Steps to redesign an office space that employees love, with just five steps

Our employees and current work condition demands changes thus we reserve this finale to talk about the steps in office redesign. We found the Employee-Led Office Design is a promising strategy when it comes to being successful in post-pandemic.

Before we answer that question, let us introduce to you the workplace design trends for employee engagement. It is the framework of how redesigning a modern office stimulates collaboration, and its relevance in the post-pandemic work set up. The enticing design trends include:

• Flexibility, Modularity – makes it easy to integrate new technology and give employees mobility in a blend of spaces with movable furniture that fits different purposes. Additionally, the activity-based and blended spaces also encourage healthy interaction among employees
• Support well-being – installation of “sit-stand” desks and putting pantries and  toiletries away from the work area to encourage more walking, just to name a few
• Appealing to employees – adding popular amenities in common areas with good coffee and snacks, creating a game or gym corner, or outdoor unwind areas is one of the best ideas when redesigning an office. Companies usually seek membership from outside if they are unable to provide

Now we have more background and let’s see what are the needed steps to redesign an office that employees love, with just five steps.

Five Steps to Achieve an Employee-Led Office Design

We hope that you have found inspiration from our previous blog on some of the most inspiring office redesign ideas. Remember what is a ’employee-led office design’? This is an approach that gives purposeful work resulted from office refitting ideas most needed by employees.

Here are the steps you can take if you are ready to implement

1. Set your objectives

First, list out the challenges you are facing with the office and what you are trying to solve. Whether it is about demand for a group discussion zone, or a private chill out corner for a moment of peace, or an absolute quiet area for planning and thinking for your employees. That means, before starting to layout floor plans and install office furniture or device installations, identify the main goals. In some cases, your floor plan and furniture might be alright, but you just need to arrange them in a creative manner, like adding “The Flexi-office” as we mentioned in Part (II).

2. Take stock at your workspace

The next step is to evaluate the workspace. From the floor plan to the hardware, and even the slightest details like how to hide more wires. Setting up a quick corridor test or interview questions to gather user feedback will provide valuable suggestions.

3. Set a budget

Let’s face it, redesigning an office don’t work without financing. Setting up a budget plan will help you envision the goals and constraints of the office redesign clearly. For budget allocation, you might want to put a big chunk of your budget to technology installations. Or allocate only a reasonable amount to furniture or lighting. Lastly, a reserved budget for replenishing supplies and maintenance.

4. Review current design trends

Acquainting yourself with the current office design trends will help plan the refitting. It will also help you determine which part needs an overhaul or just a polish. Balance the needs of employees and operate within the budget. Moreover, it might also be a good idea to hire a professional designer. These people often have a wealth of experience gained from other clients with similar needs.

5. Install a workspace management solution

A workspace management solution is a common tool to bring transparency, collaboration, and efficiency with minimum coordination effort. It allows staff to better schedule their time as they can view who will be in the office. From the administrative perspective, the system helps to manage office capacity and ensure employees remain productive with a online booking system on resources they need. On top of that, the management can access to all the information in real time, export to CSV, and view in analytics tools. The real-time data generated by this online office space tracking tool makes workplace planning and reporting much easier. It’s also less prone to human errors.

Conclusion

Input from employees is the new winning strategy for companies in this post-pandemic talent-keeping arena, that is why the above steps in office redesign are essential. The above tips in refitting not only makes back to office more inviting, but also a powerful strategy to recruit and retain top talents. Changes needed by a more technological workforce, and reconfiguration that answers employees’ personal and work needs are at the center of office redesign. Let’s make it happen.

Thank you for staying with us throughout the series.

Please also read 

Part 1 of the series if you wanted to know why we still need office in this remote working norm: The Experiments In Reimagining The Future Of Work (I): Why Office Is Indispensable

Part 2 of the series on design ideas and case studies in the market: The Experiments in Reimagining the Future of Work (II): Design tricks and Case Studies

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