Designing and organizing your office is a series of important decisions that have the power to influence not only the operation of your employees, but also the way your brand is perceived. There are many different tips that you can try here, and many underlying philosophies about how and why offices should be designed in a specific way.
One camp believes that the best way to design an office is to make it as "homey" as possible, offering spaces for relaxation, thinking about the comfort of employees and including a warm and personal aesthetic reminiscent of the one A home.
But is this really the best way to design your office?
The case for
This approach has some obvious advantages:
1. Control and Customization
First, you will have the power to create the work environment in which you want to work. Creating a space where you feel at home will make it easier and more exciting to come to the office every day, and allow you to inject some of your personality into your surroundings.
2. Less stress
Creating a workspace at home is intended to make people relaxed, as if they were in a residential space or at a friend's or family member's. This can actively reduce stress for your employees and, as we all know, less stress can lead to increased productivity. This is especially important if you know that your team will work long nights.
3. Single mark
Customizing your office to feel more residential can draw attention to the informal and inviting nature of your brand. Potential customers who meet you at your location may be impressed by the boldness of choice, and future employees you interview might want to work a little more in your business.
4. Retention of Personnel
Employees who appreciate the relaxed work environment will be less likely to leave for fear of returning to a conventional work environment. As a result, the retention of your employees should remain high with this approach.
5. Less Formality
A more casual atmosphere will produce more casual interactions. Your team members may be more likely to have conversations with each other, to connect with each other, and to collaborate more effectively.
6. Flexibility
The relaxed work environment also lends itself to the flexibility of the workplace, which is important for modern offices. Employees can feel free enough to personalize their individual workspaces, and / or work in the most productive way for them, whether on a desk or on the couch of the community.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24419" src="https://businessdigit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1525106482_112_should-you-feel-at-home.jpg" alt=" Businessman procrastinating playing video games "width =" 810 "height =" 540 "/>
The case against
However, there are some disadvantages:
1. Excessive Relaxation
Relaxed work environments are not always good for productivity. If your furniture is too comfortable or the workspace does not look like a "real" desk, your employees may be more tempted to go away instead of a "real" desk. assume their responsibilities. This can quickly become out of control, especially if your team is not used to this kind of freedom.
2. Perceptions of Maturity
New customers or employees visiting your office can leave with a negative perception of your brand; a relaxed and relaxed atmosphere might indicate that you are not taking your job seriously, or that your brand is not professional.
3. Hierarchical Problems
If your team members feel too much at home, you may experience problems of insubordination and / or refusal to follow the chain of command. This is the same reason why a common council suggests that bosses and employees should not become friends.
4. Abuse of flexibility
If your work environment is too flexible, employees may abuse this privilege. They may begin to show up late, destroy their workspaces or create work habits that are otherwise destructive.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-32320" src="https://businessdigit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1525106483_278_should-you-feel-at-home.jpg" alt=" Office of the exterior "width =" 810 "height =" 540 "/>
Other difficulties
Thinking beyond productivity and brand perceptions, there are some other challenges to consider with the office and home approach:
1. Cost
Office furniture has the potential to be ridiculously expensive, so if you are looking to turn an existing traditional workplace into something radically different, you risk encountering budget obstacles.
2. Subjectivity
What appears to be a home may not seem like home for your employees. This degree of subjectivity may be sufficient to compromise the effectiveness of your entire operation. What seems to invite could be strange or uncomfortable for someone else.
3. Tolerance to change
Once your office environment is relaxing and laid-back, you'll find it hard to put it back into a more traditional environment, both in terms of cost and employee tolerance.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-38662" src="https://businessdigit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1525106483_331_should-you-feel-at-home.jpg" alt=" Happy employees discussing "width =" 810 "height =" 540 "/>
Conclusion
So should you design your office to look like a house? If you have a clear vision of your brand, if you want to create a casual work environment and do not worry about being too informal, there are some obvious advantages to this approach. d Find your instincts here; As long as the design of your office reflects the business culture you want to build, you can not go wrong. And if you are stuck, make the decision that will allow you the most flexibility for the future.