Employees are also learning that as lucrative and enticing as working from home was, it has its challenges — some of which they were not prepared for.
As normalcy slowly returns, businesses and offices, in particular, need to set up a flexible workspace. That calls for a hybrid workplace model where most of the time is spent in the office, but the employees can work from home when it suits them or depending on the type of work they are handling.
Importance of Office Meetings
One of the aspects of the office space that have been affected by the work-from-home model is the physical staff meetings. Virtual meetings have only served to emphasise further the need for physical office meetings, which include:
Builds more trust
Seeing is believing. Having tangible products or people makes them more believable and builds more trust. Having physical office meetings goes a long way in building stronger and lasting business relationships.
More convincing
Face-to-face meetings minimise misunderstandings. Meeting people physically increases your chances of persuading others, and it can provide a more focused and targeted audience. This is more so the case when introducing new products or concepts to the team.
Clearer communication
Despite the addition of emojis and other cues that attempt to improve virtual communication, face-to-face conversations are still the best. You can easily discern the tone, and the message is passed across more clearly.
Even with videoconferencing, non-verbal cues and body language are still stripped away. This makes it easier for the speaker's message to be misunderstood.
Granted, while there are downsides to virtual meetings, there are also benefits. Virtual meetings are time-saving and allow the employees to be more productive.
With this in mind, offices of the future will not need to choose between physical and virtual meetings. Instead, they will need to come up with a hybrid option that leverages the benefits of both physical and virtual meetings.
How Meeting Changes Will Affect Office Design
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the meeting changes, it's almost inevitable that office designs and layouts will change in several ways.
The return of private spaces
The highly heralded open plan office space is most likely a thing of the past. Workers will prefer going back to private spaces that are safer for them. At least until the wave and paranoia of the pandemic has passed. The return of enclosed spaces means more investment for office furniture for businesses.
Technology-driven improvements
Juggling remote and in-office teams will require technology improvements that allow both teams to communicate effectively and efficiently. The technology deployed will need to streamline workflow and be easily usable for all generations and ages within the office.
Focus on well-equipped conference rooms
The role of conference rooms will change drastically. Conference rooms will now feature more technology to allow remote workers to join and follow and contribute to the meetings in the conference room virtually.
While it's not certain how long offices will have to implement these changes, these changes though good for business will certainly be costly.
Circularity Holds the Key to Implementing These Office Changes
Office furniture takes a significant chunk of the business's budget. Redesigning the office space to make employees feel comfortable and safe to return to the office will require substantial investment.
A circular model can help you ease pressure on your balance sheets and the accounting department. This subscription model allows you to adapt your office to the changing trends without buying expensive furniture that will be difficult to dispose of. This subscription service is also called flexible furniture.
Using this subscription model, you can save money while setting up the ideal office space for your employees. Flexible furniture is a new office furniture subscription concept that is practical and with tangible benefits. It allows you to adapt your office furniture and décor to your evolving needs.
Using the subscription model, you can select the quality, design, and sustainability of each piece of furniture going into your office.
Make your office a status symbol with a sleek, modern design that will make your company stand out and boost employee morale.
Benefits of Circularity
Given the uncertainty of the future, it's critical for offices to consider adopting flexible furniture, which circularity offers. Some benefits of using this furniture subscription service include:
Innovative solutions — True flexibility is a combination of innovativeness to find new solutions to existing problems. With shorter leases and co-working spaces, businesses can remain nimble in the face of change without investing heavily to adapt to every wind of change. With minimal cost, you can get the right furniture for your office and employees.
Cost-saving — Currently, there's no telling what the office layout will look like five to ten years from now. It's prudent for businesses to make the most practical decisions that will keep them operational without spending too much time adapting to the changing times. A furniture subscription allows you to change your office on a whim by getting furniture that lines up with your evolution while saving you the trouble and cost of buying the furniture.
It's good for the planet — Businesses and employees that are keen on saving the planet will love circularity. Using this model, we make the most use of the furniture by moving it around different businesses after refurbishing instead of disposing usable furniture.
To conclude
As it is, businesses are navigating world waters, trying to achieve a smooth transition back to the office while remaining cautious about potential changes in the near future. At a time when the economy is ravaged, you need creative and innovative solutions that help your office adapt. Get in touch to find out more about circularity and how it helps offices of the future remain flexible.