Do you employ several people in a group office space?
Is your office space actively promoting teamwork, collaboration, comfort, and a positive working environment for all?
Could it be better?
The Importance of Your Office Interior Design
Over the last few years, working in group-based central offices declined as more people worked from home due to the pandemic. Now, as we move forward and essentially live alongside the COVID-19 virus, many employers expect their staff to return to on-site duties, whether on a full-time basis or with some continued working from home.
An online survey by Harvard Business School[1] identified that:
· More than 80% of employees do not wish to return to the office full-time (or at all)
· More than 50% of office workers are concerned and wish that ongoing social distancing measures be adopted in their workplace
· Co-working office spaces are thriving in the aftermath of lockdowns
Employers and company owners need to make the office a place where employees wish to be – and this extends beyond pure aesthetics like eye-catching furnishings and premium coffee machines for staff use.
Making sure an office space is team-friendly is one of the foundations of a successful communal workplace.
Office Fitout – Features of A Team Friendly Office
So, what makes for a team-friendly office?
- Co-working spaces
- Autonomy
A 2015 study published in the Harvard Business Review[2] reported that the right mix of workplace autonomy and collaboration boosts job satisfaction and productivity. Combining an office-like environment with collaborative spaces that encourage camaraderie delivers the best return on investment for managers in terms of staff retention and business outcomes.
How to achieve this?
Create different zones within your office. You need to provide places to accommodate different working styles – from personal desks, enclosed offices, or pseudo-office spaces courtesy of office partitions or private booths, to private meeting rooms and collaborative cross-table areas for optimised interaction and connection.
Partnering with the right office fitout specialist is important too – they will understand your vision, your needs, and your workplace ethos to bring them all to life. You also need to choose the right provider of fittings, like office partitioning in Sydney, to ensure that you get the perfect style and quality of office partitions and fittings to suit your décor and practical needs.
Evolving Designs…
20 years ago, the stereotypical “cubicle farms” that were so popular in the 1980s and 1990s made way for open-floorplan office spaces. This trend had its place however the ideal office environment for many companies is now deemed to be an enhanced hybrid of the two.
High-quality, well-designed workspaces:
- Enhance employee health and wellbeing
- Reduce workplace stress
- Promote greater productivity
- Encourage collaboration and connection
- Optimise staff comfort
- Support different working styles
- Delivers the space required to meet KPIs
From optimised workstations and communal workspaces to ergonomic furnishings, appealing aesthetics, healthy break areas, and much more, working with an expert office interior design specialist is the first, essential step to creating the ideal office space for your workforce.
Create A Team-Friendly Office Environment in 2023!
Contact CMLS Commercial Interiors today for an obligation-free quote to revamp your office for better outcomes and employee satisfaction in 2023.
Our expert office interior designers near you provide an array of services including office fitouts in Paramatta, Penrith, and throughout Greater Sydney.
[2] https://hbr.org/2015/05/why-people-thrive-in-coworking-spaces
