Beyond the Wow Factor: Designing a Workplace That Works

As soon as I walked into Vitality’s new Stockport office, I could tell there was something special about it. Yes, it has the wow factor, and yes it looks amazing. But what struck me most wasn’t how it looked. It was how much thought had gone into how it would work.

This wasn’t about creating a shiny new office (although it certainly is), they had thought long and hard about the experience they wanted to create for their people - and how the workplace could support their business, their people and their approach to hybrid working.

Designed with intention

With people typically spending around two days a week in the office, Vitality wanted to make that time count.

That thinking is reflected throughout the design. There’s less traditional office space and more space for collaboration, connection and wellbeing, while still giving people places to work independently when they need to.

Because fewer people are there every day, they’ve been able to be more creative with the space. Instead of simply asking, “How many desks do we need?”, they’ve thought about “What do our people need when they’re here?”

And they involved their people in answering that question. Working groups with representatives from across the business gave feedback on plans, inclusion forums were involved, and lessons were taken from other Vitality sites about what worked and what didn’t.

They were even intentional about the move itself. Rather than treating the move as a single-day event, they created a two-week employee experience programme to bring the new workplace to life. Through workplace discovery challenges, guided tours, drop-in clinics, welcome gifts, competitions and social events, employees were encouraged to explore the space, build connections and experience first-hand how the workplace had been designed to support collaboration, wellbeing and focused work.

Even small details had been thought about, right down to including a branded cable in the welcome pack that worked with the new USB ports.

The message throughout was: we’ve thought about you and how you’ll use this space.

And it’s working, as they’ve seen an increase in people coming into the office because they actually enjoy being there. Early feedback has been positive, and Vitality will continue to listen to employees and assess the impact of the new workplace over time.

But importantly, it’s about more than happiness. Employees are talking about the environment helping them with the quality and productivity of their work. That’s when the wow factor becomes something much more meaningful!

Flexible working has evolved too

What I also loved was hearing how Vitality’s approach to flexible working has evolved alongside the workplace. When hybrid working was new, their approach was understandably more prescriptive. Teams worked with leaders to agree which days they would come in.

Over time, they’ve loosened the reins. Today, employees are encouraged to spend one day connecting with their immediate team and another with key stakeholders. Within that framework, teams have flexibility to agree what works best for them. They’re being intentional about when and how they come together, rather than simply turning up because it’s an ‘office day’.

And behind that is something fundamental: trust. Their philosophy is essentially: You’re an adult. Make the call that works best, and take responsibility for making it work.

They’ve supported managers too, with flexible working guides and guidance to help them have the right conversations. Their starting point is refreshingly simple: If you can do it, do it.

For me, this shows just how far flexible working has come. Before the pandemic, it was often something a few people formally requested. Now, it can be a way of working that gives many people greater autonomy and flexibility in how they organise their work and life.

And this is what I took away from my visit . . .

Whether you’re designing an office or your approach to flexible working, don’t start with what everyone else is doing. Start with your business. Your people. And the experience you want to create. Then design intentionally around that.

So, where do you go from here?

You don't need to be moving into a new office to rethink how your workplace works.

Take a fresh look at your current approach. Are you making the most of the time people spend together? Are your spaces supporting the way people actually work? And are your hybrid working practices helping people collaborate, connect and do their best work?

Most importantly, have you asked your people?

Because the goal shouldn't simply be to get people into the office. It should be to make the time they spend there worthwhile.