Offices are one of the business aspects that are continually changing and improving to accommodate a more realistic approach to work. Offices of the past used to be quite eerie and depressive with a lack of color, metaphorically and literally. One of the major contributing factors in the industry’s progressiveness is the rising costs of real estate. Purchasing and maintaining conventional offices in a building is becoming too expensive for most startups and small businesses, leading to a more creative approach to the situation. In this article, we’ll be listing some of the latest office innovations that are gaining a lot of traction recently.
The professional term for hot-desking is non-reservation-based hoteling. In simpler terms, hot desking is an innovative approach that doesn’t rely on assigned seating plans and personal desks. Many people may find this hard to do at first, especially those who have worked in conventional offices for a while, but it does have a lot of benefits. Since most of the work in an office is wireless and on laptops, you no longer need to spend all your time at the desk, so it is no longer necessary.
Many employees feel more freedom when they come into work and sit in any place they like. They get to choose from desks and open tables to beanbags and couches. This kind of setup makes it easy for employees to interact with different departments and people because they will always see new faces every time they sit down to work.
Crowded and busy offices are known for their high levels of noise. While some employees may find no problem to operate while all this noise is around them, a lot of employees become less productive when random and high noises stress them. Since phone calls are generally the most disrupting office process, it would be good to reduce their noise. A new and innovative approach can be taken by providing soundproof phone booths in the office. Soundproofing can add an extra layer of comfort and quietness that your office could benefit from.
One of the latest trends in office innovations is the moving desk. Major offices in Europe pioneered it, and it seems to have garnered a lot of attention lately. The concept is pretty simple and efficient; it is using desks specifically designed to be reconfigured and moved to fit any shape like a puzzle.
This provides a flexible route for employees to create their own teams and decide how they want their office space to look. Giving more power to the employees can help a business excel at what they do, especially when the business is related to a creative industry. Moving desks will have your employees push boundaries and collaborate with ease.
One of the biggest benefits employees always look for when they are considering a job is healthcare coverage. This can be clearly noticed as employers have started improving their healthcare packages and wellness benefits in the last few years. Naturally, this interest in wellness and healthcare has opened a path for employers to redesign their offices to accommodate similar concepts.
Health resources are becoming more abundant with rooms that are designed to help mothers pump breast milk comfortably in isolation. The more accommodations an office provides to maintain its employees’ health, the more attractive it becomes to potential talents and professional workers.
A lot of popular office designs have a residential feel to them. Unlike the professionally cold and unemotional environment that conventional offices provide, offices with a touch of homeyness have been proven to increase productivity and efficiency. Whether it’s a few plush pillows or wallpaper, additions can make an office look like a second home, one that your employees don’t feel rushed to run away from when the clock hits 5 PM.
Bigger companies with multiple offices focus a lot on providing unique and special environments to each office to ensure that none of them feels repetitive or artificial. Having a theme across them all is normal, but each office should reflect a little bit of the individual personalities of the workers and the type of work inside.
This is one of the freshest and oddest trends in office designing. Music has been always known to improve productivity and mood when it’s appropriately selected. While a lot of offices play pink or white noise for its positive frequencies, some offices took it to a whole new level by creating a dedicated music room. These rooms are designed to be like miniature studios that allow employees who play music to blow off some steam by going inside and jamming their favorite tunes.
It’s important to note that this room doesn’t have to be for only those who are particularly talented at playing music, but even those who want to try it out just for a blast. Even though the concept might seem too simple to improve the office environment progressively, it’s much more fun in reality than many people might think.
The whole world is trying to find a way to make it easier for the environment to handle our load. There is no doubt that greenery and plants in the office are not a new idea, but a lot of the current office innovations are taking it to the next level. Green offices that allow employees to spend time in nature amidst greenery and basking in sunlight inspire them to be more productive and healthy.
It is strong enough to combat fatigue, depression, and stress that can result from a stressful work environment. The greenery doesn’t necessarily have to be inside the office only, but it can also be installed around the building to give the employees an inspiring view. Natural light will take care of monitor glare and eye strain that can be plaguing an office full of artificial light.
Thanks to technology and design innovations, offices are becoming places that people don’t have to dread the time they spend in. From inspiring to productivity-increasing offices, there is no shortage of the latest office innovations and designs that can be used to transform an office into a productive and efficient haven for your employees.
