Many factors contribute to employee satisfaction – an important driver for the success of any business. The nature of the work performed, compensation, and the engagement and support of peers and management typically come to mind first. Recently, the work environment itself has become a common topic in the discussion about what affects employee happiness.
Naturally, people tend to do their best in environments where they feel most comfortable. Sometimes, that means working from home is an appealing and appropriate choice. Other times, for many good reasons, working co-located with others in an office environment is a necessary, important, and beneficial thing to do. However, it is easy to see why employees might prefer not to work in a cramped, uninspired company office. So why do many firms invest so little thought and few resources in the office environment, instead assigning staff to featureless cubicles housed within austere facilities?
At Expedition Technology (EXP), we take a different approach to our physical spaces. We design and implement them with our core values, including support, learning, flexibility, and collaboration, in mind. We want to appeal to and accommodate the widest range of work needs, employee development opportunities, and personal preferences. The office should be a healthy and attractive place where people want to go to work, that inspires innovation and superior job performance, and that offers amenities people appreciate.
How has this vision manifested itself in our corporate headquarters? We’ve created a contemporary industrial feel for our space, one which emphasizes glass, metal, wood, and stone/polished concrete. We’ve brought the outdoors inside, including lots of plants, a moss wall, and, in the office expansion we currently are constructing, a centerpiece mixed-use collaboration area with an island theme featuring a water element. We use a mix of complementary furniture styles featuring a range of configurations, finishes and seating choices that promote comfort, creativity, and engagement.
We also understand that most individuals do not want to sit at their desks all day, nor does it make sense. Our team enjoys a variety of options beyond the traditional sit/stand desktop, including huddle rooms, team rooms, private areas, quiet cars, a library, secure facilities, functional open collaboration hubs, electronics integration and software development labs, and a large café with a wide selection of refreshments. We’re even building an active workroom with stand desks attached to treadmills and bikes because some folks do their best thinking while exercising (and exercise contributes to good physical and mental health).
We want our employees to be excited about coming to the office, and the quality of our physical space plays an important role. Whether they need to be heads-down solo, co-working, coordinating activities with others, or engaged in active brainstorming – or just feel like hanging out – EXP staff always have a spacious, comfortable, viable option for getting the job done well, individually and as a team.
If our different perspective on the office environment appeals to you, I invite you to learn more about us and join us on our Expedition. We’re hiring as we continue to win new contracts that challenge our intellectual curiosity and allow us to innovate!
