Your office layout is an essential part of your company culture. It determines whether you will be relocating or expanding your existing space. However, modern office space can be a bit complex to design. There are several important factors to be considered. Most importantly, you must seek to boost productivity and make the new office layout conducive for your employees. In this article, you will learn about the five things to consider when changing your office layout.

1. Optimize the Space you Occupy

Before you attempt to change your office layout, it is essential that you evaluate your existing office layout and figure out ways in which you can make the best use of the space. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Get rid of uncomfortable furniture

2. Let the employees choose

3. Document technological requirements

4. Pay attention to lighting

5. Create spaces for collaboration

6. Prioritize variety

7. Leave some open spaces

2. Keep Productivity in Mind

Productivity has to be at the epicenter of your office layout plans. Therefore, when changing your office layout, you have to identify how your business will use a space. While cell offices offer opportunities for deep and focused work, it can be extremely limiting for interactive sessions among teams. Hence, teams may not find cell offices productive for collaborations. Alternatively, while open floor plan offices allow collaborations, they make it easy for workers to become easily distracted by colleagues and conversations that happen around them.

3. Evaluate Collaborative Needs 

Some companies do well when teams collaborate and interact, while others do better in a productivity-driven environment. This is usually a factor of the industry in which a company operates. In a generation where people are embracing different work styles, it is a good idea to create a hybrid of these two workplaces. Have open space for your team collaborative needs as well as rooms for private focused work. Technology is revolutionizing the modern workspace. The new office space is about people and less about structures. The workplace culture is about what people want out of their workspace.

4. Provide Amenities for Employees

Your employees are going to be the primary users of the new office layout. Hence, it is essential that employees have amenities that will make them more comfortable and positive to get work done. For instance, depending on the nature of the business and the specific roles of each employee, a decision has to be made between using a dedicated workspace or a more open floor plan. Additionally, here are five amenities that employees actually want:

1. Concierge services

2. Wellness programs

3. Technology-based office amenities such as access to augmented reality as well as wireless charging.

4. An easier commute

5. Opportunities for personal projects such as Hack Days, etc.

5. Create Plans for Future Growth 

Companies aim to grow. As jobs come in and employees increase, there may be a need to redesign an existing space to accommodate larger business needs. This is why it is essential to consider the expansion option when changing your office layout and negotiating your lease. By planning ahead for business growth in 3 to 5 years, you will be saving the stress of deciding a new office layout in a short term.

In conclusion, the modern office layout is less about structures but more about people. You should be seeking to create a workspace where your employees are comfortable to work.

Here are a few other articles you might enjoy:

How Commercial Design Can Improve Employee Health

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