With millennials taking over the workforce, it's high time that you changed the look and design of your office to suit their tastes.
For your company to excel and achieve new heights of success, you need to ensure that your employees are happy and satisfied.
There's no better way to enhance their comfort than with a well-designed, cozy office.
You can make your employees feel appreciated and valued, thus boosting their confidence and desire to work.
To win over millennials, you need to think of several designs and layouts that might increase the aesthetics of the office. If you are not conversant with these office designs and layouts, fear not.
Have a read through these tips and start applying them today.
Tip 1. Setting Aside "Home-Style" Office Areas
One thing about millennials is that they love socializing and getting to enjoy the company of friends.
For your business to improve, you need to create a friendly environment where everybody is free to talk and socialize with each other.
To encourage this relationship among your employees, create break rooms with a home-like setting where employees can interact and relax.
This might not seem ideal, especially in a busy office. After all, employees are there to work and not to interact and socialize.
However, you must understand that your employees need to be motivated to work. Providing break rooms allows them to relax and brainstorm new ideas. They'll also feel refreshed which can stave off burnout.
The opportunity to hang out in a fun area is good way to keep the juices flowing throughout your team. Moreover, it makes them enjoy working for you.
Tip 2. Install Privacy Booths in the Office
Installing privacy booths for confidential or distraction-free tasks is a good idea, especially when you have an open office layout where everyone is working under one roof.
A Zenbooth is the perfect quiet place where employees can make private calls without any distraction. Or they can work on a crucial task that might require total concentration.
You can choose to install one or several office booths depending on your desired capacity per and the number of employees you have in the office.
Installing a Zenbooth shows that you value the privacy of your employees. You also won't have to deal with staff leaving the office to answer private calls.
This helps save on time, which will translate to an increase in productivity.
Office phone pods don't take up a lot of space as they are small, freestanding, and easy to move around.
Tip 3. Utilize Hidden Storage Spaces
As much as file and supply storage space is essential, you need to make sure that you don't overcrowd the office with cabinets.
Always go for designs that have hidden storage compartments. Leave as much room as possible to walk around. Filling cabinets along the walls of offices makes it look old and outdated.
Millennials consistently desire privacy. They are not proponents of using traditional office cabinets to store their stuff; therefore, hidden storage spaces would perfectly suit their tastes.
Tip 4. Adopt Bold Patterns and Bright Colors
Gone are the days where you had to make sure that all the walls have one inconspicuous color and no pattern.
You don't need to make your office look dull and serious anymore, especially if you want to win over millennials. Instead, go for bright colors and bold designs with patterns that will bring a happy atmosphere around the office.
Color choice influences creativity, productivity, and mood at work. Blue, for instance, is an intellectual color representing trust, communication, logic, and efficiency.
Tip 5. Employ Activity-Based Working Spaces in the Office
This mostly applies to technological and design companies where employees need to come up with new ideas.
In such a work environment, you need to have several designated areas where employees can meet and brainstorm together.
These places should have stress-relieving features like board games that challenge employees to think or learn how to solve super complex problems.
It's important to note that each "activity-based office setting" needs to have some relationship to what your employees are tasked to do. If you are a tech-based company, you can consider introducing chess sets.
This is one board game that will perfectly encourage your tech experts to think outside the box.
If you are a fashion and design company, go for something like puzzles that encourage your employees to sharpen their creativity and visualize new and elegant designs.
Remember, this office setting requires you to understand and cater to your specific company and employees.
Tip 6. Create a Fusion of Old and New Office Designs and Layouts
This goes for companies that already have more old-fashioned office layouts. You don't need to change the entire workplace appearance altogether.
There's a trend where you can create a blend of new and old office designs to come up with an exciting look that is more elegant and appealing. This includes the use of rustic furniture, metalic decor and natural wood.
However, you might want to consult a decorating expert before proceeding.
The walls of separation in workplaces is one of the many things that modern office layouts seek to do away with.
Adopting an open layout saves on time and resources. With this setting, you can have several employees sharing office equipment, such as tables, desks, printers and scanners.
The fusion between the old furniture and new office design brings a more appealing feel. The creativity alone is sometimes enough to win over millennials who are visually focused.
Tip 7. Set Up Office Neighborhoods
You can adopt this layout whether you have an open office, a private office, or a cubicle office.
Office neighborhoods are beneficial to those companies that have a team working on a particular idea. A cluster layout adopts the use of a single table or break room that can accommodate several employees.
This eases the flow of information and makes group projects easier to complete.
In such a layout, be keen to pair employees that handle related tasks. This will encourage consultations and a quick flow of communication.
Moreover, you'll ensure that not a single team member is left behind when discussing pressing issues or ideas that pertain to the progress and growth of the company.
This office layout will allow your young workforce to interact, get to know each other better, and form meaningful relationships that will go a long way in making your company excel.
Tip 8. Enjoy Light-Filled Office Spaces
While almost all modern office designs make the office look elegant, you might not achieve your desired outcome if you don't have sufficient lighting.
It is more advisable to concentrate on natural light than to rely on artificial lighting when planning to win over the millennial workforce.
In the first place, natural light will help you save on energy costs. Natural light also enhances the general mood of the office, making it bright and keeping people's energy level up.
This works especially when you have adopted cheery colors and bold patterns for decor. The entire impression is one of life and vitality.
Final Thoughts on Office Designs and Layout Tips
An office should not only be an administrative area for your company; it is also a place where ideas are born.
Winning over millennials is an achievable goal that can easily be accomplished through the above-mentioned office design and layout tips.
Remember, young people, are a resource that can help your company achieve greater heights when motivated. Therefore, you need to do away with the belief that offices should be a serious place where your employees' freedom is limited.
Adopt office layouts and designs that encourage regular interactions and consultations among your staff. Letting the young workforce contribute to the choosing of an effective office layout or style would be very wise.
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