Designing the office space to become welcoming, comfortable and engaging is a rising trend within businesses. A creative workplace design increases employee productivity and workplace engagement. It is, therefore, time for you to get rid of those tiny dimly lit back offices that leave your workers itching for more space and natural daylight.
This article will give you top emerging workplace trends that will keep your employees productive.
Multipurpose Work spaces
An emerging trend in workplace design is the continued disappearance of secluded workstations for each employee and the rise of common work spaces. These areas are designed for employees to meet in small groups and share ideas, conduct a presentation or even take a quick break. They promote workplace engagement, creativity and comfort while in the office.
Multipurpose work spaces, along with common lounge areas, play a huge role towards boosting employee morale in the workplace.
Lighting and Acoustics
Natural light and windows can play a large role in employee performance. It has in fact been linked to a 15% reduction in absenteeism of employees. The office work space should invite natural light to come in through strategically placed windows next to employee workstations and common areas in the office. The feeling of nature is huge towards boosting productivity.
Office Acoustics also matter. Unwanted background noises can distract employees from performing both simple and complicated tasks. Emerging office trends are leaning towards creating quiet secluded spaces where employees can retreat to when they need to focus intensely on a specific task. Physical design elements of the office also play a role, such as ceilings, walls and flooring materials.
Bring the Home into the Office
A comfortable and welcoming environment is key for achieving high levels of productivity. To make your office space look more homely, incorporate natural-looking designs around the area. Flora patterns and artwork on the walls and surrounding structures make the office feel warm and natural. You could also add wooden design elements and concrete floors to achieve a detailed homely finish.
Flexible Space
With the onset of technology and increased mobility, more employees are working remotely. Studies show that at any given time, one-third of workers in both the private and public sector are working from a remote location. It is therefore important for the office space to adapt to a flexible design.
Rather than having fully fixed workstations occupy the entire office, areas should be designated as common work spaces where people coming in and out can quickly settle and continue to be productive.
These unassigned spaces can be great for achieving flexibility within the office. They can be used by employees who are constantly coming in and out, visiting employees from other departments or stationed employees who simply need a break from their desk.
Standing Desks
Research reveals that most Americans spend 6 hours a day sitting down. Too much sitting can cause many negative effects on one’s health. Offices are therefore combining traditional work-spaces with other elements of constant movement, such as standing desks. Standing desks are great for improving your employees’ posture, decreasing risks of obesity and keeping them physically active.
Keep the Desks Neat and Clean
Employee workstations can spark low morale if they are cluttered with wires, reports, stationery and other items all over the desk. Helping your workers maintain a clean, neat and spacious workstation sparks productivity and a positive workplace image.
You can implement manufacturer solutions that use less wiring or hide wires underneath workstations or along the walls to achieve a polished look. Employees should also be encouraged to keep their items well organized.
At Office Furniture Direct, we have a multitude of solutions for your office space, all of which can been seen here.