Reimagining the Return to Office: What Leaders Should Consider for Space and Furniture
As companies like Amazon mandate a return to the office, the transition from home offices to shared workspaces is at the forefront of every manager’s mind. To ease this transition and boost employee morale, it's essential to rethink the workspace. From increased privacy needs to neglected common areas, here are four key considerations for optimizing your office environment to support returning employees.
Prioritize Privacy in an Open Office
During the pandemic, employees became accustomed to the quiet and privacy of a home office. As they return to communal workspaces, the shift to open-plan offices and cubicles may feel jarring. Leaders need to take into account that workers may no longer be comfortable with constant exposure to colleagues or background noise.
Solution: Consider adding privacy pods (such as the new PoppinPods) or quiet zones throughout the office. These can be small, enclosed spaces where employees can take calls or focus on individual tasks. Pods can emulate the private environment of a home office, offering workers a familiar and comfortable space for concentration.
Refresh Common Areas to Boost Employee Excitement
After years of remote work, many employees may feel hesitant to return to the office. In addition, numerous office spaces have been minimally maintained, resulting in outdated aesthetics or even neglect. Dead plants, dusty desks, and drab furniture can further deter employees from coming back. Updating common areas to feel fresh and welcome can give employees something to get excited about.
Solution: Update your common areas with new furniture and design elements that promote a homey and inviting atmosphere. Reimagining your break rooms, lounges, and communal areas with modern furniture can re-engage employees and give them a space where they can both unwind and collaborate.
Promote Collaborative Environments
Employers mandating a return to the office do so for many reasons, one of which is to foster the kind of innovation, brainstorming, and creativity that’s hard to replicate in a remote setting. In-person collaboration creates opportunities for spontaneous idea-sharing, problem-solving, and building relationships across teams. However, achieving these benefits requires intentional office design to encourage interaction and reduce isolation.
Solution: Design your office to include more informal gathering areas where employees can meet organically. By strategically placing common areas between departments, you can encourage more interaction across teams. Ensure that collaborative spaces are comfortable and accessible to all employees. Elements like natural lighting, soft seating, and temperature control make these environments inviting, reducing the desire to retreat to isolated desks. Placing more whiteboards or brainstorming tools around the office allows employees to capture ideas as they arise. Interactive surfaces, writable walls, and even furniture with built-in sketching capabilities make it easier to foster creativity in a group setting.
Reconfigure Spaces to Fit Your New Workforce
Many organizations experienced headcount changes during the pandemic. Whether your team has expanded or contracted, the space you have may not be configured to meet current needs. Returning to an office designed for a different-sized team can lead to inefficiencies in both space and productivity.
Solution: Partner with a space planner to maximize your office layout (bonus tip: Poppin provides this service complimentary when considering Poppin furniture). A well-designed space can make all the difference, ensuring that employees can flow smoothly from collaborative meetings to focused work. With modular and flexible furniture solutions—such as sit-to-stand desks and reconfigurable lounge systems—you can easily adjust the environment to suit both personal and team needs.
