The COVID pandemic has led to some huge changes in the way the world works. Many companies have now adopted remote or hybrid working practices in order to retain talent, improve productivity and give people a better work-life balance.
While this change brings with it innumerable benefits for both workers and organisations, it does come with some other considerations, such as what to do with your existing office space?
If you have fewer people in the office on a daily basis, do you still need the same amount of space, or could you repurpose it? Here are some options you might like to consider when it comes to your office.
Downsize
If your new hybrid working policy is leaving your office looking a little empty on a daily basis, you need to consider whether that’s a good use of your resources? Office space can be expensive, and you may not want to be paying for what you don’t need. You could look for a smaller office, or move to a serviced office. There are many benefits of serviced offices, especially the reduction in additional costs you need to pay, which can be reinvested into other areas of the business.
Go fully remote
A remote-first culture allows you to employ people from all over the world, and build your team with the best talent available without geographic restrictions. This means that having an office might not be necessary at all. Of course, you’re still going to want to get your team together from time to time. You can do this by renting out serviced offices periodically, or other venues which cater to these kinds of events. Many businesses also offer their employees money for using co-working spaces in their local area. This allows them to still enjoy working in an environment with other people, but without having to relocate for work.
Repurpose your office space
Fewer people in the office means that you can play around with the space a little more. If you’ve previously used every spare inch of space for desks and workstations, you can now get a little more creative.
Survey your employees and ask them what they would like to see done with the space. They may want a better break room to chill out in, a gym or games room. Concentrating on your office space in this way is perfect for a hybrid culture as it still encourages people to use the office and makes it much more enjoyable when they’re there.
Final thoughts
How and where people work is changing. Yes, it’s been accelerated by the pandemic but the most successful companies are those that are embracing these changes head on and putting the right policies, procedures and facilities in place to succeed. As a result, how business uses office space is changing too and needs the same degree of planning in order to make them suit the needs of the business in the future, rather than trying to cling to the old way of doing things.
