One of our clients asked us, ‘How do we create a space that inspires productivity but doesn’t cost the earth?’ They wanted an efficient and inspiring workspace that their employees would be proud of, where they could work together collaboratively but also have private spaces for deep work or confidential calls, all without breaking the bank.
The employee experience was once a stagnant environment where employees would spend hours sitting at the same desk, looking at the same wall. But now, the employee experience is more about flexible hours, shared and agile workspaces, and a greater focus on wellbeing. Modern working practices are about providing an environment that matters to employees. Simply by providing spaces that inspire, satisfy, and motivate staff, employers have lower overheads due to more efficient staff recruitment and better retention rates.
So what are the 3 most important lessons in creating a productive workspace that doesn’t cost the earth?
1. Choose adaptable fittings
The first step in achieving an inspiring workspace is to choose an adaptable design – one where you can move elements around to freshen things up from time to time and prevent the office space from getting stale and dull.
Traditional office setups with fixed desks and chairs can limit flexibility and impede collaboration. You can make your workspace investment work harder by fitting out an office space with modular and adaptable furniture that can easily be reconfigured to suit different tasks, team sizes, and employee preferences.
This is where we come in. By incorporating office pods or booths into your workspace design, you’ll optimise the use of space. These compact yet functional units can be strategically placed in underused areas, such as corners or open spaces, transforming them into productive work zones and making the most of your available square footage.
When creating a cost-effective workplace, it’s important to remember to always keep one eye on the future by leaving some room to grow. Rigid spaces that can’t evolve will cost more money in the long run, so it makes sense to make office spaces adaptable. A key advantage of our office pods is their flexibility. You can easily add to them, rearranging, customising and scaling your office space to accommodate changing needs as your business evolves without the expense of extensive renovations. Office pods give you the adaptability you need, maximising the longevity of your workspace investment.
2. Keep your employees happy
Sustaining apathetic employees or having to pay out for recruitment is expensive. So one of the most successful ways to create a productive and cost-effective workspace is also the most obvious – keep your employees happy. In these days of attention deficit, companies need to work hard to retain and attract talent. Modern working practices such as flexible working hours, collaborative office spaces, and agile working put the employee at the heart of the business. If your employees can see that you have their best interests in mind, then they are more likely to go the extra mile for the company, and they won’t have one foot out of the door. Happier employees are more engaged and motivated; for your business, this means improved retention rates and overall business success.
People have different needs and reasons to focus throughout the day. If we create agile workspaces whereby they can meet all of their daily work needs in one building or space, then they’ll be their most productive self throughout the working day.
Our office pods are versatile tools that can be tailored to meet a variety of workplace needs. Our larger pods serve particularly well as meeting spaces without distraction, and our smaller pods give individuals the quiet, acoustic space they need. Thus, they encourage both teamwork while also respecting the need for personal productivity.
3. Be sustainable and future-proof
Being sustainable is an intelligent business strategy in our modern environmentally-conscious business world. Sustainable practices benefit the environment but also contribute to long-term cost savings. For instance, incorporating energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems can reduce utility expenses over time. Also, encouraging paperless workflows can reduce waste and minimise your carbon footprint. Choosing office pods and booths that are versatile and adaptable, rather than expensive and inflexible office partition walls is also a sustainable choice and better for your budget. By making sustainability a part of your workplace design, you can save substantial costs and attract environmentally-conscious employees and customers—a win-win for your business and the planet.
Technology can also create a more connected and responsive workspace, which can give you the flexibility you need for your business to stay agile and efficient. By installing office solutions like sensor-based lighting, automated climate control, and digital booking systems, you are not only enhancing the efficiency and reducing the energy consumption of the workspace but also future-proofing it. This type of technology facilitates seamless communication and meets your team’s evolving needs.
It’s easy to throw many thousands of pounds at a workplace redesign and still not get it right. The layout and structure of our work environments matter and can significantly impact our performance and job satisfaction. It’s only when we create an office space that prioritises flexibility, comfort, efficiency, and sustainability, that we can unlock the productivity of our employees and the cost-effective potential of our business, now and into the future.