What’s the best way to start a new business relationship or keep an old one healthy? Redecorate, at least that’s what the trend of offering ergonomic workspaces to keep old employees happy or lure new hires to the workplace may be indicating.
According to a recent article in the Denver Post, more and more companies today are using ergonomic office furniture as the deal maker when hiring new employees. From high-end chairs to customized cubicles, luring employees with ergonomics as a benefit seems to be working.
It’s the culmination of companies’ attempts to create better work environments for their employees, Leonard Segel of architecture firm Downing, Thorpe and James told the Post. “I’ve seen how the market for good employees has become more competitive. To attract and keep employees, companies are making work environments more attractive and user friendly,” Segel said.
Carla Dore, president of Herman Miller Workplace in Denver, noted that some of her company’s products are also being used as bait. “Some companies have even used our Aeron chair as a recruiting tool,” Dore told the publication. “The biggest point I make to clients is how important the office can be to attract and retain employees.”
The reasoning follows: comfortable and workable work spaces mean that as corporations downsize and rely on fewer employees to do more work, those tired employees who might log in a few extra hours behind the desk will find their office digs more appealing. Additionally, says the Post, pressure from worker’s compensation insurance providers to reduce the number of worker injuries has also increased the need for better office ergonomics.
Cubicle design is also changing to better accommodate workers’ wants. According to the Post, as Colorado-based environmental engineering firm CH2M Hill was moving offices, the company chose to let the employees have a say in their interior design. Mock cubicles were set up for employees to view and vote on; once the cubicles were decided upon, employees were then able to individualize their offices with offerings from the cubicle manufacturer’s product line. The end result was an office environment designed by employees and customized by each individual user.
Source: Denver Post