HOW DO YOU CREATE A WINNING WORKPLACE? BUROHAPPOLD ENGINEERING
HOW DO YOU CREATE A WINNING WORKPLACE? 3
WHY IS HEALTH, WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPORTANT? 4
WHAT INDUSTRY LEADERS THOUGHT 9
OUR PROJECT EXAMPLES 18
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? 26
TALK TO US 29
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How do you create a winning workplace?
In today’s economic climate competition for talent employees, and in doing so drive real business is fierce, with businesses vying with one another at benefits. Duncan Price, Director of Sustainability, local, national and global levels. Turbulent markets then shared the work his team is undertaking to add further pressure, demanding companies to close the performance gap with winning workplace forge resilience against the complex national and design. international conditions in which they operate. In the lead up to this event, we sent a survey So how can organisations respond to these out to industry leaders to help us gain an challenges? Our series of Winning in the understanding of the issues facing them. The Workplace events explores this question through results of this survey are summarised in this inviting a group of industry leaders to join us to document, alongside insights from our research discuss how businesses can gain the competitive and specific project examples that outline the key edge by creating an inspiring work environment steps that you can take to improve your workplace that will not only attract the best people, but also for people, planet and profit. enable them to thrive.
Our first event focused on how health, wellbeing and productivity come together within the workplace. Phil Hampshire, who leads BuroHappold’s research into this area, shared #WinningWorkplace insights that support the business case for change. He also highlighted tangible ways in which workplace design can deliver better spaces for
3 HOW DO YOU CREATE A WINNING WORKPLACE? BUROHAPPOLD ENGINEERING
WHY IS HEALTH, WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY IMPORTANT?
The evidence base for the benefits of designing for health, wellbeing and productivity is strong and growing. Many industry reports have emerged over recent years which show a growing interest of links between the happiness of the workforce and the profit margins of the business.
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DRIVERS FOR CHANGE: THE GROWING MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE ACROSS THE INDUSTRY
The documents shown below demonstrate the links between environmental factors and improved health, wellbeing and productivity of staff. We have contributed to seminal UKGBC reports on Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Offices. The follow up report on the subject in Retail. We also were amongst the first organisations to have WELL Accredited Professionals (WELL AP).
WGBC (2013) Business Case for Green Building. Delos (2014) The WELL Building Standard. WGBC (2014) Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Offices. WGBC (2016) Health and Wellbeing in Homes. WGBC (2016) Health, Wellbeing and Productivity in Retail. WGBC (2016) Building the Business Case.
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HEALTH MATTERS: THE LINK BETWEEN HEALTH AND MEAN LIFE SATISFACTION
The links between health and life satisfaction are shown in the graph on the left taken from the 100 British Medical Journal. This demonstrates a strong New Zealand 90 statistical relationship between health and life Canada Australia satisfaction. Switzerland 80 Israel UK Iceland OECD average Norway 70
Hungary Poland Finland 60 Estonia R2 = 0.6231 50 Portugal
40 Korea
30 Japan
20
Percentage rating health as ‘good’ and ‘better’ rating health as ‘good’ Percentage 10 Reference: British Medical Journal, Association between self assessed good health and life satisfaction in selected countries 0 in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 (OECD), 20147 – ONS. Measuring national well-being: international comparisons: 2015. Mean life satisfaction rating (out of 10)
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UP TO 90% OF BUSINESS COSTS CAN BE STAFF COSTS. COULD PRODUCTIVITY INSPIRED BY THE WORKPLACE DOUBLE PROFIT?
2x Profit When you consider that staff costs typically make up 90% of a business’ expenditure, Poland it’s easy to see how improved workforce Estonia productivity could result in significant financial benefits. In the simplified example on the left, if a business makes 10% profit, FOCUS ON 90% Staff INCOME improving staff productivity by 10% could HEALTH Korea WELLBEING potentially double profits. As part of the PRODUCTIVITY discussion at our first Winning in the Workplace event, we looked at some of the links between various environmental factors, 9% Rent and used case studies to explore whether this 1% Energy increase would be possible in reality.
Costs Income
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THE EVIDENCE BASE: SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON PRODUCTIVITY
Although many environmental factors can have an impact on productivity, a few in particular have 40% 20 been shown to result in double digit improvements. 18 This clearly demonstrates the significance 16 14 and importance of designing the right kind of 12 workspaces. To date, however, most research looks 10 8 at these factors in isolation, so the concept of 6 addressing them together through integrated design 4 % IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY 2 opens up an exciting area for further investigation. 0
BuroHappold decided to plug this gap by NLB (1991) Katzev (1992) Katzev Sundell (1996) Figueiro (2002) Rowe, D. (2002) commissioning doctoral research (Keeling 2016) Wargocki (1998) Pape, W.R. (1998) Wyon et al(1996) Wyon, P. D. (1974) Milton et al. (2000) al. et Milton Witterseh, Witterseh, (2001)T Kroner et al. (1992) Thayer, B. M. (1995) Hedge et al(1995) - Bauman et al. (1997) et al. Bauman Menzies et al. (1997) Hedge et al(1995B) - to develop a holistic set of parameters to evaluate Wargocki et al. (2000) Lagercrantz et al. (2000) Fisk & Rosenfield (1997) Heschon/Mahone (1999b) Heschong/Mahone (1999a)Heschong/Mahone Sterling and Seterling (1983) and monitor indoor environmental quality. This Jakkola& Miettienien (1995) Nicklas, M. H. G B (1996)Bailey Nicklas, M. and G. (1996)Bailey research finished in 2016 and identified a number of Romm, Browning, J.J; (1994)W.D. TEMPERATURE IMPROVED AIR QUALITY LIGHTING SYSTEM QUALITY ACCESS TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT solutions for key problems such as the combination of multiple variables and the assessment of more qualitative aspects of IEQ such as privacy and views Keeling (2016) Developing a holistic set of parameters to evaluate and out. This has helped shape a number of the tools monitor indoor environmental quality, EngD Thesis. and approaches we use to optimise projects for wellbeing and productivity.
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WHAT INDUSTRY LEADERS THINK
We wanted to know what industry leaders perceived to be the challenges facing them around the subject of the workplace. To achieve this, we surveyed those who were invited to this event, and more than half (80 people) responded.
Our questions centred around three key themes:
1. What individuals and 2. How people felt that 3. What they saw to be organisations thought were their current workplace barriers to delivering better the most important aspects compared against these workplaces of a workplace ideals
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Important factors: individuals vs. organisations
Ranking the answers to our survey produced some fascinating results. Factors that respondents felt their organisations considered most important were financial performance, workforce productivity, and a talented workforce. Individuals rated employee satisfaction, happiness and health as top priorities.
Importance to your Importance to you Gap organisation Financial performance 1 4 -3 Productivity 2 5 -3 A talented work force 3 6 -3 Brand 4 10 -6 Being prepared for change and future challenges 5 7 -2 Employee Happiness 6 2 +4 Employee Job satisfaction 7 1 +6 Health 8 3 +5 Sustainability and the environment 9 9 0 Having a positive social impact 10 8 +2
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MIND THE GAP: OVERALL RANKING OF IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS WITH RESPECT TO THE ORGANISATION AND INDIVIDUALS Job satisfaction was perceived as important These results highlight a significant difference Interestingly, factors such as sustainability and the for individuals but between what people think their companies want, environment, and having a positive social impact, and what they value as employees. Job satisfaction scored low for both organisations and individuals. not organisations, was perceived as important for individuals but In our second presentation of the evening, not organisations, while brand was seen as Duncan Price highlighted the links between while brand was important to businesses but was least important these two areas and the financial performance for individuals. This insight informed the first of of businesses, and in doing so illustrated the seen as important to our two presentations, in which Phil Hampshire importance of addressing such issues. businesses but was demonstrated how health, happiness and job satisfaction are as vital to an organisation as least important for financial performance, productivity and attracting a talented workforce. individuals.
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What industry leaders think about their workplace
When we dug deeper and asked how well the attendees thought their workplace fulfils certain criteria, the results got even more interesting.
embodies my company’s brand
contributes to my job satisfaction
is comfortable
helps attract good staff
is inspirational
is prepared for change and future challenges
improves my productivity
is healthy
is expensive to run
is sustainable
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Strongly Agree Agree Neither agree / disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree
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HOW INDUSTRY LEADERS RESPONDED TO, THE STATEMENT, “MY WORKPLACE IS…” RANKED BY % OF STRONGLY AGREE AND AGREE
Almost 70% of respondents said that their surroundings contributed to their sense of wellbeing.
Seventy-five percent of people who responded sense of wellbeing. Things took a turn for the is sustainable – placing it bottom in terms of agreed that their workplace embodied the worse, however, when less than half agreed that importance from an individual perspective and company brand. Yet this is not in the top 3 their workplace was inspirational – a key factor in how people actually felt their workplace was priorities for organisations, as perceived by attracting top talent – and fewer still thought their performing. those who work for them, and it is also the least workplace improved their productivity. Less than important consideration for individuals. 45% considered their workplace to be healthy. While financial performance was rated as the most The link between workplace and job satisfaction important factor to organisations, almost 40% was demonstrated by almost 70% of respondents considered their workplace to be expensive to run. saying that their surroundings contributed to their In addition, only 30% agreed that their workplace
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Barriers to delivering a better workplace