What Are The Trends Influencing Office Design?

Several large countries such as China, US, Germany and Italy, are facing a shortage in talent as their workforces age and ability experience declining growth rates. Between 2015 and 2020, the labor force is expected to grow by only 0.7 percent. The skills that are expected to be high in demand are legal, management, sales and marketing, technical computer proficiency and operations.

This shortage in talent will challenge organisations to hire and keep the best people. They will to engage their employees with a commercial fit out that supports their wants and needs. Creating a vibrant office environment is one way to recruit and retain talent. Furthermore, creating vibrant offices one tactic to recruit and retain top-end talent. Providing choice and flexibility for where, when and how work occurs is also important when organisations are trying to attract the brightest and the best.

An employee who is completely engaged with the office environment can potentially boost a company’s bottom line by up to 20 percent. These employees are emotionally invested and are focused on providing value for their employers and organisation because of their want to engage with the commercial interior fit out surrounding them.

Conversely, disengaged employees tend to outnumber engaged employees almost two to one. Disengaged employees tend to be negative and sometimes hostile in their organisations. Companies who have these sorts of employees will often experience a turnover rate of 30 to 50 percent.

Employers and the workplace as a whole can do certain things to engage their employees. This can be done by celebrating individual or team contributions, broadcasting team goals or objectives, and providing work spaces for effective collaboration. Involving employees in the design or fit out of their office space also provides a unique and wonderful opportunity for engagement. By taking their wants and needs into account, you can relay these to the office fit out supplier who has undertaken the job of fitting out your office.

At any time, one-third of all workers in the public and private sectors are working remotely. Only 30-40 percent of employees with assigned work spaces are actually using them.

It’s hard to believe, but mobility is crucial to today’s workforce. In addition to their offices, employees are able to work in airplanes, hotels, client sites and in the comfort of their own home. This is all due to the advent of technology, particularly internet WiFi. Furthermore, they need to be supported with this technology and the company’s processes to allow them to work effectively wherever they are.

In the workplace, mobility may come in the form of ‘touchdown’ spaces for those who are out of the office for a significant part of the day. Organisations need the flexibility of space for employees who might have come from another floor or building. This is particularly important if you are dealing with contractors or part-time workers.

Flexible work generally receives a positive response. By this we mean allowing employees to work when they want, how they want and where they want. A recent study showed that thirty percent of employees with access to a flexible work arrangement were far more engaged with their jobs than those who weren’t.

The aesthetics of a building or workplace environment can improve productivity and performance by as much as 12.5 percent or reduce them by 17 percent. That’s a 30 percent swing between employee performance in the best and worst environments.

Funnily enough, the same factors that can produce effective productivity can also inhibit it. For example, background noise can boost productivity for administrative or daily tasks. However, that same noise can be distracting when employees’ concentration levels need to be at an optimal level. Lighting is generally a positive, except when it causes glare. That being said, the most common building-related elements for hindering productivity include thermal comfort, lack of natural light, over-crowded spaces, noise and poor ergonomics.

These are just some of the trends that influence office design. The good news is that if you are looking to completely change your office space set up, an office fit out supplier will be able to guide you on what will work best for your office and your workers. They have the skills and know-how to fit out an office that will not only engage your workers, but allow them to work as efficiently as they possibly can.