Alain Guillot

Life, Leadership, and Money Matters

Designing Offices People Want to Return To

Designing Offices People Want to Return To

The problem that some businesses face nowadays is a reluctance for some employees to return to the office. It might be that hybrid working is the norm or that you’ve allowed staff to pick and choose when they come into the office.

However, whilst savings can be made, the physical domain of the workplace is something that’s often always needed, and encouraging your staff into the workplace is important.

With that being said, designing offices people want to return to is the way forward in getting employees back in.

Offer choice and flexibility 

It’s important to give your employees choice and flexibility within the workspace. Many employees who work from home don’t always have the same distractions that can often come from working in an office environment.

Diverse spaces are therefore required for different tasks. For example, having quiet zones can be helpful for the purpose of focus. Collaborative hubs can often be best for teamwork, and comfortable lounges or wellness spaces are great for providing employees with the opportunity to unwind and relax.

Try to make your layouts adaptable and your furniture flexible too, especially if it can be easily moved.

Wellbeing and health

Integrating biophilic design is an excellent way of bringing nature in and maximizing natural light. There are some wonderful corporate plant rental services out there that will provide all of your greenery needs without needing to worry about what types of plants to have placed around your company offices.

Ergonomic furniture, for example, is a good way of supporting your employees’ bodily health. Making sure there’s good air quality about is important, as well as having access to healthy food and water.

Try to consider the mental health amenities you offer in the workplace, whether it’s counselling access or quiet rooms for reflection.

Community and connection

Designing central social areas is useful to help encourage connections and ensure employees from all departments are interacting with one another. Peer learning and mentoring can be successful when you create these social spaces in the workplace.

Purpose and experience

It’s beneficial to give employees a reason to come in, such as access to better tools, opportunities with others internally, and perks that make coming in an incentivized experience.

Think about what might be lacking within the company workplace and how it can be improved to entice your employees back on a more regular basis. 

Designing offices that people want to come into work to is the main goal, so experience plays a lot into whether or not they come in regularly.

Seamless technology

Technology is a good way of making the office space a functional and efficient working area in all aspects of the building. Just like the smart home, companies are now implementing more technology throughout the workplace to make it seamless in its functionality.

From smart booking room systems to keypad and card entry entrance and exits, there are many ways in which technology can be added to the business premises.