Offices of the past have rarely been designed with workforce productivity in mind. In fact, it’s probably fair to assume that the majority of office creations have focused on housing large numbers of employees as efficiently as possible. While the practicality of this cannot be denied, open-plan offices have done very little in encouraging staff wellbeing and productivity. For this reason, many organisations are now considering a full office refurbishment with a human-centric approach.
As with most things in life, humans thrive in a happy and comfortable environment and the office is no exception. Staff like to work with like-minded teammates, collaborate and brainstorm, have access to quieter areas when necessary, and immerse themselves within a hub of activity. Simply put, the first step in ensuring that your employees love their office design, therefore, is to address their work-related objectives and choose your design accordingly.
When selecting your overall design, consider that the overall structure of your office design needs to cater for every employee and their individual requirements. A well-planned and intelligent workspace will promote creativity, collaboration and wellbeing. The most important aspect of this process is to involve your employees.
Start by communicating all forthcoming changes as openly as possible to avoid the damaging effects of a disgruntled workforce. Change can be overwhelming, and last-minute bombshells don’t always go down too well, especially when it affects how a person works day-to-day. Employee engagement will ensure that your staff understand the benefits of a change and gives you the opportunity to assure them that you have their best interests at heart.
Next, collaborate with your workforce, ask them design-related questions. Maybe your staff desire a flexible working schedule? What does the ideal collaboration area look like? What about quieter areas for more introverted staff, or for important, focused work?
You may wish to promote key workers to a position of project management, encourage workers to offer ideas that would benefit them. It is impossible to put a price on team spirit; a happy, collaborative team will provide endless opportunities for growth. For example, if your staff struggle with bright, artificial lighting, you may wish to incorporate natural lighting to help reduce eye strain and headaches.
Perhaps there are issues with noise control where workers are unable to hear themselves concentrate. A scenario such as this would benefit from agile furniture which enables you to separate areas and create task-related zones. These can be executed effortlessly using eye-catching and sound-resistant panels, whilst creating a quiet and focused area for isolated work. Once you have addressed the areas that you need to improve, it is time to build a wishlist that considers an overall vision for both you and your staff.
This is where we can assist. Zentura has a plethora of options available from ergonomic furniture to acoustic meeting pods. We will assist with the design and fit-out, and ensure that you create an ideal space for a happy and productive workforce. Contact Zentura and start your office redesign today.
