Now that many of us are heading back into the office, it’s time to reconsider the layout of your space. Does it really matter how desks are set up? The answer is yes! Whether you’re renting a small space with a few in-house employees, or you have several floors in a large office building housing hundreds of employees, the layout and design of your space will ultimately affect productivity. An inviting office will encourage employees to arrive and take charge of their day quickly and with a more positive attitude than if they’re stuck with no privacy and poor lighting.
Collaboration and Privacy
An efficient layout will cater to the probability of collaboration amongst employees. You want to design this appropriately because you certainly don’t want chit-chats all day long, but encouraging a social space will boost morale and create a desire for people to work together. Likewise, you want the space to include privacy for individuals to take a breather and stay on task undisturbed. Group stations are nice but ensure they have enough of a barrier that people can work in peace as well.
Efficient Placement – Both with Tech and Furniture
Having screens and video conferencing options laid out around the office sounds fantastic and tech-forward, but you want to ensure they’re in the right places. Too many distractions will pull your employees away from their work more often. You’ll want designated meeting spaces for those zoom calls that are out of the main work area but still easy to access. Technology can quickly move from a necessary tool to an unnecessary distraction. The way you set it up will make an enormous difference. You also want the furniture and desks placed in effective workstations that cater to productivity. Shoving desks in dark corners won’t make any employee happy but neither will placing a group of desks together in the middle of the office.
Proper Lighting and Noise Control
Light is essential to how someone feels throughout the day. Your employees will be there for six to eight hours per day, if not more. They deserve to work in warm and welcoming lighting situations. Poor lighting can also cause headaches and frustration after long periods from working in subpar conditions. Noise will need to be addressed as well. If your office has several people on phone calls each day and everyone loves to listen to their music, you’ll need a good setup to manage that as well as guidelines on phone usage and music volumes.
Get Feedback from Employees
Bottom line is every company is different and each employee is unique. You can ask questions to get a good idea of how your team works best. This will make everyone feel validated ensuring they enjoy their workspace setting. Boost employee confidence and morale by having them part of the decision-making process whenever possible.
Premier Computing knows tech inside and out, but we also understand the importance of a productive workspace layout. We can help you get your office set up in a way that maximizes efficiency.
