Office Designs to Maximise Employee Collaboration
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘two brains are better than one’ and at Office Fitout Professionals, we’re not here to argue! Employee collaboration is crucial for organisational success – it helps solve complex problems and innovate new ideas to reach new heights. So, how can you foster an environment rich in employee collaboration? Well, it all begins with a strategic office design! A well-thought-out office layout can create a more united and collaborative environment, for greater creativity, motivation and profitability.
Know Your Goal
The first step to a collaborative office layout is deciding on what kind of interactions you’d like to encourage. Would you like to foster more natural interactions during day-to-day operations? Perhaps you’d like to encourage more effective team meetings? Deciding on your objectives can help to build a firm starting point for your office design!
Looking Beyond the Meeting Room
One of the best things about collaboration is that it can happen just about anywhere! The ultimate office layout looks beyond the traditional meeting room and acknowledges that even the most casual office interactions offer valuable opportunities for new ideas. Your office must be equipped for on-the-spot collaboration…but how is this achieved?
The answer: open plans and modular furniture! It’s time to leave traditional cubicle layouts in the past and adopt an open-planned office design, equipped with plenty of lightweight and moveable furniture for quickfire catch-ups. Whether it’s transportable privacy screens, lightweight desks, handy stools or moveable whiteboards – furniture should be easily adapted for on-the-spot teamwork.
Handy tip: simple elements like a communal whiteboard between working pods can kick-start collaboration, providing employees with a visual way to share ideas, track goals and display content for inspiration.
So, What Designs Actually Work?
Following in the footsteps of progressive (and extremely successful) companies like Google and Pixar, modern offices are adopting two main approaches to collaborative office design – ‘casual collision’ and ‘mixed-use’ spaces.
‘Casual collision’ areas are often strategically located throughout the office, offering employees a hub to gather, recharge and bounce ideas. To encourage casual collision, employers must ensure that shared spaces like dining areas and communal kitchens are made as enticing as possible. These spaces can be vamped up with open layouts, plenty of natural lighting and of course, comfortable furniture.
‘Mixed-use’ spaces are shared work areas, open to all departments with no singular purpose. They’re a melting pot for ideas, allowing employees from across the entire office to use and break the monotony of their traditional desk environment. Mixed-use spaces provide employees with varied environments for informal collaboration and are usually equipped with couches, coffee tables and quirky furniture like bean bags and rugs. At Office Fitout Professionals, we specialise in collaborative mixed-use spaces, get in touch for office interior design advice!
Modern Day Meeting Rooms
Remote working arrangements offered a life raft for many office-based companies throughout 2020. In fact, in November last year, 64% of Australians working at small to medium sized businesses worked remotely on a full-time or part-time basis! With many employees still working from home, office designs must consider the needs of remote workers. To ensure that remote team members can effectively collaborate with in-house staff, meeting rooms must be equipped with all necessary tech. The best collaborative workspaces are decked with large screens, speakers and strong internet access for successful online meetings.
Final Thoughts
At Office Fitout Professionals, we’re WA’s experts in office design and renovation. We’ve helped offices across the state achieve more attractive, productive and collaborative workspaces for over 11 years. All OFP projects are done completely in-house, so whether it’s construction, interior design or the supply and installation of fittings – we’ve got you covered! Contact us to find out how we can help you today!