How Businesses Are Bringing Staff Back to the Office
Working from home has had a great appeal amongst employees: it’s cosy, commute-free, and more flexible. But gathering the whole team in an office also has its perks, such as enhanced collaboration, quicker turnaround, and a bolstered team spirit.
So what can businesses do to bring their staff back to the office? We look at how the world’s leading businesses are improving their offices to encourage workers to use them.
A blank canvas turns into the dream workspace
Everyone has a different style and mode of working. Some like talking to their cactus friend while brainstorming ideas, while others need complete peace and quiet. But the standard office layouts don’t take these needs into account.
Google is addressing this pain point by designing “Team Pods” to replace the rows of desks. The pods are essentially a blank canvas consisting of chairs, desks, whiteboards, and storage units all on wheels. They can easily be rearranged and designed to suit the team’s working style, whether through the use of 3D signs that convey the team slogan, through custom wall art, or by adding funky cushions and throws.
The “Team Pods” idea has been planned even before the pandemic, informed by a Google study of Gen Z and junior higher students’ learning preferences. That’s what is shaping the future of the Google office, and the design will be tried out in about 10% of the company’s international workspaces.
A safe office layout
As a result of the pandemic, workers are more aware of hygiene measures and a safe office is now much more of a priority than ever before.
The global real estate company Cushman & Wakefield introduced the Six Feet Office. Its take on the six-feet distance rule has resulted in a sleek modern office design that takes employees’ wellbeing to heart. Through floor graphics in circular shapes, the desk positions are clearly marked to avoid confusion and tie the look together.
Other layout designs that promote safety and are also budget-friendly include replacing shared tables with cubicles, diagonally facing workstations, and spacious conference rooms.
The fusion of the digital and the physical
Telecommunication channels meet office spaces in the post-pandemic work ambience. It comes as no surprise that technology companies are making a leap in introducing not only the hybrid working schedule but also the hybrid working tools. The aim is to bring adaptability and flexibility and make the office space more effective.
Let’s take Google as an example once again. The world-leading company is enhancing teamwork between remote and office employees by designing a new meeting room called Campfire. What’s unique about this meeting room is that the in-person staff sit in a circle intermixed with large screens where remote attendees appear.
Another technological company that bridges the gap between the virtual and the physical is IBM. The Warwick Business School has done research on IBM’s initiative to develop a new workspace over the span of four years.
Amongst the observed implementations, the ones that stood out the most incorporated video conferencing displays, Slack, and Jira into various workspaces, such as a “wall of work”, which is a dashboard where teams present the projects they’re working on, a “war room” for urgent discussions, and collaborative workspaces.
Smart furniture
Google is innovating once again with smart furniture, tools, and designs. For example, the company has developed a variety of movable walls that can easily be sent to offices around the world. These help offices strike a balance between the benefits of an open office and the productivity of a quiet, secluded space when needed.
The company has also addressed the issue of temperature in the office. Inconsistent room temperature is a well-known issue to anyone working in an office. To put an end to this dilemma, Google is equipping each seat with a personal air diffuser that controls the amount and direction of air coming at the person sitting there, just like in aeroplanes.
Distractions are also a major issue in conference rooms and open offices. That’s why Google is introducing a state-of-the-art robotic wall that senses when someone comes into close proximity and inflates a translucent cellophane balloon on wheels that offers privacy.
A “hot desk” prototype that is operated by the swipe of a work badge has also been invented by the multinational technology company. It adjusts to the individual preferences that each employee with a badge has set, and it is ideal for hybrid workers who don’t have a permanent desk.
An outdoor office
Green schools were the first to introduce the concept of taking the lessons outside. Now, an array of world-leading firms within the tech and creative industries are promoting the great outdoors abroad.
Take Echo Street West, for example – a 500,000-square-foot office complex in Atlanta designed by RIOS and developed by Lincoln Property. It features open-air corridors protected from rain by overhangs, and balconies on each floor. On a smaller scale, North Carolina-based ad agency McKinney is revamping its outdoor spaces into collaborative work areas. The two decks feature videoconference technology, new furniture and displays.
A potential concern for business owners might be that designing an outdoor office will take its toll on the company’s budget. However, there are many cost-effective ways to translate the brand look and feel into the outdoor space. For example, custom business signages and graphics displayed across an array of surfaces offer a budget-friendly brand matching technique.
The UK has certainly shown an interest in letting a little nature into their workspace. The surge of the interest in the great outdoors as a potential working space during the pandemic was manifested in personal garden offices – an update of the humble shed. These dedicated garden home offices are a great way to facilitate a work-life balance while working from home. Could they lead the way to designing outdoor offices in the UK on a larger scale for companies?
Businesses all over the country are implementing innovative style solutions in efforts to bring their staff back to the office, and business giants in the likes of Google and IBM are leading by example. Offices can re-appeal to workers once again through the adoption of creative revamp ideas, safety measures, and style improvements. Even simple changes such as letting your staff bring their dog to work can have a great deal of impact!
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/technology/google-back-to-office-workers.html
https://workflow.servicenow.com/employee-engagement/3-trends-in-post-covid-office-design/
https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/post-covid-outdoor-workspaces/
