“Wow!” If you get your office design and coworking space furniture right, that could be the reaction of every visitor. Whether it’s a potential client or a potential talent, office design can make or break that vital first impression.
In recent years, we have seen a lot of changes in the office, especially as technology continues to grow and younger generations take the place of older employees.
Perhaps you want to implement some of the latest trends in coworking office furniture and office design? Allow us to make a case for borrowing ideas from coworking office concepts based on Beework from Ribeirao Preto/SP.
One idea is that many coworking spaces don’t have dedicated workstations or coworking office furniture. When someone shows up to work, they can decide which desk they want to sit at and with whom. Sometimes it’s not even a desk; maybe it’s a couch or a private phone booth. In the world outside of coworking, this has become known as hotdesking.
Coworking office furniture
Hotdesking?
This concept is based on research that claims that up to 40% of dedicated desk space can go unused on any given day. Employees may be on vacation, have a flexible schedule, or be in back-to-back meetings all day.
Their desk sits unused, is it an efficient use of space?
Those who know they don't have it have found hotdesking to be an effective alternative.
Fewer workspaces can accommodate the same number of workers. Many offices are becoming more activity-centric. They use office furniture, such as large desks or groups of armchairs and sofas, where workers can sit and relax. workers can use portable devices.
They still have desks, but if all the desks are in use, there will be plenty of other places to find a comfortable workspace. Studies show that some employees (millennials in particular, as they are the first generation to grow up with smart technology) don’t like being tied to assigned seating arrangements and can be much more productive moving from one space to another as their tasks dictate.
So how do you know if including coworking office furniture for hotdesking would work for your office? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
The advantages of coworking furniture in your office layout
Save on overhead costs. If you have a workforce of one hundred employees and on average only eighty people are in the office on a given day, you will have twenty empty desks taking up space. That is not efficient.
A considerable part of the general expenses of the desk You are committed to office space and maintenance. You can cut costs on furniture and hardware. Then, some of the space that was initially wasted could be better utilized as a meeting area or project development space, saving money and benefiting your bottom line.
Employees will socialize more, which is a good thing. Employees who work alongside a different person each day will interact more, communicate with more departments, and find inspiration where they couldn’t before. Socializing with a wider variety of people often leads to greater company cohesion and increased collaboration.
Employees will naturally optimize space for productivity. People are more likely to choose an area that meets their needs that day. Do they have a lot of customer calls scheduled?
A small conference room, private office, or less crowded nook would serve their purposes better. Are they collaborating with other employees to meet the project deadline?
This would probably be best accomplished in a room with whiteboards or presentation software, rather than clustered around a single desk. When you design your office to allow for employee flexibility, workers who thrive on independence and mobility will be more productive and happier.
And now… The potential cons
Employees may feel uncomfortable when looking for a workspace. Unfortunately, not everyone works well in a flexible office environment. Some may feel anxious about not having their preferred desk that day because they’re running late due to a doctor’s appointment or traffic. Some employees simply prefer not to share a space with others.
Hygiene can be a significant factor. One person may eat at their desk; another would never think of it and would resent the crumbs. Shared phones can spread germs quickly.
One employee’s sniffle on Monday turns into a terrible office cold on Friday. Requiring cleaning standards and providing antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer will help prevent most of this.
People tend to form their own rules around “things.” Humans are inherently social creatures. Without specific rules of behavior (like going to a designated table every day), we will make our own rules. Watch out for territoriality and cliques.
Those who thrive on routine will naturally gravitate toward the same spaces day in and day out, and when someone intrudes on what they’ve come to consider “theirs” (even without desk duties), it can breed resentment. People who work well with specific people may always seek to work with those same coworkers. For some, this may mean being excluded from the “cool kids’ table.”
Keep an eye on your office culture. The quickest way to lower employee morale and job satisfaction is to allow an intolerant or hostile environment to develop. This is especially true for marginalized groups. Your turnover will increase if people don’t feel like they have a safe environment at work.
Implementing office spaces and furniture inspired by coworking space furniture can limit employees’ ability to personalize their environment. Sometimes people need a little bit of familiarity, like a photo of their family or a trinket that shows who they are.
When they don’t have a designated desk, some workers can feel lost, leading to stress and feelings of being undervalued and forgotten. Employers can mitigate this by providing lockers where employees can hang their favorite calendars or drawings made by their children.
However, carrying these things around every day isn't always ideal, and they can start to show wear and tear when handled this way.
Have you ever felt that satisfaction when you finally managed to adjust your office chair to the perfect height and angle with exactly ninety-degree elbows? Tomorrow, all of that will be gone.
This isn't your permanent chair. Tomorrow you might be on a couch because there are more people in the office and you have a meeting first thing in the morning. Ergonomics are key, and if you have an office chair that wobbles (and every office has those chairs), you might be out of luck.
Employers must ensure that all office equipment and furniture is in perfect working order and is easily adjustable.
Coworking office furniture policies.
Employers who decide to use coworking office furniture and design ideas need to be clear in their policies regarding technology and furniture use and replacement.
Be very clear about cleanliness and hygiene and using headphones in high-traffic areas. This will help smooth the transition and prevent the cons listed above.
