The organisation, which is based in Edinburgh, is home more than 600 members of staff. However, during the pandemic, it functioned virtually and the building was empty, with staff given what they needed to work from home. However, when lockdown eased, there was some resistance among people to return to the office. Bosses needed to understand what changes were required to ‘earn the commute’.
The Facilities Management team worked with Paragon’s Iain Shorthose on an initial workplace effectiveness survey in 2021. Subsequent improvements included more meeting rooms (and better meeting-room technology), shared informal spaces, quiet areas for focused work and improved catering facilities. Then, in 2024, the client commissioned Paragon to deploy our Optima workplace performance tool, which combines data with advanced algorithms to pinpoint where workplaces are performing well and where there are opportunities for improvement – and translates the results into the Optima performance index (OPI) for evidence-based and confident decision-making.
Optima’s data was supported by a qualitative approach of workshops and focus groups to explore how the overall workplace experience could be further improved. Encouraged by two staff engagement surveys and self-reported staff productivity metrics that suggested productivity has increased by around 10% since the initial improvements were implemented, a working group was created to identify more opportunities to create an ‘inspiring’, high-performing workplace. These include the removal of individual offices and better utilisation of space for all, the creation of spaces to support collaboration, creativity and collective development, and a review of all digital mail, communication and office management technology.