An innovative workplace culture is a must for organizations in highly competitive industries, where they battle for the best and brightest talent. Your workspace is an opportunity to showcase your brand, and nothing manifests an organization’s brand like its workplace culture.

“Go into any office in any part of the world and within minutes you can sense what that company is all about,” says Steelcase ARC Principal, John Hughes. “Everyone who comes into the work environment — customers, vendors, board members, new recruits, the media — the people a company most wants to influence, get a clear impression about the company: what it holds dear, how it operates, what it celebrates.”

By making moderate to dramatic changes to your work environment, you can impact how satisfied your people are at work and how they work collaboratively, think creatively and problem-solve. An innovative workplace culture translates to happier and more engaged employees, all of which improve your bottom line.

5 Ways to build an innovative workplace culture:

Incorporate “statement” pieces that represent your brand and inspire people to think outside the box.
Reduce the size of your workstations to dedicate more space to informal residential-style lounge areas.
Equip meeting rooms with collaborative technology for content sharing and HD videoconferencing. Consider an all-in-one device like Microsoft Surface Hub.
Support mobile workers with free address benching workstations and enclosed private spaces for them to touch down and focus.
Design a large employee cafe with built-in game room to foster engagement and create social connections.

To see examples of workspaces that drive innovation, download our Workplace Transformation guide.