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The modern office setting has evolved greatly over the decades, in part to improve the overall productivity levels among employees, but more importantly, to appeal to the unique requirements of a millennial workforce. After all, it’s no secret that the 21st-century employee has vastly different goals, dreams, and value sets than their predecessors. With that in mind, it’s important that the contemporary office setting adapts to their needs.
Keep in mind that a happier employee is a more productive one, and that their satisfaction with their work environment will directly correlate with their desire to remain at your company. Otherwise, they will have no problem leaving your firm for a brand that prioritises their future and professional interests. So, let’s take a look at the key considerations when planning your contemporary office.
1. Nurture a deep brand-employee relationship
The design and decor of your office space can play a significant role in shaping the internal perception of your company, building brand trust and transparency, and forging a strong bond between the brand and its employees. This is your golden opportunity to retain the top talent you have work so hard to attract and bring to your firm by using subtle emotional triggers to elicit a positive reaction.
To achieve this, make your brand and its unique values the star of the show, and strive to weave its essence into the overarching design of the office. Use your brand colours to accentuate key areas, your logo to crown a focal wall, and your values to create motivational posters or wall stencils that your employees will adopt as a unique workplace mantra. All of this will help forge a deep bond between your brand and your team members.
2. Design for physical health and mental well-being
The modern office space is a place of health and comfort – two key features all of your employees expect to enjoy throughout the day. After all, how can you expect a team member to concentrate on the task at hand and achieve their true potential if they’re straining their back, if they knees hurt, or if they have a migraine from all the neck pain caused by improper posture? You can’t, really, which is why you need to design the space with ergonomics and comfort in mind.
Start by equipping every workstation with contemporary office furniture that’s built to support proper posture throughout the day. Introduce ergonomic chairs, forearm padding, and lumbar support, and even adjustable desks to allow your team members to work from a standing position. This will go a long way in banishing the monotony of an eight-hour shift, and help support their long-term physical and mental health.
3. Emphasise tech solutions that boost productivity
One of the most important pillars of a contemporary office design is technology. Technology has become an inextricable part of the modern lifestyle, and most importantly, it has become the driving force behind every successful business story. There is no viable excuse for running an office on outdated software and hardware, especially if you want to maximise your employees’ potential and keep them happy for the long haul.
To achieve this, be sure to equip every workstation with the right tech that suits the unique requirements of every job description. Emphasise flexibility, performance, and manoeuvrability with a compact fanless PC solutions that will provide the necessary computing power without cluttering the work area. Add wireless charging desks to allow your employees to keep all of their work and personal gadgets topped-off, and of course, provide only the fastest internet speeds for unimpeded productivity throughout the day.
4. Create a multifunctional work environment
This is an age of personalisation in the business world, and age when companies are prioritising the individual in an attempt to retain the top talent in the industry. With that in mind, it’s unreasonable to assume that every employee will enjoy the unique design of your office space – some professionals will require a more peaceful, intimate work environment while others will thrive in an open-plan office.
This means that your office space needs to appeal to every type of personality profile, including the introverts and the extroverts. You can achieve this by creating a grand co-working area to allow seamless interaction and communication, but complement it with several quiet booths where people can enjoy some uninterrupted peace and quiet.
5. Design around natural elements and lighting
On a final note, keep in mind that just because the modern office design prioritises technology and a decluttered look doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t safeguard a deep bond with nature and its elements. Quite the contrary, natural elements can help your employees thrive throughout the day, imbued with positivity and a sense of calm only natural light and greenery can evoke. So add a potted plant in every corner and even in the corner of every desk, and structure your layout so that every workstation enjoys plenty of sunlight all day long.
The 21st-century office, unlike its predecessors, is a thriving multifunctional space where work is only a single piece of the puzzle. Be sure to implement these essential design solutions if you want to build a contemporary work environment where your employees can unlock their true potential to propel your brand forward as a whole.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."
