Faced with employees’ disenchantment with working in the office and the rise of remote work, leaders’ ability to motivate their teams to come and work at the office rather than from home has become essential. In that respect, office fit-out has a key role to play. It must offer a work experience that a home office can never match.
It’s therefore worth looking at how the layout of workspaces can support team well-being. Open-plan offices, private offices, but also break rooms, meeting rooms or reception halls: across all of these company spaces, employee well-being must be at the heart of the thinking.
A welcoming feel at the heart of office fit-out
The new economy is horizontal, no role is disconnected from the others, and the flow between teams must be constant to bring every project to completion. To make this possible, everyone must feel at ease in workspaces designed for this new-generation atmosphere. Office fit-out must be the pivot of this new, plural organisation.
Spaces for exchange and sharing must naturally make room for collaboration to support connections. By fuelling personalities and each employee’s creativity, office fit-out and space management remain one of the company’s key levers. Small, standardised closed spaces should therefore be avoided. Everyone should be able to personalise a flexible space so their creativity can express itself confidently. These spaces for exchange must not, however, encroach on other employees’ focus and therefore need strong acoustic management.
The notion of well-being at work reflects the quality of relationships between individuals. The very way workspaces are managed and the quality of office fit-out have a direct impact on human relationships. It therefore deserves attention if you want to boost employee motivation and, ultimately, their productivity.
Involving employees in the office fit-out study
Across the various office fit-out projects we’re approached for, at Class Orga we see more and more employees directly involved in office fit-out projects. Between management requirements, employee expectations and needs, health and environmental stakes, employees should be able to voice their needs. That is why we recommend surveying teams on their functional needs, their potential shortfall of equipment or their ideas for the layout. This approach is the best way to reach consensus and support everyone’s well-being.
Offices that can be personalised endlessly
Once all the main lines of the office fit-out are defined (colours, floors, walls and ceilings, room volumes, circulation, lighting, furniture, etc.), everyone can freely arrange their workspace based on their own inspiration. From the green plant to the choice of wall visuals, through to opaque materials that preserve privacy and support focus… The field of possibilities is wide open to everyone to amplify the notion of well-being at work. It is sometimes advisable to go for flexible workplaces, where each employee can move between the different spaces based on their needs. Comfort must be present throughout the design of new offices. Every space must be practical and ergonomic. Decoration should not be overlooked either, to offer an inspiring workplace where people feel good. Finally, office furniture must be carefully selected to avoid muscle fatigue. Just like the choice and ergonomics of office equipment must fit each person’s build.
Workplace well-being therefore naturally runs through office fit-out. Comfort, practicality and a welcoming feel are all factors that will shape employee fulfilment. A thoughtful choice of fit-out, furniture and equipment plays an essential role in each of these factors. That’s enough to turn your company into a place where it feels good to work.
So, how will you support well-being in your offices?
