Did you know your office layout directly impacts how well your employees function, appreciate their job and perform for you? Designing office space with the flexibility to meet your workers’ changing needs is now being understood as a critical component of workplace efficiency.
Since the open office layout made its appearance in offices of the 1960s, progressive business owners have been trying to hack the link between office layouts and office function. While the open layout approach increases communication among workers, it’s also rife with distractions. Because of that, many of today’s most successful workplaces don’t solely rely on open spaces. These days, smart employers are designing office spaces with the flexibility to meet a variety of needs and mix different design layouts.
- Open Workspace: The open workspace approach can still be a great way to boost productivity, especially when desks are arranged in smaller clusters that group cohorts together. Watch communication (and productivity) when employees exchange ideas.
- Quiet Areas: Communal areas for isolation give employees a refuge from the bustle of an open floor plan. An isolated spot to make private phone calls, buckle down on complicated projects or just get some space away from coworkers relieves many of the stresses that stem from an open office plan.
- Alternate Workspaces: Some workers are more productive working away from their desks. Embrace these habits, and provide workers with patio spaces, conference rooms, lounge areas and other nontraditional workspaces to which they can shift while they work.
- Recreation Areas: You don’t have to go all in like Google and install nap pods, but giving employees a place to take breaks (that isn’t the kitchen) improves productivity. Studies show that workers who take more breaks are more effective when they’re back at work.
There is no perfect workspace that works for every company, and finding your ideal setup takes a lot of consideration and planning. WSI Interiors’ designers are experts in helping you discover your workspace’s needs based on your culture and workflows. Call us at 970.568.5210 to start transforming your office.