Many employees are ready to get back to the office.
In fact, 70 percent want to work in the office for most of the week, while only 12 percent want to continue working from home full-time, according to Gensler’s recent “U.S. Work From Home Survey.”
That’s good news for business. Working in an office has a number of benefits for everyone, such as eliminating distractions; encouraging innovation through spontaneous interactions; supporting collaboration and community- building; and even helping prevent burnout by giving employees a greater separation between their personal and private lives.
However, employees aren’t ready to return to the offices they left behind. They want to see changes designed to protect their health and safety as well as their newfound flexibility.
Therefore, employers should be prepared to reconfigure their office to accommodate current employee expectations as well as ongoing business priorities.
That means embracing a whole new way of working, one which creates a safe environment where talent can collaborate with one another, be more productive, and achieve their organization’s objectives. Read on to discover which solutions are right for your business.
Determining your office layout.
Goal
Individual focus work without the distractions of home
Solution
Hoteling
What it Means
Team members book desks ahead of time
Best For
Large teams in which a small portion want to be in the office sometimes
TIP!
Use conference rooms and other meeting spaces for collaboration.
Goal
A combination of individual focus work and group collaboration
Solution
Mixed-Used
What It Means
Staggered workstations facing each other
Best For
Teams that require short sprints of focus work as well as time to collaborate
TIP!
Assign members desks that they can always use during their shift.
Goal
Collaboration, brainstorming, debate, and decision making
Solution
Conference Room
What It Means
Desks grouped together to create a meeting room within a private office
Best For
Highly-collaborative and creative groups
TIP!
Book phone booths and small meeting rooms for individual work sessions throughout the day.
Goal
Managing a distributed workforce
Solution
Dedicated Desks
What It Means
Turn your office into your headquarters, using one of the configurations above, while also giving team members access to dedicated desks in workspaces across the country
Best For
Teams with members living in different cities or different parts of one city who would prefer to come to a location that doesn’t require them to use public transportation.
TIP!
Consider providing employees who live farther away with a ridesharing stipend on days they’re needed in your central office.
Explore how Industrious can design a workplace that meets your business’ needs.