This year, the concept of office space design is reaching a new level. In addition to a comfortable environment, managers need to think about how to keep employees safe and motivated during a pandemic.
According to some data, about 20% of employees want to continue working from home, the same number of people want to return to the office, and the rest of the people prefer to combine both options.
In this article, we will talk about how offices will be transformed in the near future during a global pandemic and how not to lose coveted employees.
Concept No.1. Lack of traditional employee disposition
During a period of increased morbidity, many employers transfer their employees to a remote work mode. As a result, the number of employees in the office is decreasing. This is why organizations no longer need to assign everyone to their workplace. In this regard, transformable offices are starting to appear more and more.
Rather than assigning each employee their own workspace, companies prefer multifunctional offices. It has become a popular option where an office can use one space for several needs. For example, the same space can be used as a workplace, meeting room, or gathering place for all employees.
Employers started thinking ahead. If the expansion of the staff is observed in the near future, then it is not profitable to rent new premises or to demolish the walls and enlarge the space. Instead, it is better to have one large space that can be zoned with partitions. If any changes are coming, the partitions can be moved and the office can be arranged differently.
Unit furniture
When choosing transformable offices, you should give preference to unit furniture, which can be easily rearranged. For instance, a podium can be used as a venue for negotiations or conferences, and when disassembled, small structures can become ottomans for customers or employees. You can put amusing pillows with pictures there. AllAboutVibe offers a great variety of decorative pillows.
Soundproofing
When your office is designed in an open space style, there would definitely be a lot of noise. In such a room, employees will be uncomfortable working. It is worth considering how you can get rid of this problem.
Acoustic partitions, which can be easily rearranged, will come to your aid. With such partitions, it will be possible to hold meetings and appointments with clients, and employees will be able to call clients without trying to shout above the noise.
Alternatively, high-backed armchairs and sofas, which will also suppress noise, can be installed in the kitchen, where company employees have their lunch and chat with colleagues.
Concept No.2. Use of technology
Over the past year, the whole world has been fighting a persistent viral disease. People began to understand how important personal safety is. Safety lies in less direct contact with people at close distances and touching surfaces.
No employer wants to reduce the efficiency of employees. This is why companies must implement new technologies in their offices that can help keep the workforce safe.
The following examples can help you with this:
– Calling the elevator without pressing a button. The developers have created an application that calls the elevator for you. Inside the elevator, you also don’t need to press buttons – the app will do it for you. This design is used by many companies in China and Japan.
– Office navigation and an indication of uncrowded places. Small talk with a coworker can lead to bad consequences. In this regard, the application, that analyzes information from video cameras and helps employees find places where there is no large crowd of people, has found its usage. At lunchtime, employees can use these apps to see if they should show up in the kitchen right now or wait a while.
If the implementation of such technologies is difficult for you, then you can use other options:
– All employees touch the door handles. Disinfecting the handles every 15 minutes is a difficult task. Install doors that can automatically open and close.
– Install antiseptic dispensers that do not require touching, as close to each employee as possible.
– If your company provides meals for employees, make sure that each serving is hermetically sealed.
– At the entrance to the office, install automatic sensors that measure the body temperature of each employee.
Concept No.3. Refusal from strict office decoration
People spend most of their lives at work. In this regard, the new generation does not want to put up with formal office interior, where they feel like they are in a classroom. That is why it is preferable to design offices with comfort.
The formality of the atmosphere does not help employees feel comfortable in the workplace. The work environment should motivate and increase efficiency.
The company’s offices must have zones where employees can relax and replenish their strength. These areas can be filled with carpeting, cozy curtains, and comfortable armchairs or sofas with custom-shaped pillows. Follow the link to order unique soft pillows with fun prints to relieve stress.
Houseplants also make the room noticeably livelier. Place as many live plants as possible and assign a responsible person to care for them.
Concept No. 4. Creation of an eco-friendly atmosphere
A large number of the younger generation pays attention to environmental issues. About 40% of young specialists say they want to work for companies that are responsible for reducing emissions and saving the planet.
You can show your position by applying the following methods:
– Sorting and proper disposal of waste. By providing waste bins for separate collection, you will not incur any cost and benefit the environment.
– Use regenerative energy sources. The easiest option is to install solar panels. This way, you can spend renewable resources on powering your office.
– Reducing paperwork and the use of plastic items. There is no need to keep all documentation in paper form. Knowing how many hectares of forest are cut down for the production of paper, where you just put your signature, you wouldn’t want to become an accessory to this crime. Electronic signatures will easily solve the problem. Instead of buying a lot of plastic water cups. Give each employee a gift by handing a personalized mug with the company logo. The staff will definitely appreciate such a gift.
Many new office furnishing solutions are profitable and maximally useful. Contribute to employee safety, home comfort, and office functionality. This investment will definitely pay off.
