The rise of digital tools and the long period of confinement between 2020 and 2021 have profoundly changed our habits and thelayout of our workspaces. The result is a rethinking of our relationship with the office as afixed workspace, its usefulness, and the form it should take. At a time when many companies are trying to get their staff to return to their premises, many employees are countering with an increased need for flexibility after many weeks of working from home. But have the advent of telecommuting and the democratization of professional mobility rendered the office obsolete? Nothing could be further from the truth. Even today, your office remains essential to your employees and to your company, and is still its nerve center. Here's why.
It's easier for your employees to socialize at the office
Human beings are such that they cannot flourish without social relations, without connecting with others. Admittedly, digital tools have facilitated long-distance communication, allowing most activities to continue uninterrupted, even in times of health crisis. However, they can never replace face-to-face discussions, during which emotions are born and shared. It's through regular face-to-face contact that we develop mutual trust, mutual support and generosity towards one another. Unsurprisingly, we often find that people who are isolated and deprived of social interaction are more likely to behave unsympathetically, or to distrust others. For companies, as for any human organization, it is therefore crucial tocreate a place where employees can meet up, work side by side and socialize.
The office will always be the place where you build your corporate culture
Corporate culture is an often-used term, but what does it really mean? A good corporate culture is one that motivates employees and makes them feel part of something bigger. You can build it on your business premises through team-building activities and regular social events, where employees can interact on a more personal level. As well as strengthening team spirit, this is an excellent way of maintaining a good atmosphere at work. Face-to-face meetings are also essential so that you, as an employer, can get to know your employees and understand their needs. The more you know about your employees, the easier it will be to create a working environment where they feel comfortable and appreciated.
The office is the place to hold important meetings
Thanks to digital tools and collaboration software, you can conduct most of your meetings remotely, but there are certain scenarios for which face-to-face meetings remain the best option. If you want your employees to be fully present at a meeting, it's best to hold it in person. The pressure to appear engaged in what's going on around you will help you stay focused. What's more, a number of studies show that taking notes by hand is more effective than typing on a computer. You'll be able to see your colleagues' facial expressions, which will help you gauge their reactions when you present ideas and proposals.
If you need to hold a meeting where you're negotiating or finalizing an important agreement, it's essential to get together physically.Setting up dedicated meeting rooms , preferably separate from theopen space, will help you establish a formal framework around these important moments for your company.
Going to the office allows better separation of work and private life
Many teleworkers have taken advantage of being at home to attend to other imperatives during the working day. While this mode of operation may give the feeling of being more productive, and of being able to manage many tasks at once by cutting out the middleman (travel time to the workplace, coffee breaks with colleagues, etc.), it also has the disadvantage of gradually blurring the boundary between the professional and private spheres.
Indeed, by teleworking only, the home is no longer just a personal living space; it also becomes a working space in its own right. Whereas in the past, all employees stopped working when the office closed, it can now be tempting for telecommuters to continue certain tasks well into the night. This makes it more difficult to disconnect from work and take breaks, which can lead to stress and chronic fatigue. By the same token, going to the office also allows you to take a step back from life at home, air your mind and meet other people. For all these reasons, the existence of a workplace outside the home helps to better establish this separation between work and home, which remains essential for the well-being of employees.
A well-designed office boosts employee creativity and productivity
Your office is the heart of your business, and should be designed to keep your employees motivated, creative and productive. In fact, it's been shown that the presence of colleagues around you, even when they're not working on the same project, helps to regain and maintain motivation for what you're doing. The result is better concentration and a virtuous effect on overall productivity. But to achieve the best results, your office layout needs to be designed to meet these objectives.
To keep employees focused, while at the same time having fun interacting with each other, it's important to plan for open spaces, such as open-plan offices, as well as more enclosed areas, suitable for individual work or important meetings. And don't forget to create relaxation areas, so that your employees can get together for breaks and informal exchanges, which are an integral part of office life. And don't forget that today'sworkspaces must bedesigned to meet the expectations of the new generation, who are demanding greater flexibility, organizational freedom and well-being at the office. If you have a small space and need some ideas on how to reorganize it, we advise you to turn toflex office layouts, which allow employees to change space at will to suit their assignments.
You now know all the reasons why the office remains essential for your employees. Today, however, the challenge is to ensure that this space remains attractive to those who occupy it, in order to keep the company going. To achieve this, it's crucial to choose a layout that meets the needs of your employees. It's also an excellent way of fostering a good atmosphere at work, and a good level of well-being in the office.