suffocating confines.

You look for the sign of any leaders and quickly realise that they are an elusive figure confined to closed offices with opaque doors and with personal assistant’s sat outside forming an impenetrable barrier for those who wish to enter.

So, where would you rather work? Us too! But why? Is it because we’re shallow or materialistic? Absolutely not! Edgar Schein, a renowned organisational psychologist, developed a three layered model of organisation culture that was used to understand gaps in an organisation functioning so that improvements could be made. Schein’s model encompassed: artifacts and behaviours, espoused values and basic assumptions. The physical workplace falls into the category of artifacts, and by examining workplace 1 in this context, it’s easy to see why we prefer it.   

Workplace 1 is open planned, airy, well-lit, comfortable, ergonomically sympathetic, divided into purposeful spaces, clean and tidy. These components convey a first impression that this a place where physical and mental well-being will be looked after, where people are treated equally, where everyone’s opinion matters and where good work is done. 

 This is why we want to work here, and this is why the physical workplace is an important part of our employee experience framework. If you would like to find out more about our EX framework or explore how you can create an environment that creates a positive employee experience, do get in touch.