Having the freedom to be creative at work is one of the most important things Millennials want from their employers — and it’s a perk that can pay off for every employee. Building a culture of creativity means taking risks, but it can mean innovation and happier employees as well.
This week, I’ve collected articles that talk about better ways to design Millennial-friendly workplaces that appeal to all employees.
- Create a Culture Where Creativity Can Flourish. Recruiter: “Purpose and values drives employee engagement: the measure of a recruiter’s positive or negative emotional attachment to his or her business, job, team and colleagues. Studies demonstrate engagement plays a central role in translating resources and investment into innovative behaviour. This philosophy is heresy, in some cynical businesses where values are seen merely as touchy-feely window dressing to keep the troops happy. But I know many experienced (and rich!) recruitment entrepreneurs who ‘get it.’ They know a great agency is profit-motivated and purpose-driven.”
- 8 Tips For Taking Your Meetings Outside Of The Office. The Huffington Post: “Standing not enough for you? Try a walking meeting. Our very own Arianna Huffington is a big fan, with good reason: Not only is walking good exercise, but it may also increase morale, boost productivity and enhance creativity. Pro tips: keep the group small, ditch the smartphones and get ready for some inspiration.”
- Office Design: Part of Something Special. GlobeSt.com: “It’s about attracting and retaining good employees and having them be productive—the balance between wanting to be here and creating a culture. If you put a slide in the office, will your people work harder? No, but you’re using the space to define who you are a little more. It’s about belonging to something cool and not just being a number. It’s also about creating a sense of place, and that ties in with the company’s overall productivity and overall enjoyment. You don’t have employees staying for 40 years anymore.”
- How To Design An Office That Actually Makes You Better At Work. Fast Company: “The most effective office design for enhancing creativity while still encouraging productivity blends areas of collaboration and open idea exchange with supplementary areas of quiet where private, focused work can occur. But creating designated spaces within the office doesn’t have to be an eyesore. Office design should reflect the different work modes people experience on a daily basis, explains Ginny Caldwell, director of interior design at Southeast Venture. In addition to offering spaces where people can close the door and put their heads down to work, an office should allow for spontaneous work to happen anywhere.”
- Employees Working In Offices With Natural Elements Report Higher Well-Being. Forbes: “‘The work environment has always been recognized as essential to employee well-being and performance but often purely as a “hygiene factor”,’ remarked organizational psychologist Professor Sir Cary Cooper. ‘The report clearly illustrates the connection between the impact of working environments and productivity. It’s no coincidence that the most modern employers now take a new view, designing environments to help people thrive, collaborate and be creative. Being connected to nature and the outside world, biophilic design, to give it its real name, is a big part of that.’”
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