The modern office space has become more complicated than ever before. Gone are the days of the “one size fits all” cubicle.
What kind of a layout would best fit your people, your culture and your budget?
Many have tried to quantify exactly what’s best for your business. For instance, this advertising exec in NY, has strong feelings that you may or may not want to consider – Google got it wrong…
Herman Miller’s Living Office – Living Office and Haworth’s Organic Workspace Organic Workspace both offer a plethora of legitimate research and insight into what works best for “most” workers.
The bottom line? One size does not fit all.
What you need to consider are the following:
Culture –
What are you trying to communicate to your people and your customers? Are you hip? Are you organized? Are you traditional?
You can offer an open, collaborative and mobile workplace with a dash of color and panache and build a culture like a Google or an Adobe, if that’s the environment that suits you best. Tech companies are the best example of businesses that need to stay current in order to attract and retain talent.
Building a more organized, linear and divided space might be best for your people, if you’re in a business that requires that approach. Think of aerospace or accounting for examples of companies that would fit this mold.
If you’re more of a traditional space, for which we’ll use a law office as an example, you might need something with a bit more wood veneer and rich Corinthian leather.
Generation –
Who are you trying to market yourself to with regard to your prospective employees?
Today’s worker has options and you’ll need to provide them with a workplace that suits them or they may leave for someone who does.
Many Millennials would prefer a more open, collaborative space, while…let’s say…”more experienced” workers might prefer to be divided behind office walls or panel walls from those around them so that they can better concentrate on what they’re doing.
Having different types of workspaces within your office that people can gravitate towards, rather than assigned spaces, is a current trend that makes sense. Allow your people to work in an open area with a team but then move back into an isolated area when they need to do “heads down” work.
Also consider breaking up your office not by generation, but really more by department. If you have a design department or a sale department or groups of project teams working together, collaboration can be key. At the other end of the spectrum, accounting and legal typically prefer some seclusion.
Don’t ever get bogged down trying to give every individual an individualized workspace. Giving them options throughout your space is truly the best approach.
Budget –
Outside of the “traditional” option where veneers and leathers can get very expensive, you should be able to furnish your space however you prefer under a similar budget.
More expensive does not necessarily mean better, other than with regard to task seating/work chairs. A desk is a desk and a cubicle is a cubicle (with some rare exceptions), but the chair you choose to sit your assets in (no pun intended) matters most. You want your associates comfortable and productive and at their desks.
Some manufacturers have better warranties than others and there are certainly differing levels of quality amongst the various manufacturers, but a little research will typically ferret out those options.
Dealer –
Most local furniture dealers are simply a local sales representative for one (or typically dozens) of furniture manufacturers scattered around the country. Think of them as being like a local car dealership.
There are literally thousands of commercial furniture manufacturers, some are focused on certain items (soft seating, tables, etc) while others have a complete catalog of various items to comprehensively fill your workspace.
Every furniture dealer can cover a wide range of products and services that will properly furnish your workspace. Experience is the key with most dealerships, though be warned that the age of the dealership may not necessarily be representative of the experience level of their employees. Insist on an experienced designer who can take the time to interview you and then best put your impressions and requests into a workspace best suited for you.
Also, be sure to take the time to research who they choose to deliver and install your furniture. Some dealerships have their own installation group, but all of them subcontract local installers for some or all of their deliveries. Throughout the process of furnishing your space, the installation will be the last thing you remember.
Have any other questions? Contact us today at Elev8 Office