When we think about creating a great workplace, it's easy to picture major office refurbishments, new technology or ambitious employee wellbeing programmes.
But ask people what affects their experience at work every day and the answers can be surprisingly simple.
A comfortable chair. Good coffee. Somewhere pleasant to take a break. The equipment they need actually being available. A workplace that's clean, organised and easy to use.
Individually, these things may seem small. Together, they can make a significant difference to how a workplace feels.
The workplace has changed
Hybrid working has changed people's relationship with the office.
For many employees, travelling into work is no longer automatically part of every weekday. That means workplaces increasingly need to offer something that working from home cannot: opportunities to collaborate, socialise, concentrate and feel part of an organisation.
August's Cycle to Work Day also provides a useful reminder that the employee experience doesn't necessarily begin at the desk. How people travel to work, arrive, store their belongings, access refreshments and move around the workplace all contribute to that experience.
Creating a better workplace therefore means looking at the whole working day.
Remove the everyday frustrations
Some workplace improvements don't require a large budget.
Start by looking for the small frustrations employees encounter regularly.
Are meeting rooms properly equipped? Are essential supplies easy to find? Are kitchens and refreshment areas pleasant to use? Is there somewhere appropriate for both collaborative work and quiet concentration?
These aren't necessarily exciting projects, but removing repeated points of friction can improve the everyday experience for everyone using the workplace.
Give different people different spaces
The modern workplace has to accommodate a wide range of activities.
Someone might need quiet concentration in the morning, a collaborative space for a team meeting after lunch and somewhere informal to catch up with a colleague later in the day.
That's why effective workplaces increasingly provide a mixture of environments rather than rows of identical desks.
Breakout spaces, meeting areas, collaborative furniture, acoustic solutions and quiet working zones can all help employees choose an environment appropriate to what they're doing.
Don't overlook refreshments
Tea, coffee, snacks and drinking water might appear relatively minor in the context of workplace strategy, but they're part of the daily employee experience.
A good refreshment area provides more than refreshments. It can become a natural place for people to step away from their desks, meet colleagues and have the informal conversations that are harder to recreate when working remotely.
The same principle applies throughout the workplace: seemingly small details can influence how people use and feel about a space.
Sustainability and wellbeing can work together
Creating a better employee experience doesn't have to conflict with environmental objectives.
Reusable drinkware, responsible catering choices, effective recycling facilities, energy-efficient equipment and facilities that support lower-carbon commuting can contribute to both.
The best solutions aren't necessarily those with the biggest headline. They're the ones employees can easily incorporate into everyday life.
Look at your workplace through fresh eyes
One of the simplest exercises any organisation can undertake is to walk through its workplace as if visiting for the first time.
What happens when you arrive? Is the space welcoming? Can you easily find what you need? Where would you work, meet someone or take a break? What minor frustrations have simply become accepted because they've always been there?
Sometimes relatively modest changes can have a disproportionately positive effect.
At MBM, we support organisations with everything from everyday workplace essentials and refreshments through to furniture, interiors and specialist workplace services.
If you're considering how your workplace could work better for the people using it, talk to the MBM team about the practical changes that could make a difference.
