As a business owner, you want your employees to be able to perform at their best each and every day. The space that you provide them to work in will greatly impact this, and even simple reorganization or remodeling can help to make your office more engaging, provide more energy, and allow for more creativity throughout the work day. In today’s post, we’ll look at some of the ways you can plan a new or existing space to give your staff a space that they look forward to coming to each day to take care of business.
The Neenan Company knows how important the overall design and feel of a building is in your plans, and we are here to assist you as much as we can in crafting an energetic and exciting place to work. Our team of designers and builders will work with you to make sure we are able to provide you with the necessary tools to succeed once the building project is done. Get in touch with our team today to learn more about how we can help you find the perfect location, plan an exciting building, and execute on the plan.
Before you even begin thinking about layout and design, you will need to have a clearly defined company culture. This changes drastically with each and every company and their goals, but having this starting point will direct your design choices, the layout of your spaces, and the way your staff or customers interact with the space.
Once you know what your overall culture is, you will want to begin coming up with a layout that supports your daily needs. If you have a large team that needs desk space, how will you accommodate this? Would it fit your culture better to utilize cubicles or some other sort of half walls? Or would it work better to have a more open space where your team can communicate easily with each other? If you are often meeting with new clients and potential customers, you will also need several meeting and conference rooms of varying size to accommodate this.
While most of your team’s work may be done sitting at their desks, it is important to encourage movement as much as possible. One way to do this is with desks that offer a standing option, or providing exercise balls as a seating choice for part (or all) of the day. This will allow your team to move around in their own space. Even a little bit of movement helps to stimulate the mind and increase work productivity. Movement can also mean allowing your team to work remotely if possible. In the past year, there have already been huge advances in remote working due to the stay-at-home orders from the pandemic, and these can only improve as time goes on! Finally, while some spaces may not allow it, giving your team a way to stretch, exercise, or even move about the office to get the blood flowing will help keep them from feeling too sedentary.
Plants make a space feel more inviting and friendly, so adding a few plants throughout your office is always a great choice. While fake plants may be easier, they don’t usually make the area feel as warm and inviting. Real plants can also encourage your team to take care of them, further increasing camaraderie and movement throughout the office as they work to keep the flowers and shrubbery looking their best.
Nobody wants to work in a dirty space. While not everyone’s space has to be perfectly neat and tidy, having clean floors, bathrooms, entrances, and shared spaces is critical. If you have a kitchen or break area in your building, making sure that the microwaves, sink, and counters are cleaned regularly will make your staff and any guests feel welcomed and comfortable as they go about their daily business.
Giving your team the option to personalize their space will help them feel more comfortable in their work area, which can help to increase productivity. People work best in a spot where they feel that they are at-home and welcomed. Whether your employees can decorate their desk or office space, create fun gathering spaces, or some other form of personalization, allowing and encouraging this will help to bring your teams together and keep them happy in their day-to-day processes.
When you are getting ready to build or renovate an office space for your company, look to the team of designers and builders at The Neenan Company to provide you with helpful designs and tips that will help you achieve your goals and continue to succeed as a business. We look forward to helping you craft the perfect building soon!
