How To Make Employees Love Office Space Again?
The office is not dead – but its purpose has evolved. Galetti CEO John Jack argues that in 2021, companies are rethinking office space and using it as a much-needed catalyst for productivity, efficiency, and safe collaboration.
The new trends defining the office:
- Offices as an experience. Employees should see the office space as an environment that promotes structure, creativity, and collaboration.
- Employees call the shots. With worker safety and comfort as the priority, employers are continually engaging employees to ensure their needs are being met by the office space design.
- A hybrid/ rotational occupancy strategy is most popular. The model sees employees coming into the office on specific days.
- Socially distanced workstations could increase demand. If large organisations are opting for socially distanced workstations, this could require a larger floorplan and will see a net increase in office space requirements.
- Modular offices making headlines. These stand-alone temporary structures are the perfect solution for those wishing to occupy their own sanitised office space.
- How are major employers overseas approaching the office?
On the international front, big tech companies like Amazon have announced plans to bring all employees back to an “office-centric culture” as soon as it is safe to do so. Other tech giants such as Google and Facebook, are embracing a ‘hybrid model’ meaning that they’re requiring employees to come back into the office a few days a week.
Jack says that this is a clear indication that even the companies who created the technology that enabled us to work from home during the national lockdown have rejected the fully remote working model.
As South Africa slowly but surely reduces the risk of transmission by continuing our COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, employers are starting to return to the office
Five steps to ensure your employees’ happiness at the office
For employers who want to ensure that their team has the best possible office experience, Jack shares the following advice:
- Safety first: Make sure that all COVID-19 protocols are in place prior to opening, and are followed once employees return to the office space.
- Communication and openness: The office should be a safe space to communicate any fears and concerns. If a staff member is uncomfortable, employers need to be willing to listen and make changes to the office space if necessary.
- Always have a plan in place: Plan for every scenario and get the management team involved so that everyone is aware of the protocols that need to take place should things go wrong.
- Make it fun: Your employees are there to work but they are also there to reconnect with their colleagues. Come up with fun, safe ways to increase collaboration and communication while in the office space.
- Be flexible: Chat to your employees about different in-person office models that are available to them get their buy-in before rolling it out.