Member Article

Leeds Businesses Should Learn from Tech Scene’s ‘Interior Ingenuity’ to Boost Productivity

Following the announcement that workers in the region’s booming tech sector are two times more productive than their non-techy counterparts, Yorkshire-based fit out design firm, Absolute Commercial Interiors is calling for the wider economy to learn from their successes.

The Gross Value Added (GVA) contribution to the economy of workers in the tech industry is put at just over £100,000 per year, compared to the £50,000 contribution of their non-digital counterparts.

With the recent announcement that Leeds’s tech industry has exceeded £1bn in turnover for the first time, Absolute Commercial Interiors is highlighting the importance for other companies to take note to avoid missing out.

A recent Gallup report identified disengaged workers outnumbering engaged ones 2-to-1, with additional reports showing a strong correlation between employee productivity, performance and wellbeing. The studies explore just how intertwined the physical workplace environment is with business performance, productivity and engagement.

As the productivity gap between the two sectors has also grown by 10 per cent over the past five years, Absolute Commercial Interiors is encouraging businesses to consider the workplace environment when thinking about staff wellbeing to boost productivity.

Phil Brown, Managing Director of Absolute Commercial Interiors, comments: “Tech and digital companies such as SkyBet and Engage in Leeds have really pushed boundaries in workplace design, learning from the best of the Silicon Valley pariahs: Google, Facebook and Apple.

“The companies encourage hot-desking work stations which provide flexible working for people that don’t need a permanent desk, whilst giving a space to suppliers and freelancers to work collaboratively.

“But the reason these companies’ spaces really work is because they listen to their employees. When we approach a project, we consult employees on what they want from their environment. Whether that’s providing sound insulation to make spaces quieter, incorporating hot-desking for employees or giving them standing desks or ergonomic chairs.

He concludes: “When a team are listened to and feel comfortable in their environment, they remain motivated and stay more productive for longer.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Absolute Commercial Interiors .