When choosing an office space to rent or buy, businesses should initially consider how they will layout the inside of the commercial property. This aspect is often overlooked as businesses feel it is simply about placing desks in different places, with the unlucky individual sat near the photocopier becoming the office delivery person. But the layout can have an effect on how people work and communicate with each other which could cause problems with staff morale and work levels.
Newbusiness.co.uk state, “Office layouts can foster a culture of co-operation or individualism, promote an idea of hierarchy or put everyone on an equal footing and even enhance or stifle creativity and productivity.” With this in mind businesses need to consider how they want to arrange the office space before they commit to the sale or lease on the commercial property to ensure the plan will fit and work in the building.
Joanna Disney, Web Content Manager at Officebroker.com states, “It all comes down to office ergonomics. While some workplaces are custom made, other firms move into a standard building and do their best to make it work.” Firstly businesses need to consider whether to have an open plan or closed office space.
Open plan offices are much more popular than closed offices as everyone works on the same floor, so people are more approachable and staff can communicate with each other as ease. However, this could cause problems for work levels if people start to ‘take the biscuit’ and abuse the open office system. Closed offices are the complete opposite and everyone has their own office. This layout offers employees privacy with no distractions so they are free to get on with their work with no disturbances. But sometimes employees will not have any interruptions at all during the day and will not communicate with anyone else, thus promoting a sense of individualism which could also have an effect on their work levels.
So by getting the balance right is essential in a commercial property to ensure that employees are happy but are also working efficiently in the office.
