The Office Of The Future

As technology advances, attitudes and ways of working shift over time, our perception of the modern office changes accordingly, too.  But what does the future hold for the typical office environment and what can we expect to find?  Read on for an insight.

Open spaces

In the future, office environments will be more focused on creating open spaces for their workers.  An open environment is thought to be better for allowing people to commune, share ideas, let communication flow easier and foster feedback.

There will be less emphasis on people having their own desk areas that they sit at solidly for eight hours.  Instead, workers will move to different hubs or zones within the office to complete specific tasks.

Managers will also need to show a more visible presence on the work floor, with the days of bosses being segregated into their own office areas diminishing over time.

Technology and equipment

With strides in technology, the office of the future will be less reliant on some of the bulky, cumbersome pieces of machinery that has served them in the past.  Equipment to help workers do their jobs will become smaller and more efficient.

Modular Smartphones could replace computers and tablets, and there will be greater emphasis on using mobile equipment on the go.  Virtual keyboards that fit onto any surface will make working anywhere much easier.  Cloud services will mean more workers can edit or comment on information at the same time.

Workers will be able to keep their technology skills updated with the increase in e-learning services.

Pressure to reduce our carbon footprint and conserve energy will see offices striving to achieve a paperless environment, as well as using apps and devices to monitor or control energy usage.

Flexibility

Flexibility in the workplace will become the norm and accepted way of working for the office of the future.  On the one hand, this means workers will increasingly be able to dictate the hours and environment where they work to fit in with their lifestyle.  Changes in technology will make this much easier to happen.  Workers will also have much more say in what they get involved with and how they manage projects, rather than being reliant on guidance from hierarchical superiors.

On the other hand, flexibility in the workplace will mean a less rigid and structured environment.  Workplaces will become more fluid, to meet the ever changing demands of the business.  Pop up work environments will become more commonplace, with workspace design focusing more on adaptability.

Health and safety

The office of the future will be more health and safety focused, with specific emphasis on the individual.  As more and more employers recognise the necessity for good ergonomic office furniture to boost productivity, there will be a shift towards providing an environment that nourishes the worker.  Health-conscious designs of office furniture will promote physical activity in the workplace, reducing the reliance on a sedentary environment.  Treadmill workstations and using exercise balls to sit on instead of the office chair will become the norm.

Written by Crispin who enjoys keeping up with the latest technology and this post is a prediction. Written for Automatic Access.

 

Stop Telling Your Employees That They Are Worthless

Listen up; if your business is going to be successful you are going to have to stop telling your employees that they are worthless.

I know that you don’t walk up to every member of your staff and shout in their face that they are a meaningless layer of scum on the bathtub of existence, but you might as well have. Your employees already know that you think they are worthless because of the environment and the tools that you have given them to work in.

They have old and creaking uncomfortable chairs which tell them that you don’t care about whether their backs are sore after a full day of hunching over the computer for you. They have bad florescent lighting which shows that you don’t mind if their eyes hurt and they have headaches at the end of the day. They have completely disorganized filing systems, which means that it takes them ten times longer to find that important contract or memo when they need to and you don’t care.

Basically, the environment that you create for your employees to work in shows them how much you care about their success and productivity. Give them a poor environment to work in and pretty soon they will feel like drones in a factory, waiting for their escape.

But My Employees Aren’t Worthless!

“They are not worthless at all!” you might protest. You are correct of course, they are in fact one of the most important resources that you have. If your employees can be inspired to do well, they will propel your company to new heights that you could not have imagined before.

Part of managing a team is about hiring great employees and the other part is about bringing out their best work. This includes giving them the best environment to work in that you can. There are many ways that you can show your employees that you think they are amazing and encourage them to perform the very best they can.

• Give them an ergonomic chair to work in. Poor quality chairs will cause back and neck strain, cut off circulation to the legs and cause your employees to be very uncomfortable throughout the workday. They won’t get much done if they are constantly getting up to stretch their sore backs.
• Upgrade the lighting in your office. A high quality lighting system will reduce eye strain and will keep your employees feeling refreshed rather than tired and headachy.
• Help them get organized. Put some effort into developing a filing and storage system that is easy for everyone to understand and stick to it! This will make finding important documents not such a nightmare.
• Give them computers that work. It can be unbelievably frustrating to try to complete a project on a computer which keeps freezing, crashing or going aggravatingly slow. If you can supply your employees with the technology that they need they will be able to do their job faster and easier.
• Go above and beyond every once in a while. After you have upgraded the office to a good condition, you don’t have to stop there. If you want your team to really know how much you appreciate them you can offer them special rewards for when they do well. For example, you could promise to upgrade to a higher quality coffee maker when the office meets a certain target. That way, each employee gets a tangible reward for their hard work.

Take a moment to look around your office and ask yourself whether you are making your employees feel worthless by subjecting them to your outdated equipment and furniture. Could you make an investment in the working environment that would pay off in employee productivity?

Are all of your office facilities outdated and falling apart? How do you think that makes your employees feel about how important they are? You can find some good quality cheap office furniture online that will make your office a much better place to work.

 

How Comfortable, Stylish Office Furniture Can Increase Productivity

 

Many employers are looking for methods to help improve employee productivity. Individuals who work at home are also concerned with increasing their own efficiency. Enhancing the aesthetics and functionality of your office furniture is one creative way to boost employee output. Investing in ergonomic and stylish office equipment can bring in solid productivity to defray the cost of buying new furniture.

Ergonomics
Comfortable and ergonomic furniture is a great way to increase productivity in your business. If you or your employees spend the majority of the day sitting at a desk while using a computer, certain parts of the body may begin to suffer from stress injuries. These stress injuries occur from frequent repetitive movements, such as using a computer mouse or keyboard. These injuries can include wrist strain, an aching back, eye strain and headaches. Ergonomic furniture helps individuals perform their daily tasks in a form more natural to the body to help reduce the risk of injury. This furniture also helps to decrease the amount of time you or an employee must take off due to a stress injury, thus maintaining the continuous flow of productive work.

Office chairs are a good first investment for ergonomic furniture. Many computer accessories, such as keyboards, have ergonomic versions as well. Additionally, chairs and desks should be set to the correct height to keep an employee’s computer monitor at eye level.

A Stylish Look
Selecting stylish furniture can also help boost office efficiency. Sterile office spaces are boring and uninspiring. Workers are less likely to look forward to clocking in if they work in an environment befitting a hospital. Taking time to choose stylish furniture shows your employees that you are interested in investing in your office space. Today, it’s possible to find office furniture that is both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to use.

Mentally Stimulating
Interesting office spaces can prod the brain into having random bursts of inspiration. A bored employee who stares at a blank wall with no interesting visual features is more likely to fall asleep than feel the rush of a new idea. An office that features eye-catching furniture is far more likely to encourage a worker’s brain to think about challenges in a new way. Additionally, arranging office furniture in an appealing way can help stimulate the brain. Avoid the boring cubicle look to keep your workers interested in their job.

Just Like Home
An office space that is comfortable and pleasing to the eye is likely to make one feel right at home. Workers who are comfortable in their environment are far more likely to remain calm and relaxed throughout the day. A comfortable and stylish office space shows your employees that you are invested in their success. For individuals who work at home, a pleasant office space helps them to define the line between their home and their work space. A feeling of ease and style helps inspire many people to perform up to their potential.

This article was written on behalf of Cooper’s Office Furniture, a leading provider of global office furniture