Why Office Interiors Matter In The Drive To Attract Talented People

Mention the words office interiors in Slough and for many people, thoughts will immediately go towards the hilarity caused by The Office, the BBC Two mockumentary, set in the town that made household names out of Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Martin Freeman, Lucy Davis and Mackenzie Crook, amongst others. The series, although generally satirising what was perceived as the ‘awkwardness of office life’, intertwined the industry of its fictional company, Wernham Hogg (a paper company, “Where life is stationery”) with Slough’s reputation of ‘being boring’ and ‘lifeless’.

During the interwar period, Slough (like many other places in the UK) experienced a transformation on a vast scale. Parts of the town were used as a dump for surplus materials from the First World War and in later years, 850 factories built prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. In response, John Betjeman’s 1937 poem, ‘Slough’, was supposed to be a piece about his disdain for modern industry transforming the country, using Slough as a typical example. Perhaps all it achieved was the cultivation of a negative reputation for the town that The Office would use in its narrative, some 60 years later.

First and foremost, the opportunities for a productivity raise will be somewhat higher if employees feel comfortable and catered for. This is why many forward-thinking companies include the views of their workforce into how they want to shape their ideal office interiors in Slough (they do have to spend 8+ hours a day working there, of course). Whether they’re looking to sit more comfortably at work with ergonomic furniture, be able to take breaks and to informally collaborate with their fellow workers in a breakout room, or simply to present them with the latest tech; giving employees a sense of ownership over their working space will doubtless grow an attachment in them, towards the company.

As we touched upon, employees feel inspired and happy when they’re able to communicate and collaborate affectively with their fellow workers. Although open office design is pretty-much commonplace today, the possibilities of collaboration can be affected by a number of factors that include outside noise, a poor office layout or the usage of outdated technology. By thinking about how the office design can be improved (in part, by allowing employees to contribute their views), a business can understand how they are able to increase the communication and collaboration within the office, again, ultimately helping them to create better work for the company.

Then there is the identity that the office wants to communicate. Literally meaning, “the fact of being who or what a person or thing is” an identity is something that sums us up. An identity informs people of what we are, what we do and what we believe in. The identity portrayed in The Office exactly matched the philosophy that the creative team wanted to communicate in their narrative; this dull, lifeless office and the workers in their ‘dead-end’ jobs, in one of the UK’s ‘most boring towns’ as outlined by a future Poet Laureate, who would go on to regret writing it. This is why setting that positive identity is vital in any great office interiors in Slough, Reading, London or wherever.

Improve your office interiors with us

If you’ve been thinking about improving your own office design, then you’ve found the right place here at Oaktree Interiors. For over three decades, our office fitters have been improving workplaces throughout the South East of England; helping our clients to establish themselves in this ever-growing competitive business area.

Regardless if you’re looking to improve your existing design, need to implement a brand-new technology or HVAC infrastructure or even want to relocate, you can feel rest assured that through our collected skills, experience and innovative thinking, we are able to deliver office interiors in Slough that will potentially make a huge impact on the standing of your business.

If you would like to discuss your project, or simply would like to learn more about our service, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today. Give us a call on 0345 21 86955 or send an e-mail enquiry to us at hello@oaktreeoffice.com