The modern office has to be a welcoming place for working and bonding with co-workers – and pods can increase social wellbeing at work.
Remote working changed the way offices function. And many people are still uncertain about the benefits of coming to the office. But offices still provide workers with an opportunity to be a part of a social community – which is something you don’t get when you work from home.
Increased social wellbeing can enhance and sustain job satisfaction.
As we’ve seen in recent years, the office’s function as a meeting and community place is becoming more important than ever – and social wellbeing is a major factor affecting hybrid workers.
5 factors of social wellbeing
Maintaining healthy relationships with those around you.
Social wellbeing is the development and maintenance of positive interactions with others in the community. There are 5 factors that contribute to a feeling of social wellbeing (Keyes, 1998):
Social Integration
The sense of being a part of a community or society
Social Acceptance
The acknowledgment of certain positive qualities of a given group
Social Contribution
The assessment of one’s personal value and contribution to a community
Social Actualization
The evaluation of one’s potential and evolution of society
Social Coherence
An interest about the world and an appraisal about the organization, operation, and quality of society.
Social wellbeing at work
Positive relationships contribute to individual growth.
According to Rath & Hartner (2010), humans are hardwired for connections. And social support and trust are key for cooperation amongst workers.
“Our need to be connected to others does not disappear when we enter the office.”
Developing and maintaining positive interactions with colleagues is more than just a nice idea – it’s a primal need.
Here are 5 ways pods increase social wellbeing at work
Small improvements in daily life at the office have a huge impact.
A 2020 study by Colenberg et al. found that the social and physical work environments are intertwined. Here are 5 ways pods increase social wellbeing at work:
- Improved Social Integration
- More Quality Connections
- An Increased Sense of Belonging
- Access to Non-Isolated Private Spaces
- Improved Image of Organization
1 | Improved Social Integration
Pods are soundproof spaces where you won’t be disturbed – or disturb others.
The modern office plays a larger role in social interaction amongst colleagues than ever before. Communal and social engagement can be challenging in workstations or open-office spaces where there is a fear of disrupting others.
The quality sound engineering in Framery pods reduces the transmission of sound from one space to another through effective sound insulation. Having access to soundproof spaces reduces the fear of disruption, and encourages social integration in the workplace.
2 | More Quality Connections
Pods can increase the number of High Quality Connections (HQCs) between colleagues.
Having the team in the same space increases opportunities to connect with each other. Short interactions between two people can spark genuine interest and create an uplifting sensation (Stephens, Heaphy, & Dutton, 2012).
What happens in between official meetings matters.
Pods provide a space at the workplace for personal conversations, chit-chat, spontaneous encounters and socializing at the office – without worrying about disturbing others while they work.
3 | An Increased Sense of Belonging
Pods can be used to create a shared sense of identity.
Communities often form amongst those who share a common sense of identity. Team members who share a workspace at the office can experience an enhanced sense of belonging.
Placing larger office pods near workstations increases possibilities of interdepartmental collaboration. This allows colleagues to form an organizational identity with those they may not work with on a regular basis.
4 | Access to Non-Isolated Private Spaces
Pods provide privacy while maintaining visual connection to the team.
Privacy and confidentiality is a key element for increasing psychological safety at the workplace. Private space at the office is crucial for focus work, sensitive meetings, or individual respite when needed.
Well-designed office pods feature soundproof glass walls that help to maintain a visual and physical sense of openness in the office, while providing privacy and confidentiality for users. This helps users maintain a sense of connection to the larger office community, without sacrificing their right to privacy.
5 | Improved Image of Ogranization
Pods have become required tools for a successful workday.
More and more workers expect offices to provide tools that improve their work-life satisfaction. A 2022 survey of over 4000 white-collar workers shows that employees are eager for office perks that enhance their work-life satisfaction.
57% of workers agree that access to privacy is the best office perk.
Modern workers recognize that soundproof pods have become a required tool for a successful workday. And they want to work in offices that provide just that.
SOURCES
Bourne, J. (2020) What Is Job Satisfaction and Why Is It Important? PositivePsychology.com.
Brager, G., Heerwagen, J., Bauman, F., Huizenga, C., Powell, K., Ruland, A., & Ring, E. (2000). Team spaces and collaboration: links to the physical environment. Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, 1-23.
Colenberg, S., Appel-Meulenbroek, R., Herrera, N. R., & Keyson, D. (2020). Conceptualizing social well-being in activity-based offices. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 36(4), 327-343.
Ingham, A. G., Levinger, G., Graves, J., & Peckham, V. (1974). The Ringelmann effect: Studies of group size and group performance. Journal of experimental social psychology, 10(4), 371-384.
Keyes, C. L. M. (1998). Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61(2), 121–140.
Klein, K. (2006). Is Your Team Too Big? Too Small? What’s the Right Number? Knowledge at Wharton.
Pentland, A. S. (2012). The new science of building great teams. Harvard Business Review, 90(4), 60-69.
Wu, L., Wang, D., & Evans, J. A. (2019). Large teams develop and small teams disrupt science and technology. Nature, 566(7744), 378-382.
