How to Adapt Your Workplace in the New Year

The start of the New Year always brings a sense of excitement and renewal, but it also brings big change. With change, it’s important to set goals and also be more intentional. If you’re looking to increase productivity and engagement in your organization this year, make sure one of your New Year’s resolutions is to adapt your workplace to the changing needs of your employees. 

Staying up to date on the latest trends is challenging if you don’t have a trusted partner. Fortunately, Relocation Strategies is on your side as you plan for workplace updates in the new year! Here are our most anticipated trends for 2023 and ways you can be prepared for significant changes. 

Leverage Hybrid Work Options 

Back in 2020, many people wrote off hybrid and work-from-home options as passing fads built out of nothing but necessity. Today, hybrid work seems here to stay. 

In 2023, more and more job seekers will be on the hunt for work they can do from the comfort of their own homes—at least part of the time. Not only does hybrid work minimize time and money spent on a commute, but it also presents employees (and their managers) with the following benefits: 

• Increased productivity: More time spent on work and less spent on community, water cooler talk, and parking. 
• Flexible work hours: As long as the work is getting done and staff is available, companies are more flexible with the times teams work.  
• Fewer reports of burnout: Teams have more time to get work done, leading to fewer long hours and burnout. 

Many have already made the change to hybrid environments, whether that’s a rotating schedule of people coming in for the week or partial work-from-home/partial work-in-the-office mentality. Regardless of the industry, hybrid work environments will be critical to retention in the coming year. 

A Premium on Privacy 

Whether you ask your employees to work from home, come to the office, or set up a hybrid schedule, one thing remains the same—the need for privacy. Over the past decade, many workplaces introduced open offices, where everyone worked side by side, with few or no dividing walls. The idea was that this layout would promote communication and collaboration. However, it’s now apparent that the cons outweigh the pros. Many complain about decreased productivity because of hearing others’ phone calls or being interrupted by colleagues. 

We recommend introducing private spaces, some call “Zoom rooms”, in your office where employees can take calls or just get some peace and quiet for work that demands concentration. These can be small conference rooms or even offices that can be booked when needed. Your employees and bottom line will thank you for it!

Mask the Noise

The rule of thumb, if a person hears even part of your conversation about your weekend or a story, they will stop what they are doing to hear the entire story. Sound Masking or some call it “white noise,” is a great solution to mask the noise. There are many solutions available but getting multiple quotes is something we highly recommend since the quality is all over the board. If you are 10 feet away from someone and the sound masking is on, it will typically keep people working on their tasks without the temptation to stop and listen to the entire conversation. We highly recommend this to our clients who have staff that needs to concentrate.

Take Sustainability to the Next Level 

Sustainability is a big deal across many industries, and 2023 will likely see even more focus on being environmentally friendly. It’s not a bad idea to put resources toward a sustainable workplace. For example, consider purchasing furniture made from recycled materials or think of ways your business can leave a smaller carbon footprint. Not only does this promote a better rapport with your employees, but it also improves public opinion. 

Relo helps companies do this as well, especially when organizations evaluate their current furniture, fixture, and equipment (FFE) inventory. I.D.E.A.®, our proprietary application to rate, store, and organize FFE, has been leveraged to help save companies thousands (if not millions!) of dollars by reusing existing furniture and also donating furniture that is no longer needed to companies in need. This helps extend the life of furniture and prevents it from getting into landfills. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

Culture is Key 

No matter how you slice it, most people spend the bulk of their daylight hours at work. With this in mind, it’s important to make your workplace somewhere the staff want to be. A positive culture is crucial to ensuring your employees want to stay around. Creating an outstanding workplace culture can happen in a variety of different ways—from allocating space for break rooms to scheduling fun activities for special occasions. 

Get Ready for 2023 with Relocation Strategies

For more tips for entering 2023 with a bang, look to Relocation Strategies. Our experts have years of experience with workplace layout strategies and helping clients make the most of their space. Get in touch with our team to learn more about how your office can meet next year’s challenges.