You’ve mentioned that employees like greenery in the office as well as elements which make this space more “domestic”. How big is the role of design for computer programmers?
A.D.: To our surprise, ¼ of the surveyed believe that an attractive office can be a benefit for them. This result proves that there is a growing demand for beautiful offices among Polish employees.
M.B.: I believe that computer programmers appreciate functionality mainly because they're a very pragmatic group. They want their workplace to be very comfortable. This concerns the right number of screens, ergonomic chairs, wide desks, which allow a tester or other computer programmer to sit by, etc. When we've asked the question concerning a perfect office, the answers included elements related to design. I think that people working in different industries mainly want their offices to meet their needs. The issue of visual attractiveness is a minor problem. This is absolutely true that working in a beautiful office is better, but, first and foremost, functionality is of the greatest importance.
Do Polish computer programmers like their offices? Are they satisfied with the current ones?
A.D.: In great measure, yes. According to the survey, ca. 60% of the computer programmers are satisfied with their working space.
M.B.: When we were checking the correlation between satisfaction from the office and the willingness to work remotely, one interesting thing caught our interest. The group that was more satisfied with their office didn’t want to work remotely. This is therefore a certain tip for employers who complain about their employees wanting to work remotely, which leads to worse information flow in the organization, etc. People who aren’t satisfied with their offices because of space or atmosphere, simply run away from them.
So, can we say that the stereotype of a computer programmer isolated from the society and not interested in working relations is no longer applicable?
A.D.: In Poland, there is still a myth of a computer programmer that was really popular 20 years ago, however, it’s already changed as this group is bigger and bigger these days. It used to be a closed group of people who knew each other by name and surname. They were enthusiasts who weren’t understood on the labor market and in the society because they had to blaze a trial. Nowadays, there is a great demand for computer programmers. They're the people who have different interests and working experiences. It’s worth remembering that a computer programmer isn’t only an employee but also a participant of social life, operating in a concrete environment, who wouldn’t like their working environment to be totally separated from them.
To sum up, why it’s worth investing in the office?
M.B.: It’s worth looking at the office as an investment. It’s said that the two largest sources of costs in any company are salaries and office space. We tend to forget that people work more or less effectively depending on the office. If we have high class experts who earn a lot of money and we expect that they will be innovative, solve problems, come up with new products or have a professional approach to clients, it’s worth introducing this innovativeness to office space. The office should be maximally adjusted to the needs of a given organization, reflect its organizational culture and working style.