Tag: Workplace Wisdom

More and more companies are becoming aware of the vast importance of taking care of their employees. The stress and happiness levels of the people who work for you are key, not least because they dictate how productive they will be.

A 2015 study conducted by the Social Market Foundation and the University of Warwick showed that happier workers were, on average, 12% more productive.

Company culture has a big impact on employee happiness and productivity. One of the most obvious ways to start to build a contented workforce is to improve your office space.

This is where the third space comes in. Tech companies are leading the way here, with companies such as Social Chain, Adobe and Mother London all boasting impressive examples.

But what is the third space?

The third space has traditionally been the title given to social spaces outside of the home or office. This usually encompasses less formal locations such as cafes, bars and community spaces.

Your local coffee shop is a great example of a third space. It’s a flexible location where you can meet with friends, relax with the newspaper or even get some work done on a laptop.

Though in the past third space has existed outside of the office, many companies are now coming round to the wisdom of incorporating it. Multinational giants such as Google and Amazon have long understood the importance of this, and now SMEs are starting to pick up on it too (take a look at some of the other things we can learn from inspiring office spaces here).

Adding a third space doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be as simple as refurbishing an existing breakout area with an attractive design and comfortable seating.

Why is the third space so important?

Not sure why the third space is key? Below we’ve listed its main benefits:

1. It makes employees happier

It’s not rocket science: the better your office space, the happier your team members will be to spend time in it!

2. It boosts productivity

The happier and more engaged your employees are, the more productive they’re likely to be. There is also scientific evidence to suggest that providing a space for employees to take quality breaks can make them more productive overall, increasing motivation in the workplace.

3. It promotes collaboration, innovation and new business

Having a space away from desks where colleagues and associates from different teams can mix, meet and chat with others promotes collaboration and better cross-team communication.

The chance conversations that can happen in this environment often lead to innovations and better ways of working, and even new business, particularly where the third space is shared with other organisations.

4. It can encourage creativity

The Staples 2016 Workplace Index survey reported that only 36% of workers consider their desk the most inspiring place to work. Providing an alternative space could help the other 64% get the ideas flowing.

5. It can attract new talent

The way we work is changing. Millennials generally prefer to work in well-designed, flexible spaces. Choosing an office with a third space offers more flexible working opportunities, and this is likely to attract new talent.

6. It can encourage employee loyalty

Not only can a well-designed workspace attract new talent, but it’s also likely to help you retain the talent you already have.

How important is the third space at WorkWell?

We are big believers in the importance of the third space.

Our serviced offices in Leeds have the benefit of 4,500 square feet of shared third space. This consists of informal breakout areas designed to be flexible spaces for team members to meet, collaborate and work in.

How would you and your team make use of this space? Come for a visit and find out: we’d love to show you round.

It’s no secret that sitting at an office desk staring at a screen from 9 am to 5 pm, or even longer, can lead to a variety of health problems. With the risk of developing heart disease, back pain, poor eyesight and so on, more and more office workers are looking for ways to combat these health defects.

One of the most common and effective ways to avoid these problems is exercise. It’s been proven to reduce your risk of major illnesses and mental health problems and can significantly improve your overall well-being. The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week – such as fast walking or cycling – for the average adult. But with over four million UK employees working more than 48 hours a week, this can be a real problem for busy office workers.

Fortunately, creating a healthy office goes beyond just the exercise aspect, with several great options to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle in the office.

Exercises to adopt

1. Leg lifts

This exercise is great for when you’re sitting at your desk working. Start by sitting upright in your chair, then slowly lift one leg up until it’s straight. Hold your leg here for a few seconds before lowering it back to the starting position. Repeat this around 10 times before switching to your other leg.

2. Wall sits

This is one of the less-subtle exercises in our list, so it could be one for a more secluded area of the office. Start with your back against the wall. Then bend your legs until your thighs are parallel to the ground, making sure to keep your back against the wall throughout. Hold this position for as long as you can – try for around 60 seconds – before standing up.

3. Calf raises

Often find yourself waiting at the printer or microwave? Why not use the time to do some calf raises? Start by standing with your feet a shoulder width apart, then slowly stand on your tip toes. When you reach the top, pause for a few seconds before lowering yourself to the starting position.

4. Tricep dips

If you have access to a sturdy surface such as a desk or a bench, then why not try some arm strengthening? Start by facing away from the surface, with your legs out a couple of steps away from you. From here, grip the surface with your hands and slowly lower your body until your arms are at a 90-degree angle. Hold this for a few seconds before pushing your body up until your arms are straight.

5. Shoulder press

If you have any spare stationery such as calculators, stacks of paper, staplers and so on, then you can use them as weights for shoulder presses. Start by sitting upright in your chair and holding your weights adjacent to your shoulders, before pushing them straight upwards. Keep the weights above your head for a few seconds and then lower them back to shoulder height.

6. Chair twists

Do you work from a swivel chair? You’re in luck – this exercise is great for working your abdominals and obliques. Start by sitting upright in your chair, with your feet an inch above the ground. From here, gently hold your desk with your hands and use your core muscles to twist the chair from side to side.

7. Walking

Last but certainly not least – walking. A leisurely stroll around the office every 30-45 minutes can be great for boosting your productivity levels. Or if you have an office with stairs, why not do a couple of laps? Another idea could be to simply go on a lunchtime walk…

Changes you can implement within your space

Keep your space clean and efficient

An efficient desk set-up is the ideal solution to creating a healthier working life, making sure everything’s placed so you’re never slouching or leaning over your desk.

Ensuring you’re not leaving a mess on your desk, a mess after all, can clutter your mind too. Each day, take half an hour or so to tidy your desk, wipe down the keyboard and other surfaces, and organise your papers. This will help you feel more motivated and productive when going into your next set of tasks.

Don’t underestimate the value of going green.

Some plants, such as spider plants, peace lilies and Goosefoot plants, can absorb common pollutants in offices, including those from carpets, paint, MDF and anti-stain treated fabrics. In addition to literally greening up your space with plants, you should also ensure you switch off any electronics you’re not using. There is some evidence that electromagnetic fields from certain devices can be connected to insomnia, headaches and anxiety.

Finally, give your eyes and your body a break.

Sitting in your chair all day is doing you no favours. Long-term research has shown that those sitting over 6 hours a day are at significantly higher risk of health problems than those who sit less than 3 hours. Take a break every 20/30 minutes and get up to walk around. As for your eyes, take an extra minute every now and then to focus on something far away from your desk, or out of the window. Alternatively, try rolling your eyes to exercise them, or cup your hands over your eyes to block out the light and let your eyes rest for just a moment or two.

Do you have any other useful ideas for staying healthy in an office job? Share them with us!

When searching for a new office space, your first thoughts may be to look for a location in a popular city with easy transport connections, a thriving business scene and plenty of local amenities.

And we couldn’t agree more! But we think there’s an even smarter option… Certain benefits to rural office locations simply can’t be achieved in the city. We’re not saying to invest in office space in the middle of nowhere, but what if you could reap the benefits of a slightly more rural office location with great connectivity and proximity to the city?

With this in mind, here are some of the benefits of a more rural office location.

1.    More for your money

Office rental prices are skyrocketing across London and the rest of the UK, often 50% higher than out-of-town options. Rural offices offer far more value without sacrificing budget to reap the rewards.

2.    More pleasant office commute

If you’ve spent your life working in the city, it may be difficult to imagine anything other than an unpleasant office commute. But one of our favourite things about working from a more rural office location is being able to truly enjoy the commute. With less traffic, beautiful scenery and a more stress-free ride in general, there isn’t much to complain about. Just imagine being able to avoid the congested roads and with a freshly brewed coffee waiting for you…

3.    Free parking

Have you ever found yourself scrambling for change in a busy city centre car park? With a more rural office location, free parking tends to come as standard. For example, at Carrwood Park and Brookfield Court, we have enough parking spaces for all of our residents and any visitors they may have – and it’s all completely free of charge!

4.    Less noise

The constant noise of traffic, sirens and general city life can sometimes get too much. But in more rural office locations, you’ll rarely be disturbed by such things, giving you more time to focus on business. Cutting through the noise and distractions ultimately allows you to focus.

5.    Easy access to the city

Location is by far one of the most important things to consider when choosing office space. A more rural location may give you better access to other facilities than a city location would. For example, at Carrwood Park and Brookfield Court we’re just a 15-minute drive from Leeds city centre, whilst still being less than 30 minutes from Leeds-Bradford International Airport and just two minutes away from the M1.

6.    Surrounded by nature

Being surrounded by nature really does have its perks. It can help reduce stress, improve your mood and improve your cognitive performance. This can also have a positive impact on employee productivity, with a 15% increase in productivity when greenery is introduced to the workplace. Just imagine what could be achieved in a workplace set on 100 acres of land, containing 1,200 trees! Not only that, but at WorkWell, we’re committed to constantly improving the sustainability of all environmental aspects within our luxury business centres.

As an eco-friendly office provider, we can tell you first-hand that a clean, positive and efficient environment can have a drastic impact on business success. You could even take a peaceful walk at lunchtime to clear your head – if you’ve ever worked in a busy city, you’ll know that this can be hard to achieve. This, combined with the benefits that come with a more rural office location, is the kind of thing that sets us apart from your standard business centre.

Are you looking for a workspace in a more rural location, with easy access to Leeds city centre, Leeds-Bradford International Airport and the M1? Why not get in touch with a member of the team at  WorkWell ?

The importance of a good company culture is sometimes undervalued. A strong culture can help a business run smoothly, effectively and positively. Companies such as Google, Apple and Microsoft are renowned for their great culture. And there’s a lot that we can learn from these companies.

As we’ve seen with businesses such as Sports Direct your employees are your most important asset, and as we mentioned in our previous blog happy employees are 12% more productive. With a more tight-knit, satisfied and productive team, there are so many benefits that come from a good culture – and the aforementioned tech giants completely understand this!

According to Virgin Pulse, 80% of businesses want to improve their corporate culture in 2017. Of course, creating a good company culture is no easy task. It takes years of work, usually starting at some point in the early stages of the business and being maintained throughout. With this in mind, if you expect to transform your business culture overnight, then prepare to be disappointed. Saying that, whether you’re a start-up business or a well-established global organisation, there are some things you can do to create a better company culture.

1. Set an example

Everything starts from the top of the ladder. Look at it this way – if a business leader left work half an hour early every day, their staff would be more inclined to leave early too. Likewise, if a business leader stayed at work half an hour later every day, their staff would be more inclined to stay later too. Business leaders set the trend for the rest of the company, and it’s important for both you and your management team to understand this.

Different leadership styles can also make a huge difference to your company culture. The way you and your management team operate around your employees can drive your culture. It’s important to remember that different employees will react differently to certain leadership styles. For example, some people may react well to transactional-style leadership, whereas some may react well to transformational-style leadership. By understanding your employees, you will be able to understand what leadership styles work best and how best to create a positive office culture.

2. Open and honest communication

No matter what business or industry you’re in, communication is key. How can your employees get involved in promoting your company culture if they don’t understand it? Continuously and consistently demonstrate your company culture and values, so that your whole organisation feels a sense of community. If you don’t demonstrate your company culture, it’s no more than a mission statement. But good communication and understanding can really make your employees feel part of something and encourage them to spread positive messages about your company.

Transparent, honest communication between your management team and your employees can have an extremely positive effect on your business operations as a whole. 50% of employees say bosses sharing information and data has a significantly positive impact on productivity and motivation. Understanding what you’re happy to share with your employees can be a great way to build trust and make people feel involved.

Why not even encourage your employees to get involved in establishing your company culture? Regularly ask your employees what they would like to see at your company – whether it’s trivial things such as a pool table or Xbox, enhanced training & development, or more team activities. One idea could be to have an anonymous ‘suggestions box’ which is discussed in your weekly team meetings.

3. Treat your employees well

Happy employees are an essential aspect of a good company culture, and an essential aspect of creating happy employees is to treat them well. Happy employees can help reduce your staff turnover and improve your company culture in general. In fact, 75% of employees would stay longer at an organisation that listens to and addresses their concerns.

One way to encourage employee happiness is to reward them. Some ways that you could do this is through introducing personal rewards depending on how well an individual performs, or through group rewards depending on how well the business performs. You could even arrange weekly or monthly social events that align with your company culture.

Another important part of achieving employee happiness is to encourage a good work-life balance. With proven benefits including increased productivity, reduced work absences and a happier, less-stressed workforce. Why not discover our three tips for a better work-life balance?

It’s important to note that a ‘good company culture’ varies from business to business, especially on a more international scale. For example, more Western companies may find it rude to answer your phone in a meeting, whereas in places such as Abu Dhabi, this is more than acceptable. As a business leader, it is not only important to bear in mind cultural differences between other businesses, but also between your own employees. One person’s idea of a good company culture may vary from another person’s, which takes us back to our second tip – good communication. Ask your employees what they want to see your business do, and you can’t go wrong.

Are you after a workspace that encourages a positive company culture, working alongside like-minded businesses? With over a decade of experience in helping businesses grow, WorkWell is perfectly positioned to provide expert advice to our residents on how to transform their company culture. For more information on how we can help your business, why not get in touch with our team?