Office designs that improve productivity

CHRO South Africa 25 January 2018

The modern approach to office interior design is about activity-based working

The perception of interior design has changed significantly, with organisations now shifting the focus from isolation to collaboration. Various studies have explored the direct relationship between employee productivity, employee satisfaction and the office interior design, and the demand for innovative workspaces widely increased. This has led many organisations to do away with the conventional workplaces comprising of cubicles, to embrace a more modern and flexible work environment.

Moreover, the continuous evolution of technology and change in modern business practices that demands collaboration and creativity further resulted in the adoption of a modern office design.

Many companies have realised that one’s office is their home away from home and have thus decided to ensure that the employees are working in an inspiring, productive and healthy environment. It has led to the growth of Activity Based Working (ABW), which is based on the premise that no employee ‘owns’ or has an assigned workstation. Rather, the broader workspace provides employees with a variety of predetermined activity areas that allow them to conduct specific tasks including learning, focusing, collaborating and socialising. ABW has thus seen many companies shift towards the creation of different types of spaces designed for the tasks employees need to do each day. That means an employee doing focused work can choose to work in a quiet, enclosed cubicle, while a team having a brainstorming session can work in a comfortable, open lounge.

There’s no formula for ABW that can be applied to any business. Copying the latest design trend just creates a cookie cutter space that might look great, but won’t help the business reach its goals. Rather, developing the right design strategy means taking the time to understand what the building should be doing for the organisation. It means spending time with management and lines of business, asking questions and observing how people work. Only then can the property become an extension of the brand, and truly support the cultural change the company is after.

CHRO South Africa

From creative to strategic communicator: Why Thuso Khoeli believes organisations need to fix the “broken telephone”

For years, Thuso Khoeli was known primarily as a creative. His work centred on ideas, storytelling, campaigns and brands. But after years of working with organisations, leadership teams and employees, he began to recognise a different challenge, one that was happening far beyond the traditional boundaries of marketing and external communication. The problem was often inside the organisation.

09 October 2026

Empowering women is an investment in the future of work

Women’s empowerment in the workplace is often discussed in the language of representation, targets and transformation. Those measures matter. But they are not the destination; they are evidence of whether we are changing the conditions in which women enter, grow, lead and succeed. The question is no longer whether organisations can afford to invest in women. It is whether they can afford not to.

01 September 2026