Study on Health and Well-being
The working world is undergoing enormous change. A work environment that is appealing, flexible and functional in equal measure pays dividends in terms of employee well-being. Together with Drees & Sommer, Design Offices has now conducted a scientifically based study to investigate why employees feel good and work better in such an environment.
Background
The topics of health and well-being are becoming increasingly important in the new world of work. More and more companies are realizing that the well-being of their employees has a significant impact on the success of the company. Particularly as a result of the pandemic, companies are also faced with the major task of getting their employees out of the home office and back into the office - after all, today's office has to be able to do more than just provide a desk. True to the motto "Feel good, work better," Design Offices has made it its mission to offer people a place where they feel good and work better together. At more than 45 locations across Germany, companies and teams of all sizes already use flexible working environments at Design Offices - whether it's individual offices, meeting and conference rooms that can be booked at short notice, or inspiring coworking spaces. In order to pay even more attention to the needs of guests in the future and further develop the concept of large buildings, Design Offices commissioned a study - and found a team of experts in the field of Health and Well-being in Drees & Sommer.
Methodology
Based on the thesis that the quality of spaces influences both attitudes and behavior toward creativity, flexibility, openness and change, 100 guests of the Design Offices locations Munich Macherei and Leipzig Post were surveyed for the study using a mix of different methods.
A basic analysis was used to extract information about functional processes, room proportions and an emphasis on well-being.
A concept consisting of shadowing and an empirical survey (quantitative and qualitative) was developed to determine the dependencies of qualities on space.
The empirical online survey yielded conclusions about the respondents' levels of creativity, flexibility, openness, and change.
A network analysis made from this showed the movements and residence times within the building in a graph.
Existing studies and results on the performance level of conventional offices were combined.
Among other things, the so-called Well-being Score was determined: a composition of 16 parameters developed on a scientific basis with the aim of establishing benchmarks and classifying properties in terms of health and wellbeing.
»In order to be creative, we need to express our ideas and share them with others. This requires a feel-good atmosphere. Design Offices manages to create that. «
Results
The composition of the interviews and the questionnaire produced seven key statements.
Factors that matter especially to employees:
Energizing Flexible Workspaces
49% of respondents said they find design offices energizing.Flexible workspaces yield new impulses
86% of respondents gain new, innovative impulses in the work environment at Design Offices.Flexible workspaces inspire and are a place of well-being
73% of respondents said they felt very comfortable at Design Offices.
Factors that count for companies:
Inspiring environments promote mental flexibility
83% of respondents said they felt that spatial flexibility supported mental flexibility in their day-to-day work.Communication in the in-between space, even beyond company boundaries, replaces lack of exchange in the home office
80% of respondents said they felt inspired by encounters in the work environment.Flexible workspaces have a positive effect on creativity
79% of respondents also perceive flexible workspaces as (more) conducive to creativity than traditional office environments, such as single, 2-person or 6-person offices.
This results in the DO Office Power Index:
Spatial freedom boosts innovation
57% of respondents said they basically perform to their full potential in Design Offices spaces.
Download the detailed results report of the Study on Health and Wellbeing by Design Offices in collaboration with Drees & Sommer now:
»For a young, fast-growing company in the field of software manufacturing for the fashion industry, Design Offices offers just the right balance between ergonomic working and creative work. The flexibility on a professional level enables an efficient feel-good atmosphere. «
Outlook
The thesis that the qualities of spaces influence the creativity, flexibility, openness and change behavior of people located in them could be positively evaluated on the basis of the study. The results show that the working environment at Design Offices has a positive effect on the aforementioned study characteristics. One value is particularly relevant for Design Offices: 57% of respondents said they basically perform at their full capacity in Design Offices spaces. "This value marks a strong Office Power Index for us," says a delighted Dr. Joachim Gripp, CEO of Design Offices. "The old office has had its day and needs to reapply as a place to work."
»Knowledge work is about to undergo the greatest transformation in its young history, and tomorrow's office will become a supercomputer of physical transactions.«