How, where and when we work has evolved dramatically since the pandemic hit. Companies must adapt their offices to meet the emerging needs of remote and hybrid workers. There’s a lot at stake in terms of employee happiness, productivity, team spirit and creativity.
If you’re considering updating your office space to optimise the happiness and success of your teams and help seal the deal with potential new recruits, this is the perfect time to explore the latest design office design trends.
- Many offices are now being used at less than full capacity. Clusters of unused desks and meeting rooms are being replaced with comfortable breakout areas, acoustic booths, coffee tables and gaming areas. These changes lend themselves well to socialising, increased collaboration across teams and improved well-being.
- Offices are increasingly using colour to influence employees’ emotions. The top trending colours for 2022 are greens (which set a relaxing mood while maintaining motivation levels), blues (which create a calm environment and the feeling of safety), and pinks (which give the office a more homely feel).
- There’s an increased appetite for soft furnishings and statement art pieces to enhance a ‘home from home’ feeling and boost creativity.
- We all got used to working on our own during the pandemic. In response, the modern workplace provides acoustic work pods that people can retreat to when they need privacy or quiet.
- The nation’s growing appetite for corporate responsibility has triggered a major shift towards more sustainable offices. This translates to energy-saving initiatives and an increased use of non-toxic, eco-friendly, recycled, recyclable and/or durable materials.
- Many items of furniture now have inbuilt technology features – such as phone chargers, USB and HDMI sockets, and even monitors – to promote collaboration between on-site and remote workers. Similarly, traditional meeting rooms have been revamped into so-called Zoom rooms with big screens and acoustic panelling.
- Flexible furniture – chairs, modular tables, desks and partitions on wheels – is also on the rise to enable companies to change office configuration quickly and easily.
- Nature boosts productivity, creativity and well-being. The modern workspace puts its accent on natural light, vegetation, living/green walls, open spaces and views (and even images) of nature accordingly.
For further reading on hot office trends to watch, check out OnOffice magazine.
We hope the above article provided interesting food for thought. If recruitment-related matters are more pressing for you at the moment than office design, please get in touch. ABL, your trusted recruitment partner, is as always here to help!
