Leverage interactive design to maximize employee engagement

Static workplaces are a thing of the past. Current workforce trends prioritize employee satisfaction and well-being — creating enjoyable, interactive work environments is paramount.

With more than 102 million working Americans in an office on a daily or part-time basis, the elements of the physical workspace cannot be ignored as employee engagement and a positive culture are at stake. With the right interactive design, organizations can better focus on their people and how they interact within the workspace for maximum collaboration and productivity.

While there are many considerations for a physical workspace, a technology-driven design that encourages engagement drives success and impacts every industry at every level. Employers who want meaningful collaboration at work need meaningful office elements to inspire and empower this mission. From tangible to intangible components, here are some essential interactive design strategies to meet today’s workforce needs while moving full steam ahead into the future of work.

Activity-based workspaces

According to a recent study, 43% of employees are bored. Creating an activity-based workplace to foster engagement and innovation is an effective method of combating boredom and giving employees more flexibility and autonomy. Essentially, activity-based working allows workers to choose their setting based on the specific task at hand.

For example, an office with a designated “rest zone” offers a place for employees to recharge or brainstorm quietly. Shared office spaces have also been reinvented through the use of technology, such as with interactive digital jukeboxes that bring employees together through songs. Ultimately, activity-based workspaces offer a variety of environmental elements, all within one office.

Interactive screens

In today’s digital landscape, most employees are surrounded by screens, from smartphones to conference room projectors, across industries.

For example, a restaurant worker uses checkout screens to place orders; a banker relies on computers for client transactions; and a warehouse manager can use an iPad to record and track inventory. Screens are now the norm, but what if employers used them to boost productivity and boost work culture?

For a collaborative workspace, smart rooms with interactive screens are essential. With dispersed teams and businesses scattered all over the world, meeting rooms designed with interaction in mind are critical.

Modern technology makes it possible to control screens from a simple mobile device and the possibilities to engage a team are endless. From real-time polls, eye-catching graphics, HD videos, and virtual speakers that feel like they’re actually in the room, interactive screens are changing the way technology drives engagement.

In addition, as a perk for employees, screens have the power to unite, encourage and promote individual choices and diversity, which can improve work culture. Consider an interactive tool that plays shared music from a single screen in the office. The possibilities to dance, laugh and have conversations are endless.

Employee well-being and employee engagement are clearly linked. According to Gallup, a high level of well-being enhances the benefits of an engaged employee, meaning the two factors work together and produce results that drive success in the workplace. In fact, employees with high engagement and low well-being are 61% more likely to experience burnout “often” or “always”. When employers focus on both engagement and well-being, they are better able to retain happy employees. Research shows that engaged employees with high well-being are 59% less likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months.

So to achieve this desired mix, workspaces need to be designed with both outcomes in mind: engagement and well-being. An interactive design can promote well-being through quiet zones where employees can refresh themselves. Simply having the choice to select the best space to perform or charge a particular task is satisfying and gives a sense of real value. Sitting at the same desk next to the same people every day will exhaust even the most motivated employee. Options and variety are ideal for maximizing employee engagement.

Technology to improve connections

Human connection in the workplace is now more important than ever. In fact, 72% of employees said they experience loneliness on a monthly basis, and 55% report feeling lonely on a weekly basis. The question is, has technology made the workforce a lonelier place?

As tech tools support collaboration and distributed teams, it’s time to make sure the digital age doesn’t drive workers into isolation. With the right strategy, technology should improve human connections instead of diminishing them. Individuals seek more meaning at work, and 70% of employees say their sense of purpose is highly dependent on their job, according to McKinsey’s analysis. To achieve this level of purpose in the workplace, human bonds must be formed and technology is the perfect tool to leverage this.

To truly thrive in the digital landscape, whether in a hybrid environment or an office environment, a perfect combination of technology and human contact is required. For example, instead of supporting the use of isolating earplugs, encourage shared music and collaborative playlists at work, and instead of organizing a brainstorming session via Slack or email, gather in the conference room or a local park . Technology has to complement human interaction and it takes intentionality to find the right balance.

When driving engagement in the workplace, it’s important to think about how interactive design can best be leveraged. With activity-based workspaces, interactive screens, wellness at the forefront, and employee-driven devices, employee engagement will have a healthy environment to grow. It is up to companies to invest in these workplace elements to drive culture, productivity and engagement.

Ross Honey is president and CEO of TouchTunes.