Corporate war on clutter pays in efficiency

January 28, 2012

BHP BILLITON'S clean desk policy may rile staff, but it's not unusual. In fact, BHP is just one of many leading global companies to have banned clutter and footy flags from the workplace in the austere 21st century.

Providing a fitout that caters to such policies will become the norm for landlords, as tenants increasingly demand high green star-rated properties with the appropriate layout of generic desks and plenty of relaxation and private areas for the staff.

The GPT Group, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and Goodman Group are among the big corporates changing the office to be a generic workplace with lockers for personal items.

Overseas, Cisco and Microsoft claim to have workplaces that enable and inspire a high performance culture, attraction and retention of the best talent and enable new ways of working.

As more offices move to "lifestyle" work stations, workers won't be able to nest and will leave the office every day as if they have never been there.

At BHP, cleaners are told to clear away everything from a desk, leaving only a keyboard, monitor and possibly a "framed photo". But the latter is up for debate in other companies.

More below

In the new, shared desk world, staff are often instructed not to eat lunch at their desks. Instead, cafes, internal kitchens and easy-to-access takeaway outlets are provided, which staff are encouraged to use.

GPT's chief executive, Michael Cameron, has significantly upgraded the group's offices, so each employee has a laptop that can be plugged into any workstation monitor across the head office. At the end of the day, they pack up the desk and put all personal items back into their own locker.

The Commonwealth Bank's new campus-style head office at Darling Walk in Sydney has the same policy. Staff can find common areas to chat or work and, at the end of the day, all desks are wiped clean. Leave anything out and it will get thrown away.

The bank's chief financial officer, David Craig, says the property is designed to showcase "activity-based working ... offering an innovative, sustainable and creative work space".

"Activity-based working recognises there is a spectrum of work styles and demands, and that each day, people will have different activities to complete, requiring varying levels of concentration or collaboration," he says.

According to research by Colliers International, more of these measures will be necessary in future to keep up with tenants' needs.

More below

It is expected that as buildings are closed – such as the CBA's 120Pitt Street and 5Martin Place in Sydney – the new offices will be vastly different to their predecessors.

According to workplace experts Project Control Group, many studies have made the direct link between effectiveness of space to support the work modes of leading companies, and growth in profitability. Even average companies can achieve profit growth of up to 2per cent by improving workplace performance.

Many new workplace projects start with high aspirations and a commitment to change the way the workplace performs but fail to deliver.

The decor might be different, the accommodation better designed and facilities more useful but if the workplace culture and the way people behave remains the same, the gains in performance and productivity that inspired the new workplace project will be lost.

Research by Project Control Group demonstrates leading companies become more profitable by changing their workplace.

Simon Gunnis, managing director of the group, says when comparing the workplace trends of companies which lead their industries with average performers, the most obvious difference is the importance and time given to work modes that lead to innovation and exceptional performance.

"The leading companies rank activities such as collaboration, innovation and socialising up to three times higher than average companies and spend 20per cent less time on individual focus work," he says.

Project Control Group has also found work spaces supporting each of these work modes will lead to 25per cent better performance with a direct impact on productivity.

Business Day Home

Back to the Top

Terms & Conditions

© 2012 Business Day Home