How Office Space and Location Affect Team Morale

The office is essential; it's a hub that encourages productivity and raises team morale. For many workers, the office is not just a place for working but also for socialising, with many employees feeling as close as family to their colleagues. Many organisations are now paying attention to the connection between the office and employee morale, as well as how it can impact workplace stress.

Office location is understandably a key factor when looking at office space and its connection to team morale. As mentioned in our previous How to Choose Your Business Location post, a good office location "will help you hire and retain the best talent". This is because employees want to work in a good workplace that's set up for them to succeed and thrive.

In this article, we'll look at the office space in greater detail, touching on essential factors such as office location and layout. We'll also explore some of the softer touches you can make to improve the workplace, such as lighting and decoration, and explore the difference this can make for employees, including the impact on team morale and workplace stress.

Office Location Is A Major Priority For Many Employees

As one of the more important factors for business owners and employees, office location should be seriously considered when looking at how office space can affect team morale. For many, being able to easily commute to work is highly desirable and is something that often goes hand-in-hand with the office location being easily accessible, and not based in remote areas with poor transport links.

According to Advanced Commercial Interiors, "[office] location should be top of your priority list", and we wholeheartedly agree. Nobody likes a long commute to work, and having easy access to amenities during lunch and at the end of the day can make a huge difference, positively impacting team morale. It's an opportunity to disconnect from work and recharge, ready for the next task.

Another factor to consider, which you may not have thought about until now, is the proximity to other businesses. As we touched upon in our previous post, nearby businesses bring their own levels of footfall, and this could result in greater exposure and potential for new business opportunities. While this doesn't have a direct impact on team morale, it's still a factor to consider when looking at the office location.

A Good Office Layout Encourages Collaboration

A good office layout can have a huge impact on team morale, encouraging collaboration and fostering a positive workplace culture where colleagues can work together productively. Being able to interact and work with others should also help to reduce workplace stress, ensuring that workers can ask for help when needed, instead of internalising their worries and reducing overall team morale.

An excellent way to use the office layout to your advantage is to look into creating different zones. While some employees may love the collaborative aspect of working in a team, others may prefer being able to get their heads down and work on their own. By creating separate work zones for different types of employees, you provide them with the freedom to work in a way that suits them, improving team morale.

If you're a company that uses a hybrid working model, office layout is absolutely crucial. While hybrid working offers employees the chance to work from home flexibly, not everyone will use this opportunity. Employees who choose to remain in the office will need stability and so if possible, having specific areas of the office reserved for hybrid workers should keep disruption to a minimum, reducing workplace stress.

Consider Office Lighting To Improve Productivity

Lighting can play a significant role in affecting team morale and productivity. The proper lighting can enhance visual comfort, reduce eye strain, and promote a positive mood. On the other hand, poor lighting can cause headaches, eye strain and fatigue, leading to decreased productivity and additional workplace stress as a result. While lighting may not always appear to be a significant factor, it should be considered.

We know that sunlight can hugely impact our productivity levels, so being able to provide natural sunlight whenever possible should be encouraged. Whether that's taking some time to visit an on-site green space or working close to a window, it will make a difference.

As discussed in our previous How Sunlight Can Change Your Productivity Levels post, sunlight is absolutely essential for employee well-being and workplace stress. Workers who sit close to windows are 51% less likely to suffer from eye strain and 63% less likely to suffer headaches. Additionally, the Cornell University study also found that employees who sit close to a window can concentrate for longer, resulting in a 56% decrease in overall drowsiness at work.

The Best Office Decoration Is Green

Although it may not be the most significant factor when looking at team morale and workplace stress, office decoration is essential and can hugely impact how employees experience their time in the office. While we're not suggesting you install a mega-slide as found at Google HQ, there are smaller changes that you can action to make the office more visually appealing and enjoyable to work in.

As you may have seen, plants are still an enormous trend and are a great way to add some colour to the office whilst also improving air quality by up to 20%, according to a study by Birmingham University. Which plants you decide to go for is up to you, but it'd be wise to locate them closer to areas where ventilation is generally worse, to maximise the air-improving benefits. This is beneficial because higher air quality improves concentration, resulting in happier employees and lower workplace stress.

A trend we have noticed recently, however, is that many offices are turning away from plants and purchasing air-purifying devices instead. It has been suggested that while plants can improve air quality, air-purifying machines can do this more consistently and are generally more reliable. This may be true, but the visual appeal of having greenery in the office can't be understated and should still be encouraged.

If you're looking for a workplace that’s well-equipped for the modern worker, get in touch with a member of the Knight Frank team. If office location is a key consideration for your organisation, we can advise on specific locations and provide expert insight. These factors can result in higher productivity, increased team morale and lower workplace stress.