How to successfully manage an office revamp

There was a time when personal work areas and large amounts of space were needed to fit entire workforces on site. However, the current rise of hybrid working has changed how office space is utilised. When considering an office revamp, decision-makers need to examine which areas of a project require face-to-face contact, which tasks lend themselves to home or office working and whether employees will use the office to work independently or as part of a team. By understanding employee needs and deciding how spaces will be used organisations will have a better understanding of how to make the most out of their space.

Digital connectivity is essential for ensuring employees can properly carry out work from both in and out of the office, and employers should ensure staff are appropriately equipped with the right technology. With the hybrid working approach growing in popularity, many employers have used this as an opportunity to take steps to improve and modernise their existing IT infrastructure. Investing in modern workplace software will provide employees with digital team collaboration and encourage group work, without the need for constant face-to-face contact, decreasing the amount of time employees spend in the office.

In order to eliminate inefficiently used space, it’s important for decision makers to initiate a clear model of working, setting out direct expectations to the workforce of exactly where and how they are expected to work going forward. Whether this be working in the office one day a week to working in the office full-time. By considering the requirements of the space, it’s important to implement structured working patterns. This will help to eliminate the possibility of unused or impractical use of space and provide clarity for employees. For larger organisations, it may help to split office days between teams, allowing for equal amounts of face-to-face contact, whilst occupying a smaller office space.

Communicating with employees to determine what works for them may be beneficial to employers to work out whether a hybrid approach will suit them. For staff struggling to work from home, provisions should be made to ensure there are permanent spaces available for those who choose to make the daily commute and should be considered when sourcing new office space.

It is crucial for employers to understand that no one has perfected this new way of working and that they may even feel the need for more change after an office revamp. Recent years have shown that organisations should be prepared for the possibility of changing methods of working almost instantaneously, although most likely not to the same extent as the 2020 pandemic. Regular research into how other organisations are implementing agile working and updating methods as required could help employers who feel a business transformation is needed. Communication with the workforce will also allow employers to see if and where change for good may need to be made in future.

For employers to reap the benefits of an office revamp they need to understand exactly what is required from an office space whilst ensuring the needs of the workforce are also met. Investing in modern IT and assessing workforce needs are just some ways to ensure an increase in efficiency and productivity amongst staff, whilst regular industry research and communication with employees will create a better working environment.