4 Top Office Design Trends for 2022

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Office Design Trends|4 Top Office Design Trends for 2022Since the pandemic outbreak in 2022, office trends have shifted significantly as efficiency, comfort, and functionality have become a focal point of office designs. At the same time, many people continue to work from home, although a recent study suggests that 90% of Americans are willing to return to the office. From design aesthetics to focus on safety and an interactive working environment, here are four top office design trends you should consider for 2022.

Merge home comfort to the office

With many people growing accustomed to working from home, you should consider comfort as a top priority in the office.

There are several ways you can make your office more comfortable, including ergonomic seating, warm lighting, outdoor seating, and so on. You may also want to consider your habits, especially after working from home. Did you move from one room to another or stay behind your desk all day? Although installing mattresses in your workspace is not recommended, a remote working study suggests that most people worked from the couch while others did so from their beds. This means adding a plush couch to your office space can benefit your team when they need a break from the traditional desk.

Prioritize sustainability

Living or green walls are now a common feature in today’s modern office. Real gardens and plant displays are mounted in many modern office structures as businesses incorporate green options in the workspaces. Since some rooms lack adequate lighting or windows, introducing some green life into your workspaces can offer a touch of nature and bring some outside into your office. Additionally, you can use the greenery to compliment your natural designing such as LVT and engineered hardwood flooring. Having plants and green life in your workplace can make your space feel more relaxing and homey while offering several health benefits.

Flexible, pod-style designs

Many businesses in recent times have embraced open office concepts. This has made pod-style or flexible office layouts more crucial than ever. It is normal to see employees seeking enclosed areas or private spots. Therefore, it is vital for open office plans to make room for features such as private areas and an office phone booth with enough space and seating for employees to make calls, research, and video conferencing with minimal interruption. These spaces can also be ideal for workers spending only a few days in the office as they work from home.

Safe and protected workspaces

In addition to CDC and OSHA guidelines on workplace safety, businesses and organizations are reconsidering interior and office designs that provide safe and protected spaces. Many are choosing hard surfaces and design components that are easy to clean, disinfect and maintain. The office space also features signs for social distancing, hand sanitizing stations, the number of people allowed to occupy a room at a time. These efforts are directed towards making your working teams feel safer.

If you are preparing to return to the office, you may want to consider redesigning your office space to inspire and promote collaboration and productivity. These four office design trends can help create a unique office space to get the most from your working teams.

Tips For Improving The Way Your Team Works

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Team Building|Tips For Improving The Way Your Team WorksDo you find that your team could be working much more effectively? There are many ways that you can improve the way that your team works, and these will depend on the kind of team that you are running and whether you are in the position to make some changes or not.
Here, we are going to give you some of our top tips for improving the way in which your team works. Keep reading to hear what these might be.

Introduce New Software

Is your team wasting time on things that could be done by a new piece of software? It can be easy to get bogged down by mundane tasks that need to be done but this can have a negative impact on the way that your team works. To combat this, you should try to invest in new software that your team can use to automate tasks and focus on the work at hand.

Improve The Working Space

If your team is being forced to work in a cluttered working space that is not good for aiding their creativity, then you might need to make some changes. To do this, you should spend a few days decluttering the workspace and call a junk removal service to come and pick everything up. Once you have done this, you can go about rearranging furniture and improving the working space that you have for your team.

Allow For Better Communication

Does your team know how to communicate effectively with each other and yourself? Communication is key in business and you need to make sure that there are appropriate channels that they can use to talk to each and solve problems quickly. Try to implement an open door policy and encourage team conversations to get your team working to the best of their ability.

Give Feedback

Our final tip for those who want to improve the way in which their team works is to try to give feedback. You should consider hosting weekly meetings with your team members to discuss their work and what they could improve on. This meeting should be a two-way conversation that allows them to discuss any issues. They should then take the feedback on board and improve their working style as time goes on.

Final Verdict

It is entirely possible to improve the way in which your team works if you know what to start with. Consider changing the work environment that they spend their days in and try to encourage communication in the office.
If you can follow the advice that we have given you in this article, then you should be able to get your team on track to getting results. It is important that your team knows how to work effectively together in order to have your business be a success. Follow our advice and you won’t regret it when you see a massive change.

The Most Effective Ways that You Can Make Your Employees Feel Safe

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Make employees feel safe|The Most Effective Ways that You Can Make Your Employees Feel SafeDo you have a number of different employees working under you? If so, then there is a good chance that you want them to feel as safe as possible within the workplace. This is a lot easier said than done due to the fact a lot of time, many people do not actually know what it is that can make their employees feel safer within the workplace. If this sounds like you, then have no fear, as this article will go into more detail about the most effective ways that you can make any and all of your employees feel safe.

Ensure You Only Use Top Quality Equipment

Your employees are going to feel a lot safer at work if the equipment that they are working with is of the highest quality. This means the tools they use, whether it is something as simple as a computer or a drill, all the way to the floor they are standing on.

If the work that you do revolves around construction, then you need to make sure that everything keeping your employees in the position they are working in are high quality and safety as well. For instance, if you have staff on board that needs to work on fragile roofs, you will need to use equipment such as that supplied by easi-dec.co.uk in order to keep everyone secure.

Make Everyone Aware of the Emergency Response Plan

If you are making your employees well aware of what they are going to need to do in the face of an emergency, then they are going to be a lot more at ease and a lot more prepared. You will need to create an emergency response plan and then make sure that your employees are trained about it, and they are visible throughout the workplace as well. Your plan is usually going to include the likes of:

  • The conditions under which following the plan is going to be necessary
  • The best emergency contact numbers your employees can ring
  • The address and phone number of your business should anyone need it
  • Information regarding where all of the emergency equipment is
  • Maps of all of the escape routes

Hire Security Guards

This could sound a bit extreme, but it is certainly necessary for a lot of different businesses as a security guard will make sure the premises and people within them are always as safe as possible. They are able to carefully monitor who enters the building and who leaves by standing guard and carrying out regular patrols on the area. This is especially useful when the building is empty as it means that you have people standing guard should there be any problems, such as individuals trying to break in.

Conclusion

You no doubt have an idea of how important it is to ensure your staff feels safe throughout the workday. If you want to have a full understanding of how you can effectively keep your staff safe, then you should consider the above.

Flexibility Like No Other: Why the Hybrid Work Model Is the Future

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Hybrid work model|Flexibility Like No Other: Why the Hybrid Work Model Is the FutureDuring the recent pandemic, quarantining meant working remotely to keep businesses productive as the world shut down. As a result, many companies scrambled to support remote workers and keep their company doors open. As a result, management and workers soon discovered remote work offers many benefits. Offering both flexibility and functionality, the hybrid work model is ideal today and in scenarios for the future.

Heads in the Cloud

Supporting remote workers during COVID-19 meant investing in cloud Hybrid Workplace Software to ensure real-time collaboration and updates from any location. Working in the cloud is secure and collaborative with the proper software solutions. As a result, workers appreciate the opportunity to choose their work hours based on their schedules and energy levels. Plus, employees on the go can access work updates from any device, including tablets and smartphones.

Increased Employee Satisfaction

Satisfied employees tend to be more loyal and productive, benefiting businesses by putting in their best efforts each day. A hybrid work model is desirable because workers plan their schedules rather than staying in an office for most of their week. The opportunity to work at home and collaborate at the office is the ideal mix to inspire employees and give them the flexibility to achieve the best possible work-life balance.

Effortlessly Increase Productivity

After generations of management attempting to improve productivity, the hybrid work model is the answer. When employees have greater control over their schedules, they become more productive. In addition, the ability to handle personal responsibilities and work when they have the highest energy levels ensures employees always bring their best when working. Plus, the cloud software helps management and employees stay connected to provide the necessary transparency and ensure projects are completed on schedule.

Improve Mental Health

Supporting optimum mental health is crucial for modern employers in a world filled with unexpected stress, ranging from natural disasters to a pandemic. Offering a hybrid work model gives employees essential time to process stressors without bringing anxiety to the workplace. As a result, employees’ time in the office is more meaningful and collaborative. Additionally, workers away from the office have an equal opportunity to collaborate remotely through cloud software.

Support Continuous Learning

Finally, a hybrid work model supports continuous learning. Consider the time it takes for workers to get dressed and commute to and from work every day. Some employees gain hours in their day when they work remotely. The extra time in a worker’s schedule can be used for continuing education classes, training sessions, and personal enrichment.
Additionally, companies offering educational incentives show they support their team members and want them to succeed. When employees feel valued, they do their best work at all times, which is a competitive advantage for progressive companies that realize the value of adopting a hybrid work model. Team members who continue educational opportunities bring their talents to benefit the business.

Beyond supporting employees’ success, a hybrid work model helps companies maximize resources and save money. Fewer workers in the office mean less space is required and the need for utilities is reduced. Plus, happier workers are more productive, helping companies gain a competitive advantage. Invest in software today to support the inevitable hybrid work model that top talent will demand in the years to come.

Why Your Employees Are the Most Important Part of Your Business

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employees|Why Your Employees Are the Most Important Part of Your BusinessWhat’s the most important part of your business? You might not be able to get much done without the right equipment and you need somewhere to get all of your work done. But the most important asset that your business has is definitely your employees. Other things can easily be replaced, but it’s more difficult to find valuable employees who can meet your demands. Even in “low-skilled” roles, the hiring process can be expensive and time-consuming. It’s not something that you want to be doing all the time. There are several reasons your employees are the most important part of your business and you need them to survive.

They Provide Essential Skills

Your employees bring much-needed skills to your business. There are some skills that you can teach to new workers when you hire them. Training could take a matter of weeks, but it could also take years and a lot of money to ensure someone has the skills that you need them to have. When you hire someone who already has the skills that you need, they will bring their experience and knowledge from their education and the other roles that they have worked. They can do things that you can’t do alone and that no technology can do for you.

They Can Be Expensive to Replace

Treating your employees well is one of the most important things that you can do if you want to save money for your business. Finding good staff can be very expensive, particularly if you want to find people with specialized skills or plenty of experience. Companies that have a high amount of employee churn can spend a lot on recruitment and waste a lot of time on hiring people too. When you have good employee retention, it’s a big improvement to your business and it’s great for company culture too.

They Have the Power to Disrupt Your Business

When you lose an employee, it can be a big disruption to your business. And that disruption doesn’t end when you find them a replacement, either. Even when you hire someone new, you have to spend time integrating that person into the organization. You should make sure that you’re protecting your business by taking out key employee life insurance, which will help you out if you do suddenly lose a valuable employee. It will ensure your business doesn’t suffer a loss when someone important to your organization is no longer around.

There’s No Business without Them

Ultimately, there is no business without your employees. While some businesses can be run by just one or two people, you will usually need the support of other employees if you want to grow your company. Your employees keep your organization going, whether they’re cleaning your office or closing deals with clients. You rely on them to be the essential cogs in your well-oiled machine, so it’s vital to keep them happy.

Take good care of your employees if you want them to stick around. They’re the most important part of your business.