Designing a workplace that spurs staff to give best shot

Following the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the workplace design is no longer what it was in March 2020.

So what kind of a workplace do employees desire?

To start with, employees now want to work in an organisation that has a proper value system and that allows them to work within certain moral principles or framework.

I work in an organisation that is very clear on the value of integrity, among other values. But I single this one out because our country is flooded with corruption cases.

Offices where the top executives lead by example are usually the best work spaces. I have seen this mostly in banks where a branch manager can actually be a teller today and tomorrow the one approving your credit facility.

The workplace needs to demystify the authority of bosses. Many CEOs have corner offices that are intimidating to the staff. The employees always feel apprehensive when they are summoned to appear before the boss in the corner office.

It is also worth noting that employees give it their best in their respective roles in an environment where reward and recognition of achievements are celebrated.

At the peak of the pandemic, people learnt that work can still be done from their homes. It is now up to a company to find the right balance between remote working and being physically in the office.

Employees who work from home must ensure they get the job done. If an employer chooses to have the staff working under the brick-and-mortar model, they are advised to create spaces that allow for both physical interaction and isolation at the same time.

We still need to work as a team, consult, brainstorm and get a serious laugh once in a while – even at the coffee machine. But we also need space to critically think and apply ourselves to the tasks at hand. This may mean having just a desk facing the wall.

At this moment in time, firms need to take remote working seriously. We are now dealing with the generation Z that just want to work, get paid and move on.

This generation is attracted to the gig economy and being tied down to an office desk and laptop is no longer a viable option for them. This type of employees are also increasingly seeking to diversify their income streams. They are too impatient with the idea of a salary that you get only once per month.

Another thing that employers ought to do is to take care of the staff well-being. Employees are the best assets of a company and they need to be treated accordingly.

An organisation reaps handsomely from happy employees. This is because such employees are always in the right frame of mind that is crucial for performance of their duties.

The writer is a HR practitioner and a trained counsellor.