If 2020 has taught business owners anything, it’s that the modern workplace is evolving. More than anything it has opened many businesses eyes to the idea that employees do not need to be in the office full time, and that allowing them to work remote has many benefits for both the business and workers.
For businesses that are deciding to transition and evolve their workspaces to a modern, hybrid office environment, here are some decisions you can make to ensure that your office space is set up for success.
- Choose the right location and office size for your business
If your business is going hybrid, you’ll want to ensure that the space is suited for your workforce. If you are renovating your current space, you may want to look at designating one floor or section of your building to hot-desking. However if you are shopping for a new space, you’ll want to consider how many people may be working from the office at one time. So while your instinct may be to downsize, you may want to consider still investing in a normal sized office.
- Make the space inviting and modern
Although your employees may not always be office based, investing in a fresh, modern interior design will still allow for employee contentment. A space with up to date technology, aesthetically pleasing amenities (such as your flooring and lighting), and on brand colours creates an environment that will create a comfortable, productive experience for everyone.
- Set up collaborative workspaces
With people working from both home and the office, you’ll want to make sure that there are collaborative areas set up in your office. This will allow for workers to have meetings and collaborative sessions with ease. These areas that allow employees to have a more relaxed or formal catch up with clients or work colleagues could be meeting rooms with video conferencing, or group spaces with couches and comfortable furniture.
- Make sure that there are quiet spaces
While you need to have collaborative spaces for your employees to work, you’ll also want to have quiet spaces that they can utilise. This could be having a section of the office set up as a quiet, no meetings area. You could also design a fit out with smaller phone rooms where staff can take calls or take timeout from the busy office environment.
- Add partitions to desks of in-house employees
You may have some employees that need to or prefer to work in the office full time. It will be important for these team members to have a permanent desk setup that gives them their own space to personalise. Adding partitions will not only give them their own space but will provide them with added solitude from the busy comings and goings of the office.
- Add Hotdesk stations
For your employees that will split their time between remote work and the office, the addition of hotdesking stations in your fit out is a great way to conserve space and costs. It will be important that these stations are set up with all the normal amenities of a normal desk set up (access to wifi, OH&S friendly desks and chairs). This will ensure that employees still have what they need to maintain productivity.
If you move forward with the addition of hotdesking to your fit out, make sure you have enough spaces for all your remote employees. One way to do this is set up a schedule so that you can be aware of who will be using the desks. This way you can plan and have the right amount of space for employees.
- Ensure that all your remote workers are set up for success at home too
While the business interior will be important, another consideration you need to make is if your remote staff have an OH&S friendly set up. This means an appropriate desk and chair, well-hidden cabling, and more. By having your staff go through an OH&S compliance checklist, you can not only ensure that they are safe working in their home set up but also assist them in obtaining the equipment they may need to work in a productive environment from their home.
There are many other considerations an organisation needs to make before they make the switch to a hybrid work environment. This includes technical requirements, project management/workflow, communication and more. A well-designed office that compliments your new work environment can help make the transition an exciting and smooth process
If you’re considering updating your office or moving towards a hybrid work environment, get in touch with the team at Office Fitout Professionals. We’re experts in modern interior fit outs and can assist in everything from the design to installation of your modern, hybrid office. Get in touch today!