Today’s employee can work from anywhere, thanks to wireless technology, the internet and handheld computers. Customer relations platforms have made it possible for employees to connect from anywhere on online office spaces. (Image Credit)
In such a market, the entrepreneur who longs to have his employees work in the office must pay extra care in the way they organize their space. You do not want to spend a lot of money in an area that no one will use.
Working with a fitout project management team in Sydney will help you to know what features to have in your office and where to place them. Such a team will help you to understand how to make technology work for you to foster teamwork and innovativeness.
Rather than slimming down workstations or making your office informal in a desperate attempt to make employees comfortable, the following are office fitout trends you can consider:
Shrinking workstations
The traditional workstation was a square foot. This size is being cut dramatically as organizations are concentrating on creating meeting spaces with a casual feel. Most offices now look like a conference room. Even those with workstations have them smaller than before — six by six.
One of the reasons for this change is that there are smaller computers that do not need an ample space. Digitization of documents has made organizations that are tech-savvy to respond by shrinking the workstation.
Open offices
There was a time high partitions were the in thing. Now, the height has been lowered in favor of open spaces that allow employees to interact. There are organizations that no longer have private offices. There are exceptions to this rule, such as human resource offices or accounting departments where privacy is a must-have.
Consider also the kinds of clients you have and what they prefer. In some businesses, closed spaces symbolize status. An alternative way to go is to have private offices fitted with glass as opposed to drywall.
Silence through design
The rise of open offices is not without challenges. One of the main problems is that noise levels can go up making it difficult for employees to concentrate. There are new fitouts that accommodate for phone calls, for example, in a different space that is acoustically isolated.
Other businesses have an enclave where employees who prefer the quiet can go. Other strategies for controlling noise include using desk level, sound absorptive products and installing the flooring as well as ceiling with sound absorption properties.
According to Quiet Your Digs, using a white noise machine in your office can cover up the annoying sounds of ticking clocks, clicking keyboards, and other distractions to improve productivity levels.
Flexible Spaces
Time is changing the way businesses operate with many traditions becoming obsolete. Now, the workspace has to be adjusted regularly to fit ever-changing demands.
It is good practice to have an agile interior. One can achieve this by having demountable partitions, movable walls, standardized furniture, sliding doors and fixtures you can reconfigure.
Whatever options you choose to combine, make sure that your design elements serve the goals of your organization. Optimal placement is not just a factor of market trends. It is dependent on the overarching objective.
