Having a modern-looking office space helps your company grow in many ways.
First of all, a modern office increases the overall efficiency of the employees. Secondly, it attracts people. Once you’ve developed a certain reputation, suddenly everyone wants to work at your company.
Thirdly, if you are following current modern office trends, chances are that you are creating an atmosphere in which everyone can thrive – not only employees, but managers, other staff members, and a company as a whole.
But what is it exactly that truly separates a good working environment from the mediocre or a bad one? Let’s be clear from the very beginning. It isn’t just one thing. Rather, it is a mixture of very different factors.
Nevertheless, there are certain actions that are proven to be working when it comes to boosting employees’ productivity and creativity.
Should open space offices be a thing of the past?
We are strongly fighting the urge to tell you exactly what to do, simply because we are highly suspicious of the ‘one answer fits all’ approach here. But there is no question that you can make a strong case against having an open space office.
Apparently, open plan offices actually decrease productivity and collaboration between workers, contrary to the idea of why they were made in the first place.
Even the numbers are very clear on this one: face-to-face interactions are reduced to a minimum in the open-plan offices. A staggering 73 per cent of people spent less time talking to each other, while 67 per cent of them opted for using emails as a primary source of interaction.
There are also other factors that speak against using open-plan offices, and the biggest among them is probably noise. Open-plan offices are just too loud for people to work in. They get easily distracted by others chattering, passing by, making phone or video calls, etc.
Not only will this decrease their productivity and hinder their creative thinking, but it will also increase their stress levels. You are probably thinking that you should maybe consider changing things around a bit, after reading this, right?
Rightfully so. We bet that now you are even more curious about what office environment does the opposite of this.
Modern office ideas: Mix things up, whenever possible
We are continuing to talk about the office plan, and what we are strongly recommending here is that you opt for a mixture of different zones.
What this means is that your offices will be as flexible as possible, creating an environment in which everyone can thrive, based on their needs and unique personas.
Choosing the right location will not only benefit your employees but also your business. By considering office space for rent in Jacksonville, Fl you will have many opportunities for your business growth that are not available in other areas. In addition, Jacksonville has the second-highest five-year success rate for businesses in the country.
What you really want to do here is to pay attention to the employees, respecting the fact that each and every one of them is different. You as a person in charge should address this and make the most out of it.
By creating these different office zones, you are doing exactly this – making your employees more productive, creative, and happier, which is another crucial thing that we’ll get back to later. So, which zones should you create, and how exactly will that look and work?
1. The so-called Focus Zones
These are designed for those who need to sharpen their focus and deeply concentrate on something, without being disturbed or distracted by others.
Like we’ve mentioned earlier, we are all wired differently, so while some of us can thrive in a crowded environment, others need a little peace and quiet in order to get the job done the right way.
2. The Collaboration Zones
People go here when they need to meet others and talk about projects, and other work-related stuff. You can already see how diametrically opposed these two zones are.
Now imagine having to work in an ambiance where the focus and collaboration zone are basically the same thing. Not the best idea, right?
3. The Brainstorming Zones
The employees should use these when they need help with their projects when they are suffering from writer’s block’, when they need a second opinion, or when they need to start something from scratch.
They can’t really do this neither in the focus zone nor in the collaboration zone, especially if they work in a large(r) company. Hijacking the zones that are built for other purposes won’t lead to an increase in productivity.
4. The Lounge Zones
Every modern office has to have a lounge zone in which the employees can kick back and unwind a little bit. Long periods of sitting at the desk can be detrimental to the workers’ health.
That is why it is so important to give them the area in which they can hang out and make a quick mental repose. Make sure to add healthy snacks, soft drinks, and also there are plenty of coffee machines for hire that would additionally improve this zone.
That way you’ll ensure everyone stays hydrated and energized for their tasks at hand. That way you’ll ensure everyone stays hydrated and energized for their tasks at hand.
These lounge zones can really make a difference in terms of keeping the productivity levels high enough throughout the whole day.
5. The Client And Feedback Zones
Communicating with the clients in the specially designed areas leaves a really good impression. These are essentially conference rooms, but ideally with a little bit of ’flare’.
You want to run away from the old, sterile conference environment as far as possible. The interior of the entire place should be designed to promote thinking outside the box.
Make no mistake that the clients will quickly be able to tell who they’re dealing with. So any uninviting, unproductive, or unimaginative area is a huge red flag for the potential clients.
6. Incorporate natural elements as one of your modern office ideas
One of the ways to fend off this unimaginative atmosphere is to incorporate as many natural elements as you can in your office and zones. It all starts with natural light.
People tend to be significantly happier when they are working in an environment that has natural lighting. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
You should go as far as trying to simulate the outside completely. People are much happier when they are out there in the open, with lots of green colors around them.
That’s why forests and parks are so relaxing and inviting. The stress levels are instantly dropping in the environment that is loaded with plants and flowers. Make sure to put a lot of greens in the office, and the productivity levels are bound to jump.
7. Think about employees’ feelings and overall happiness
When the employees are content, cheery, satisfied, and generally in a good mood, everything starts to flourish. So much of your company’s future depends on the happiness levels and positive feelings of the workers.
Basically, everything we’ve mentioned here previously is designed to make people more satisfied with their jobs. The equation is pretty simple and obvious: the more content the employees are, the company is doing better.
8. Preach the importance of eating healthy food and exercising
So, what else can you do on your part to keep people pleased, other than the aforementioned things?
First of all, you can make sure that they are all healthy. They can’t be happy unless they are healthy first. Other than giving them the opportunity to do regular check-ups, you can also preach the importance of exercising and eating good, nutritious food.
Make sure that the food they are serving at the cafeteria is healthy enough. Give the employees the chance to talk with the nutritionist, who’ll tell each person specifically about their needs with regards to the daily food intake.
A lot of people don’t realize the importance of maintaining a regular diet, so this experience can be truly eye-opening to some of them.
Another thing that is crucial is to make people understand how important exercising actually is. Any form or type of exercise is good, but you can hire a personal trainer who’ll develop a plan for everyone who is interested in taking this route.
As far as the office goes, equip the area with adjustable desks. This way the employees will have a chance to switch from sitting to standing in no time, thus doing the necessary movement regularly.
You should also consider adding things like yoga mats to the lounge zones, where people can stretch and get their blood flowing during breaks.
9. Follow the latest technological office trends
Following the latest tech trends can only make your modern office environment feel more welcoming and appealing. In today’s day and age, everything is starting to be wireless. From the internet to the way we turn the lights, heating, ventilation on and off.
Naturally, this makes things a lot easier for people when they are hooked up to an intelligent network. These latest trends in making ’smart’, ’intelligent’ offices are really on the rise, and with good reason – it makes the space more dynamic and efficient.
10. Think about the modern office design
Believe it or not, but creating the zones that we’ve mentioned won’t be enough unless you don’t make an interior office design that is making people more comfortable.
You ought to think about the furniture, walls, equipment, and all these different shapes and colors, and make a decision based on the general people’s preferences.
We’ve already mentioned that going green is probably a good choice, but that’s actually not enough in terms of creating an area that’s going to spike the productivity levels.
For instance, you also need to think about the art that you are going to put all around the place. Higher ceilings are also a good creativity booster, but good art pieces are unmatched when it comes to making the environment that is going to lead to generating imaginative and original ideas.
Modern office ideas: Summary
We should conclude this article by advising you to talk to your employees and get to know them better individually. Only that way you’ll learn exactly what you should do to create a modern office environment that is going to match their needs.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and go out of your comfort zone. Be the change you want to see around yourself – inspire and encourage people to explore new things constantly.
That is probably the best productivity and creativity booster there is.
Make sure that your employees are happy, healthy, and energized throughout the day. Give them different options, working zones, as well as relaxation zones.
These relaxation zones are equally important for overall productivity levels. People need to be well-rested, laid back, and comfortable in order to perform their job duties to the highest level.
That is the only way the company can truly progress.
Emily is a business psychologist with a passion for marketing and design. Researching, exploring and writing are her favourite things to do. Besides that, she loves animals and travelling.
