When you think about your office layouts and how you want your staff to be organized, it’s important to be aware of just how much this is likely to impact the way they work. Everything from their immediate surroundings, to how easily they can reach the supplies and tools they need, to who they’re working near can have a direct and drastic impact on things like their productivity and their workplace satisfaction.
Most managers and CEOs of course are aware of these factors of course, but what they are more likely to forget often is the way that they integrate technology into these layouts. An office is basically a space for staff to sit and work at their computers, and that’s what they’re going to be spending most of their time doing. If your office layout isn’t conducive to this then, then it’s not really going to be fit for purpose.
At the same time though, rather than just making your office fit for purpose when it comes to integrating it with your technology, why not make it better than that and ensure that your office is perfectly suited to using technology and that you use it in new and more creative ways? Here we will look at some ways you can do this.
Multiple Screens
In this day and age, few of us work on just one device or with just one monitor. Rather, the vast majority of us will have computers, smart phones and tablets all running at once and all vying for our attention at any given time. While this can sometimes lead to a sensory overload, at other times it can be very useful for multitasking and for bringing up notifications without stopping what we’re doing.
This is something that will vary from person to person, but the general point is that you should create the facilities for people to use more than one monitor if they want, or for them to rig up their tablet somewhere where they can see and interact with it easily. Create the conditions in your office for people to work with multiple monitors and input devices by giving them the space they need on their desk and by providing tiers. If your staff request multiple monitors then give them to them, and if they don’t they ask if they could benefit from anything else. It’s about being individual and it’s about being able to take advantage of more modern set ups.
Get Up and Move
A lot of desks are very static in offices and this sees a lot of workers sitting in the same position all day which isn’t great for their spine or their general state of psychological health. Giving your staff the opportunity to move around the office and to sit on other seating that you’ve provided is a great way to keep their blood flowing and to prevent them getting bored, so set up some laptops and tablets and let them work from those – don’t get stuck on the idea of PCs.
You should also create some different work spaces for your staff when you arrange your office fitouts. This could mean a bean bag area where they can recline or chat, or it might mean a reclining chair. Consider using a network or cloud set up too so that your staff aren’t restricted to using only their one device and can access their files from wherever.
The article is written by James Corris.
