Office space has gone through quite a few incarnations so far. According to statistics from 2013, 86% of the American workforce has sedentary employment, which makes office design very important.
At first glance, working a desk job seems a lot safer than working on a construction site – less possibility for an accident. Still, being cooped up in a badly designed office year in, year out can have a tremendous impact on our mood, productivity, and mental and physical health.
IT has grown significantly in the last couple of years and as an industry, it will continue to grow. Establishing an office that will be suitable for your team is considered to be one of the basic factors that lead to the success of an IT company. Let’s see what you can do to achieve this.
Light is crucial
We’ve all heard of success stories of companies that started in a garage with a bunch of programmers working tirelessly in a stuffy atmosphere. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are all part of this story but the industry has long moved on from these humble beginnings.
Natural light has been proven to be a very important factor when it comes to creating a productive team. It boosts productivity and impacts the collective mood in the office. Too much artificial light does the opposite – it has a draining effect on people’s energy levels and causes drowsiness so it is imperative to have as many hours of natural light as possible.
Natural elements and space
To avoid creating a stale environment, you’ll need to include some natural elements to give your office a lively appearance. Gone are the days of the plane and uninspiring, cubicle-filled office spaces.
Include natural materials like wood and stone, add some plants (and if you can a view of nature), flowing water is also a good idea.
When organizing your space, think about the activities that are going to be conducted regularly. Activity-based workplaces allow employees to move into areas designed and designated for certain parts of the job. In a classic office setting bouncing ideas between a couple of co-workers may disrupt the work-flow of more than a few people.
This is why it’s important to have areas which are designated for this kind of interaction because communication is as important as productivity and focus when it comes to company growth.
Reliability
Aesthetics are important but the primary focus should always be on the reliability and efficiency of office design. Things like good Wi-Fi coverage, tidy cables (which you will have a lot of), enough electrical sockets and other technical things need to be on point.
Being that most of your equipment will rely on electricity, you need to find a contractor that has experience with doing installations for this kind of situation. It would be even better if the contractor was a local. For example, hiring a Michigan industrial contractor if you are opening an office there will speed up the process, as well as ensure the quality of the installations.
Furthermore, security is a big issue. After all, you will have a lot of equipment staying in the office overnight and over the weekend, which makes IT offices juicy targets for theft. This doesn’t boil down to just installing a security system. It also includes coming up with security protocols and dealing with cybersecurity.
Furniture
We’ve already talked about the epidemic of desk jobs and how they impact the employees’ health and productivity. This is why it’s crucial to provide your workforce with reliable and ergonomically designed chairs and work desks. Also, you might want to consider providing a standing working options for those employees that like to switch it up from time to time.
An office isn’t just the sum of space and equipment. The organization of your workspace and the atmosphere you establish will make or break it. The soul of the office is in the team and its leadership, which is something each individual team builds differently.
Every person will add his or her own tiny piece to the overall atmosphere, enriching the team’s spirit and company culture. We hope that we were able to help you out.