Over the past year as most people have worked largely from home, organisational culture – sometimes built up over decades – has been significantly diluted. Without the opportunity to see one another face-to-face, to have ongoing shared experiences in a workplace environment, many employees have started to feel disengaged from their employer. They may have forgotten what makes their organisation unique and why they chose to work for them in the first place.

Our research conducted at different points in the pandemic all had one thing in common – people missed the social contact of the office and the ease at which they could collaborate informally with colleagues. Online meetings are just not the same. People enjoy being together – chatting while they work, picking other’s brains in an informal way, the chance to bump into people unexpectedly, the feeling of the ‘energy’ of the team dynamic, and that sense of being part of a greater whole.

Organisations need to focus on rebuilding their cultures and use the workplace as a focus point for bringing people together. And it’s not always about focusing on the obvious areas like collaboration spaces. Our research demonstrates that corridors and staircases – spaces which many organisations pay little attention to, rank highly as areas which help to create and communicate a strong workplace culture. These empty spaces are where many serendipitous conversations take place, where people meet colleagues they might not usually work with, or junior team members have the chance to chat to more senior leaders. These water cooler moments are an essential part of creating an organisation’s culture. How else can organisations use their workplace to boost their culture? Find out more in our short guide.