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\nSummary:<\/b> Office layouts have a big impact on the way that employees work with one another. It also influences how much they\u2019ll want to come to the office and how motivated they\u2019ll be once they get there. That makes it an important decision that could affect productivity and the quality of the work product.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
Your employees will spend a lot of their lives in their work office if they work a standard 40-hour week. That means that you want to make it an inviting and ergonomic place to be. In addition, with the preference for hybrid or work-from-home models, you’ll want to give your employees a reason to want to come into the office.<\/p>\n
Key Takeaways:<\/b><\/p>\n
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Office layout can affect how much your employees will collaborate with one another, how motivated they are, and how much they\u2019ll want to come into the office.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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You can prioritize having an office that is ergonomic, open, biophilic, or one that has lots of places to hide away and work.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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There are various easy and inexpensive ways to up the quality of your office. They include switching seating around, benching, having whiteboards, lots of natural light, or focusing on accommodating hybrid work.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Why Is Office Layout Important?<\/h2>\n
The layout of your office can have a large impact on productivity and how your workers interact with one another. That means that your office layout should be informed by the type of work your organization does, as well as the type of interactions you want to encourage your employees to have.<\/p>\n
Types of Layouts<\/h2>\n
There are many different ways to lay out an office<\/a>, many of which will depend on the office space itself. That being said, there are gestalts you can use to inform the way that you organize the office. Here are some popular ones to consider.<\/p>\n
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Ergonomic.<\/b> An office that\u2019s focused on ergonomics is interested both in its employees\u2019 comfort and in doing work as easily and efficiently as possible. If your office is ergonomic, it\u2019s focused on ease of use and safety. That means that it should be laid out in a way that allows easy access to important items, along with ensuring safe use.<\/p>\n
Many different companies sell ergonomic furniture, keyboards, and desks. An ergonomic office will likely make use of these, as well as having standing desks and easy access to important equipment.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Open.<\/b> If you\u2019re going for an open office layout, then there won\u2019t be any obvious dividers. This type of office is most useful for work that requires collaboration, as it facilitates conversations between employees, as well as makes it easy to see what other people are working on.<\/p>\n
This type of office is often seen in tech companies and startups, where collaboration, communication<\/a>, and relationship-building are encouraged. A lot of these types of offices will make use of tables or sofas rather than having cubicles or desks to encourage working together and to keep the space open and shared.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Biophilic.<\/b> Having greenery in an office is a sure way to lift people\u2019s spirits. Remember that people spend a lot of their lives in the office. You want to make it as inviting and attractive as possible.<\/p>\n
Having a lot of greenery also means that the office has to be well-lit by sunlight \u2013 another excellent way to make the office a place workers will want to be.<\/p>\n
While there isn\u2019t a specific industry that is best suited for this type of office, it\u2019s helpful if your focus is on the environment or outdoors \u2013 it helps to remind everyone of what they\u2019re working for. In general, though, having a lot of sunlight and plants help with both air quality and mood.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Nooks and crannies.<\/b> While this is more of a way to go if you have an unusual office space, it\u2019s also helpful if the type of work you do involves high levels of concentration. Building private areas for employees to ensconce themselves and work encourages working alone<\/a> and being highly focused.<\/p>\n
This is most useful for solitary work, such as programming, or other individual, high-intensity work. It\u2019s also a way to make an open, industrial area seem homey. You can build cozy areas for employees to settle in and focus on their work.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Cellular.<\/b> This is the most common type of office. While it\u2019s also referred to as cubicles, cellular often takes it a step further by having built-in doors and windows.<\/p>\n
It can either be done via cubicles or by giving each person their own office (which is much preferred by employees, if feasible.)<\/p>\n
A cellular office layout gives employees a level of privacy, though it doesn\u2019t facilitate collaboration, as everyone is ensconced in their own area. Managers are also unable to watch what their employees are doing or do a quick scan to check to see if anyone\u2019s struggling.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Partition.<\/b> If aspects of the cellular office structure suit your workplace, but you don\u2019t want to close everyone off from one another, having a partition structure is a compromise. It\u2019s similar to the cellular layout in that everyone has their own desk, and there are divisions. However, partitions are much lower, which allows for communication.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Let your employees choose.<\/b> If you\u2019re just setting up an office or reorganizing one, it\u2019s not a bad idea to ask your employees what they\u2019d like. Not all suggestions will be plausible, of course, but this gives employees some ownership over the space in addition to seeing what they believe would work best.<\/p>\n
Different employees will likely prioritize different things, which means that you\u2019ll have to find a fair way to decide what you will and won’t do. Trying to incorporate as much as possible is a good idea, but if you can\u2019t, holding a vote is the most democratic way to go about it. It\u2019ll also help stave off complaints or accusations of favoritism.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Tips for Making Use of Available Space<\/h2>\n
There are several different strategies available to make the most of available space<\/a>. While cubicles are popular for several reasons, they\u2019re disliked by employees. If you want to make your office somewhere where people actually want to work, here are some tips to try.<\/p>\n
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Rotating seating.<\/b> While this isn\u2019t going to work for every employee or workplace, having unassigned seating can be a way to allow for more flexibility and creativity. This is especially useful if you don\u2019t have enough room to give everyone a full desk, as this will allow different people to use different places as needed.<\/p>\n
These can be done either by switching assigned seats around or by having a first come, first served policy. Though with the latter, you may end up with people selecting a seat that they prefer and end up with unspoken assigned seating.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Benching.<\/b> Instead of having individual desks, you can instead have long tables for employees to work at. This works best in either a small area, where there isn\u2019t enough space for desks for everyone or in an industry where you want to encourage a lot of collaboration.<\/p>\n
However, it may not work for every industry if your employees need a fair amount of equipment. That being said, almost everything is done on computers now, so as long as you have enough space for a laptop, most of your employees will have everything they need.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Places to unwind.<\/b> It\u2019s important for employees to be able to take a break<\/a> now and then. This can be in the form of break rooms \u2013 though most break rooms aren\u2019t overly inviting \u2013 or by adding ping pong tables or couches and a vending machine. Whatever you choose, it\u2019s good to let your employees know it\u2019s okay to pause and reset if they need to.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Add color.<\/b> Most offices tend to be off-white with industrial gray carpeting. Remember that this is a place where your employees spend a lot of time. You want it to be somewhere that they don\u2019t dread going or feel oppressed once they arrive.<\/p>\n
Even if it isn’t a lot, adding pops of color can make a space much more inviting. You can do this via furniture, having the walls repainted, or even getting colorful tables and plants. Hanging paintings or pictures on the wall can make the space much more inviting as well.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Whiteboards.<\/b> Having chalkboards or whiteboards to write on can be a way to encourage employees to work<\/a> together. Especially if your industry is one that requires a lot of calculations, having a place for people to write down what they\u2019re working on will encourage working together and double-checking.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Lots of light.<\/b> Make sure that your office is well-lit. Natural light is absolutely the best, but not every office space is going to have large windows to let in sunlight. Barring that, try to replace fluorescent lights with a more natural lighting system \u2013 maybe LEDs that have a similar color temperature to sunlight.<\/p>\n
Adding lamps and diffusing the light source can also help to make the space feel less oppressive. This is especially important in the winter, as the fact that there’s less sunlight is the cause of seasonal affective disorder. Even those who don\u2019t suffer from seasonal depression are affected by the lack of light \u2013 and sunlight keeps people awake.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Hybrid work.<\/b> Another possibility is to lean into the idea of hybrid work. This can help you save on office space, as well as being a popular benefit. If you offset the days that people come into the office, you can make do with much less office space.<\/p>\n
Additionally, if you put the office together with hybrid work in mind, you can build in areas that allow people who are working from home<\/a> \u2013 or another office \u2013 to more easily participate in meetings and other social events.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Office Layout FAQ<\/h2>\n