August 9th 2023
With the swift return to business-as-usual after the pandemic, many business owners have taken to reimagining and revamping their office spaces. Many workers looked forward to returning, which highlighted some issues with many serviced office spaces across the country, whether this was cramped working conditions or a lack of certain newer technologies that became commonplace during their time working from home.
Today, we’re going to explore the steps you can take as a business owner to upscale your office space and implement meaningful changes to make every day exceptional and get the most out of your employees.
The Importance of Upgrading Your Office Space
Humans thrive in spaces they love. It’s easy to forget that sometimes, with the stresses of work and when deadlines are knocking on the door. You should aim to create productive and cultural spaces in your office, which can accommodate the needs and wants of your employees, allowing them to give their all, every day.
Adequate floor space is a great place to start, especially for desk-focused businesses. Cramming too many people into a small space can often have an adverse effect on productivity. When your employees feel as if they have enough space to breathe and focus effectively, the quality of their work will show for itself. This can also play a huge part when recruiting too, as oftentimes those looking to join your ranks will assess the work environment as a first impression.
Strategies for Optimising Office Layouts
Offices spaces with wider open areas and more comfortable seating arrangements can help to promote collaboration in the workplace. Give your employees areas in which they can let their creative juices flow away from their desks for a portion of the day. These more open floor plans can also help to brighten the workplace, allowing more natural daylight in to lift the mood of the office.
Also consider the impact of flexible working within the office, allowing employees to work from any desk, which can help to break the monotony that desk work can sometimes instil. If desk-based work is critical to your business, get your workers to brush up on some office ergonomics tips to help make their workday a little more comfortable.
Creating a Technology-Driven Workspace
Technology is advancing leaps and bounds every year. During the pandemic, people got so used to video conferencing and Zoom calls, that returning to work and not utilising them seems like a missed opportunity. This enhances connectivity with clients, allowing them to dial in from anywhere, saving you all time (and money!).
Ensure your office tech is up to date by improving your internet connectivity, implementing smart systems such as smart lighting (which can detect movement in the space and turn on or off accordingly), climate control for your heating or air conditioning and even conference rooms that are equipped with smart A/V equipment or VR (virtual reality) capabilities.
Enhancing Employee Wellbeing
It’s no secret that happy employees work better. It’s your job as a business owner to ensure that your employees feel at their best when at work.
There are a few ways you can go about this:
- Incorporate more natural light in the space by situating desks near bigger windows.
- Assess your ventilation systems and whether they can be improved upon.
- Designate break-out rooms or areas in which employees can put their feet up during the day.
- Introduce wellness apps to your employees, so they can track how they feel each day.
- Run wellness programs and ask for feedback from employees on what you can do to better accommodate their needs at work.
Aligning with Post-Pandemic Work Trends
A huge development for many businesses in the post-COVID-19 era, is the advantages of hybrid and flexible working. Hybrid working allows your employees to work some days in the office and some days from home, giving them more flexibility in their lives. Flexible working allows them to work anywhere in the space, giving them more freedom to complete their tasks.
It can be difficult to successfully implement hybrid working into your employees’ schedules at first, but for many, this will come as a welcome change to how they approach their work. It allows them to spend more time with family and friends during the workday and feel refreshed when they come into the office. This can improve employee satisfaction and retention numbers dramatically.
Moving to a hybrid working system allows you to play around with your office space more freely, as typically less desks would be needed day-to-day, freeing up budget, allowing you to upscale your office in other areas.
Budgeting and Planning Considerations
When upscaling your office, having concerns about your budgets is a valid feeling. We’d suggest prioritising your physical space initially. Devising a workable floor plan that’s within your budget is an important first step to take, as it likely informs the rest of the upscaling that you want to achieve.
Keeping in mind areas for relaxation and socialisation, make sure to situate enough desks in advantageous areas of the space so that heating and air conditioning systems can flow effectively, which can save you money if done correctly.
If needed, employ someone to produce a ROI analysis report on what the effects of the changes will likely have, what they will cost overall, and whether they align with your current business’ goals.
How Click Offices Can Help You
Here at Click Offices, we offer an incredible range of serviced office and managed office solutions that can truly transform the way you do your business. From smaller spaces ideal for start-ups and small businesses, to larger complex spaces for more established companies and brands.
We have spaces available in the UK and Ireland, situated in some of the most competitive business cities in the world:
Serviced Offices in the UK
Serviced Offices in Ireland
Make sure to head over and look at our office spaces if you’re looking to upscale today, because considering everything we’ve discussed today, it could be the best thing you ever do for your business!
