Creating engaging workplaces: spaces that fuel growth

Welcome to another episode of On the Up, Moneypenny's podcast dedicated to exploring growth, innovation, and the strategies that drive business success. 

In this episode, Dan Marshall chats with Emma Armstrong, the Founder and Managing Director of Empro, along with Donna Uden, the Consulting Director at Empro. They share valuable insights from their vast experience in transforming workplaces and talk about how designing fantastic workspaces can help your business grow. 

What's covered in this episode? 

The workplace has changed a lot over the years. We’ve gone from having typing pools with supervisors watching over everyone, to places where women couldn’t enter boardrooms, and now to flexible, hybrid work setups. In this episode of our podcast, Emma and Donna discuss how workplaces have changed and how they keep adjusting to meet new business needs. 

Dan leads a thoughtful conversation about how workplaces are transforming, why it’s important to keep employees engaged during these changes, and how companies can create environments that draw in talent while accommodating different working styles. If you’re thinking about moving your office, redesigning your current space, or figuring out how to manage hybrid work, this episode provides great advice from experts who focus on changing workplaces. 

The conversation also delves into the crucial elements of successful workplace projects: 

• Early engagement – Understanding how involving workplace experts from the start can help save time and money while avoiding expensive errors. 

• Employee involvement – Discovering how engaging with staff can result in improved workspace designs and easier changes. 

• Adaptability – Planning spaces that can adjust to evolving business requirements and work habits. 

• Diversity and accessibility – Building environments that support everyone, no matter their physical abilities or work preferences. 

Key takeaways 

Workplace design has a direct impact on business success 

Emma and Donna explain how the workplace and its people usually represent the largest expenses for a company. If either one is not handled well, it can negatively affect how well the business performs and grows. Creating well-thought-out spaces that showcase the company’s culture and accommodate various working styles can help attract talent, improve productivity, and drive business growth. 

The importance of early expert involvement 

One consistent challenge the Empro team encounters is being brought into projects too late. Many businesses don't realise how complex workplace transformation can be until they're already committed to decisions that may not serve them well. Emma stresses the value of early consultation: "The earlier the better. We can help with decision-making, understanding pitfalls, and lessons learned from where we've seen things go wrong before." 

Hybrid working requires purposeful spaces 

As hybrid working becomes the norm, offices need to give people compelling reasons to come in. As Emma puts it, "Coming together with purpose" is key. Workspaces must offer more than just desks, they need to facilitate collaboration, socialisation, and experiences that can't be replicated at home. This means creating varied environments to support different activities and working styles. 

Inclusivity and accessibility are non-negotiable 

Creating truly inclusive spaces requires specific expertise. Emma highlights how Empro works with organisations like Treloar to ensure spaces are accessible for everyone. Their "Let Me In" programme brings in people with mobility challenges to audit buildings and provide recommendations – highlighting that assumptions about accessibility often miss crucial details. 

The future workplace will continue to evolve rapidly 

Both guests highlight that changes in the workplace are happening faster than ever. Emma mentions, "The rate of change will never be as slow as it is today," referring to new technologies like AI that are changing the way we do our jobs. Because of this, it's important to have flexible workplace designs, as fixed spaces and methods will soon be considered old-fashioned. 

Listen to the full episode 

Listen now to the full conversation with Emma and Donna, where they share more of their knowledge on designing workspaces that promote business success. Listen on Spotify today! 

Looking for more business insights? Discover our full collection of On the Up podcast episodes, brought to you by Moneypenny.