Many companies – especially those in established businesses and industries – are realizing that it’s time to update their office environments.

Why? Office design has needed to adjust to:

• Changes in how, where, and when we work

• New job roles and work dynamics

• Demands for faster innovation

Over time, the idea of what an office looks like has changed. However, a generational gap exists in what employees expect and their employees’ vision of the ideal workplace. Different spaces can attract and inspire the right team for your business.

A BALANCE OF OPEN AND PRIVATE WORKSPACES

Workspace that fits the activity and task of an individual or team as they go throughout their day can help your staff accomplish different kinds of work more effectively. The right conditions and office layouts will depend on your unique business and how your teams work. For example, some organizations need a higher concentration of private and quiet locations, especially if there is a lot of heads-down work. At the same time, some organizations have more collaborative teams that need open office space and common areas that allow for easy collaboration and interaction between team members. In most cases, we find a mixture of both open (collaborative) and closed (focus) space that is required for people to be effective.

MORE CONNECTED SPACES AND AN EFFICIENT FLOW THROUGHOUT YOUR OFFICE

More connected spaces and an intentional flow of movement throughout the entire office help improve your staff’s day-to-day experience. Open pathways offer ways to re-energize as people move between locations -from an office’s welcome entrance to workstations and meeting areas.

Moving more freely across areas can impact business outcomes, and collaboration between teams can drive innovation and reduce redundancy. In addition, studies show that better awareness of the activities in other departments can help employees understand the interplay of each team’s function and how they contribute to the process.

MORE FLEXIBLE ROOMS, WORK LOCATIONS, AND MEETING AREAS

More than ever, flexibility is required in a productive workspace. Flexibility is created through well-designed floor plans, movable walls, and adaptable furniture that provide options for quick re-configurations of workspaces. In addition, more flexible offices allow you to adapt work areas to fit different size groups or types of work while creating multi-purpose spaces, which can accommodate hybrid staff.

TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY WHERE NEEDED

In the most hybrid environment we have ever experienced after 2020, providing the right technology is important to help your staff do their jobs effectively. And seamless connectivity creates greater possibilities for where real work can happen. With people becoming more mobile every day, careful planning will ensure that appropriate work areas are designed to support different needs.

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