Most people treat the office as their second home. Employees spend so much time in the workspace, sometimes even more than at their respective houses. This situation is why most people include the office environment among the factors of career satisfaction. If they do not feel comfortable and secure enough in the workplace, they might seek another career path that offers a better office atmosphere. Small businesses end up with high employee turnover rates, especially with established rivals putting their workspaces to magnify recruitment strategies.
Small businesses need to keep up with the trend of office improvement ideas, including its surrounding amenities. Fortunately, you can break down the renovation one area at a time. Among the many places to prioritize are these amenities. They can change the entire office atmosphere significantly, warranting their position at the top of the list.
Collaboration Space
The office is full of separate spaces for each employee. They have designated workstations where they can accomplish their work tasks without interruptions. Those areas have all the equipment and tools necessary for their performance, ensuring productivity and efficiency. However, there will be multiple work tasks that require collaboration between co-workers. Unfortunately, the current workstation design might not provide enough space for employees to brainstorm or perform productively. As a result, the modern office requires collaboration spaces like meeting rooms.
Those collaboration spaces need to provide employees access to the materials and supplies they need. Most of the time, a screen projector is essential inside meeting rooms. Chairs and side tables are also non-negotiable supplies to the area. To enhance the overall atmosphere, you can add coffee makers and whiteboards for your employees to enjoy. Renovation is not necessary if you already have dedicated space for meeting rooms. They are often large enough to accommodate a handful of employees, and they can also serve as discussion locations with clients.
Office Pantry
Employees are more productive and engaged when they have full stomachs. They are people, after all. Eating is part of basic survival tasks, and businesses should always look out for employee health. As a result, offices require pantries. Employees might want to save time, and leaving the building to eat at nearby restaurants might not be the solution. Most workers have snacks or lunches every time they go to work. Unfortunately, eating at their respective desks might not be convenient or sanitary.
Businesses should invest in providing the eating spaces, but the pantry should be more than just tables and chairs. An office refrigerator, microwave, and other appliances should be part of the design. Pantry sinks and trash bins must also be present to help employees keep themselves and their utensils clean and safe. The office pantry can become a space for collaboration, justifying renovation projects and expansion plans for the critical office amenity.
Office Bathroom
It will be challenging for employees to focus on their work if they hold their bodily waste throughout the entire work shift. If they need to use the bathroom, they need access to the bathrooms. As a result, companies invest in toilet fixtures. However, cost-efficiency measures might make companies focus on functionality rather than design. There might be many stalls for employees to use, but lack of spacing and bathroom vanity can hurt employee satisfaction.
Fortunately, businesses can pursue improvement projects by expanding the area. Making bathrooms wider not only fixes the crowded space but also lessens movement restrictions. The area becomes a more comfortable space for employees, making their experience more pleasant while waiting in line for their turn. If expanding the office bathroom is impossible, removing a few toilet stalls could widen the space.
Choosing Between Open Office Layout and Traditional Setup
The office underwent plenty of transformations over the years. Modern trends dictate that open office layouts are better, but some companies and employees prefer the peaceful environment of having their respective workstations. The debate between the two setups continues to give businesses a challenging time. However, both can work out for your company. It might be better to create a hybrid setup where people have respective workstations while having access to open office spaces. It can be easy to confuse an open office layout with meeting rooms.
While collaboration is achievable on both amenities, the open office layout offers more socialization, which is necessary to building team chemistry.
Office improvement will be continuous as long as trends appear. It seems like there is no end to innovation, which means businesses can always find things to enhance. However, these areas will be on the top of the list when your company plans to expand the office. Moving to a bigger and better location might also be an option, but investing in what you have remains more cost-efficient.
