The pandemic has changed our working world. Many companies and teams are now working in a hybrid environment where the office is no longer the only place where work takes place. Home office has become established and accepted. Do you still need the office? Absolutely – because right now the office has an important function: it is the place where every company expresses its identity, its purpose and its values. It is the place where community is created.
Tasks can be completed wonderfully at home, and online meetings save travel time. The advantages of working from home enrich our working world and are benefits for personal work-life balance in the competition for talent. In addition, mobile working makes it possible for team members to collaborate over distances.
But there is more to productive collaboration. The personal encounter is more comprehensive than any moving image on the screen. The development of ideas, the dynamics of a team and the bond with colleagues arise especially in personal encounters.
In order to combine the best of both worlds and support this new way of working, a flexible and inspiring working environment helps. Not everything has to be perfect, what is more important is the process with the aim of designing spaces that promote communication and collaboration. Well-being and motivation play a major role for employees. Ideally, the company’s identity and values are expressed in the rooms and have an impact on everyone.
Nobody comes to the office anymore just to find a desk. What can you do to make the office a magnet? Four thoughts on the office of the future:
The office is a club:
The office becomes a place where you enjoy being because you meet people there that you respect and with whom you pursue common goals. There is an atmosphere of trust, respect and belonging in the office. The company’s DNA pulsates here, you can feel the pulse and let it inspire your own work.
The office is flexible:
So that the office can adapt to the needs of employees, it offers different zones for different activities: from concentrated work to collaborative work to relaxed work. The furniture is modular, mobile and can be used multifunctionally. Different postures are taken into account: standing, sitting and also comfortable lounging.
The office is sustainable:
In the office we are ecologically, socially and economically responsible. The design and equipment play a big role. It is ideal to have furniture that can be supplemented and expanded for as long as possible. The use of natural resources such as light, air and plants helps in interior design. In this way, the environment promotes the health and well-being of employees and creates added value for the company and society.
The office is digital:
Of course, the office uses digital technologies to make work easier and better. It enables a seamless connection between participants in physical and virtual space. Bringing content and people together seamlessly promotes creativity and innovation.
The office of the future is not a rigid concept, but a dynamic process. There is no one solution for everyone; good office design requires constant adaptation to changes in the world of work. The active participation of everyone involved is very important: from managers to employees to customers. The best solutions for every team and company emerge from the dialogue about the requirements.