The office is one of a business’s most essential assets, second only to its employees. It serves as a vital resource, driving productivity, collaboration, and success. It’s the setting for brainstorming. It sets the tone for company culture. Most importantly, it impacts efficiency and productivity. However, a business can be shortsighted and ignore the value of a well-designed office. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that employees should make do with what they have. They should be able to work in the office given to them. However, that mindset impacts workers, morale, and the company’s success. But as a company, how can you justify an office redesign exhausting resources on something that might not seem immediately beneficial?
The state of a company’s workplace can be measured by employee satisfaction, productivity, and success. However, it can be difficult to identify areas of opportunity. Without proper planning designing an office can become costly. Identify problems. Identify opportunities. Discover what your employees need, and an office redesign can make sense in nearly every economy.
The Current State of Your Workspace
Your employees show up every day. They work with minimal complaints. You find yourself looking at the office and you feel you’ve created a positive work environment. While a positive work environment is great, it might not be good enough. There might be a lot of opportunities to improve the workspace. It might be possible to create an even better environment.
Comfort and Well-Being
Are your employees comfortable? Does their work environment prioritize their well-being? If not, it might be hindering their performance and sacrificing job satisfaction. An article from Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center highlights the universal impact that the office has on its employees. The core idea of the article is centered around a healthy building. An interesting perspective on workplace wellness from the real estate agent’s view showcases the value of a healthy building to the real estate market, agents, buyers, and tenants.
Layout and Flow
Layout and flow impact efficiency and connection. The way employees move about the office can impact focused work. It can cause distraction. It can create unnecessary traffic in quiet places. How employees are encouraged to move around the office can be just as important as the furniture you choose.
You’re options are often limited by the space you have to work with. However, modern cubicles, flex spaces, and designated collaborative areas can help direct that traffic and divert it from quiet, more private spaces.
Employee connection is another important aspect to consider when assessing your office. Employees need human connection. Connection has become a major focus when developing return-to-work initiatives. It is used to promote unity and strengthen company culture. In a study from Gallup about engagement and experience, they found that 1 in 5 employees are lonely. The study talks about the benefits to companies of a highly engaged workplace. Highly engaged employees can lead to higher productivity, profitability, and lower turnover. Connection and engagement or lack thereof is a great signal for the state of the workplace.
Should You Redesign in a Tough Economy?
It might be hard to justify spending money on a new or updated office. However, it’s an investment in the future of work. Keeping up with the times is important when everyone is evolving around you. Optimized space and job satisfaction have become a major component in business growth. When looking at it as an investment in future success, it can be hard not to make the decision to upgrade your office. But where do you start?
Space Efficient Environments
An efficient use of space helps you maximize productivity. From flex spaces and other multi-functional spaces, choosing how you use your space can help you avoid some of the pitfalls of space confinement. It’s more feasible and cost-effective to redesign a space to get the most out of it instead of moving to a completely new office.
Focus on Impactful Changes
While every company has its own unique set of needs, there are key changes and upgrades that can be made to the office that can revolutionize the way your employees work. The entire office doesn’t always need to be redesigned. Sometimes it just takes a few impactful changes. Maybe your employees need private areas for focused work. Or your employees just need designated collaboration spaces. Whatever the need is, make sure it has a real impact.
ROI in the Office
Focusing on what you need in the office makes it easier to justify changes in a tough economy. In a time when companies can benefit from the slightest competitive advantage, any strategic change can make a difference. When you decide where to allocate your resources, it might seem like you’re neglecting other areas. However, the office can impact so many facets of business.
Redesigning your office doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. What you choose to invest in your office has many external factors. But it has just as many internal factors. Will you benefit from a boost in productivity? Will happy and healthy employees make a difference? A redesign in a tough economy is an investment in the future of the business.
Office Redesigns and StrongProject
Modern office design doesn’t only mean building a new office. Office design means improving the elements of your office. Whether it’s updating sections of your office for efficiency, or a redesign to capture your brand image, we can help you with the changes you need to make. StrongProject takes the time to understand your vision and put into place the changes you want to make. If you want to make improvements in the office but you don’t know where to start, contact us to learn more about how we can help.
Contact StrongProject to discuss your redesign today!
Interested in learning more about modern office design? Check out these related StrongProject posts:
How to Furnish Your Office With Modern Furniture on a Budget
Budgeting for a Modern Office Upgrade? Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes
