Four ways to refresh the office for hybrid working

Balancing employee experience needs in the office is a critical challenge for employers seeing demand for focused and quiet spaces to support individual working. However, if your organization is not ready to commit to broad design changes, you could consider lower-cost “low-hanging fruit” investments that will enhance the employee experience without a large budget or a long timeframe.

1. Improve the furniture. Furniture can transform and complement your workspaces, and an investment in the right furniture is also an investment in your workforce. Thoughtfully integrating furniture in the space is integral to creating harmonious places that help people thrive. Investing in high-quality modular furniture solutions will enable you to refresh and reimagine your workspaces to support collaboration, heads-down work and wellbeing in a single strategy. Comfortable, ergonomic seating, adjustable sit/stand desks and flexible collaborative spaces will be appreciated by employees and can be implemented relatively quickly without disrupting daily work.

“Furniture has the power to truly transform and complement the built environment. Without furniture, a space is just a space, and without space, furniture is just furniture,” said Anna Gryskevich, Senior Vice President, Project & Development Services – Furniture Solutions, JLL. “Thoughtfully designing these two together is integral to designing harmonious places that help people thrive. Investing in the right furniture solution is investing in your people and ultimately in your mission.”
2. Upgrade workplace technologies. Technology tools are essential for optimizing the hybrid workplace. Technology that supports seamless collaboration and immersive meeting experiences is high on fit-out wish lists. According to JLL’s latest Design Trends and Cost Guide, organizations are spending more on technology improvements, including larger high-definition screens, improved audio and videoconference cameras that track speakers to support seamless collaboration, and immersive meeting experiences.

For employees, a workspace reservation system accessed via mobile app makes it easy for employees to book the spaces they need while in the office and generates useful data to inform occupancy planning. Enhanced videoconferencing and presentation capabilities streamline meetings among on-site and remote employees and improve productivity. Behind the scenes, tracking attendance with badge data has become a common approach for understanding utilization patterns.
3. Undertake limited “pocket” renovations. When widespread renovations aren’t feasible, focus on key areas that will most benefit employees’ experience in the office. Mental and physical wellbeing is very important for today’s employees, according to JLL’s Regenerative Workplace research report, so consider prioritizing investments that improve comfort and self-care. Simply updating the color on the walls can improve the look and feel of a space and enhance mood. Adding semi-enclosed booths and soundproof pods can provide the privacy that many employees want without major office upgrades. Another option is to carve out a quiet zone, preferably with mood-enhancing outdoor views and plants, for heads-down working.

4. Invest in amenity spaces. Focusing on amenity spaces can be a smart way to focus renovation budgets. It can mean transforming an underutilized conference room into a technology-free zone with plants and comfortable seating where employees can recharge or expanding kitchen spaces with fresh-food vending machines and self-service espresso makers. Or, if a particular workspace area is underutilized, consider adding acoustic panels and modular furniture, and transforming it into a multi-purpose space for socializing, training or casual meetings.