Companies that operate smoothly do so not just because because goals are clearly aligned with the mission and a positive culture has been built. They’ve been able to achieve and offer the best office design layout for their operations and employees, Fortune magazine listed several companies in Southern California in their “Best Places to Work in 2022” roundup.
Tustin-based New American Funding was listed as the 18th best place to work in the United States. Other businesses included in the listing were the Cheesecake Factory in Calabasas, the Panda Restaurant Group out of Rosemead, and Scripps Health in San Diego.
Companies on the Fortune list are part of a certification program that includes looking at the employee experience.
How do you create a great employee experience?
You ensure that people know their purpose. They know why they’re part of a team. And they’re comfortable in their workspace which is planned effectively.
Let’s take a closer look at how planning an office design to create a great company culture can make a huge difference.
Define Spaces
Planning an office space isn’t just a matter of placing cubicles and workstations in the right places. Well-designed offices have a structure that allows for a smooth flow of information and employee collaboration.
Photo: AMQ Activ Height Adjustable Workstation
Most work gets completed at workstations, but employees who want to are encouraged to move around and work where they’re comfortable. Employees are valued for their talents and not just for following rigid protocols.
Inter-office communication is important, but spaces are also offered for privacy. Informal areas known as touchdown spaces allow for personal conversations and meetings outside of more formal or closed conference rooms.
Photo: OCI Seating Breeze Lounge Seating and Table
Touchdown spaces are created using the styles of modular lounge furniture that suit your surroundings. Add indoor plants for a green touch. This also welcomes remote workers who are coming in for meetings and gives them a place to operate from.
Let Light Flow for Best Design Office Layout
Natural light is a highly desired office perk. Sunshine flowing through the office lifts moods and helps employees maintain a healthy rhythm of waking and sleeping. Various lists show that the LA area, including Ontario in the Inland Empire, gets over 280 days of sunshine annually.
Photo: Loftwall Hitch Space Divider
To let as much light as possible spread through the office, use translucent floor-to-desk panels and dividers for desks and workstations like the Loftwell Hitch Space Divider. Ergonomic lighting solutions can pinpoint the amount of light needed and will reduce eye strain.
Apply Ergonomic Design
You want to fit your equipment to the work habits and physical needs of employees. OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) defines ergonomics as “The science of adapting workstations, tools, equipment, and job techniques to be compatible with human anatomy and physiology.” The goal is to reduce the risk of stress on the body.
Photo: Global Princeton Design Workstation
Use furnishings that promote the well-being of your employees like ergonomic chairs and height-adjustable desks.
OSHA doesn’t have specific ergonomic standards, but this overview of ergonomics describes the risk factors:
- Awkward postures, or unsupported positions that stretch physical limits, can compress nerves and irritate tendons
- Static postures, or positions that a worker must hold for long periods of time, can restrict blood flow and damage muscles
(Source from the Timber Products Manufacturers Association)
Fitting your employees with desks and other furnishings that support them shows that you’re investing in their well-being and it will keep them engaged in their work.
Know Your Colors to Achieve Best Design Office Layout
Bring a cohesive color design to your office using color schemes and fabrics that reflect your brand and meet the overall personalities of your employees. Choose to go bold and inspire passion with shades of red and orange, or for quiet and relaxation use shades of blue.
Photo: Senator Group Haven Pods Meeting Lounge
A creative design can use a variety of shades and colors to vary the atmosphere. See the 2010 Office Inspiration page to see the possibilities.
Some offices design their spaces using a local look and feel when possible. The offices of Google in Pittsburgh make use of a red brick interior to pay homage to the region’s industrial heritage.
We know how much urban sprawl there is from Santa Monica to Redlands, but nature is still on display. The mountains, oceans, and late afternoon sunshine offer lots of colors to incorporate into our office environments.
The Santa Monica Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena have a purple hue; the hills around Malibu and in Orange County have green and golden tones. Redlands still has orange groves and the Chino and Chino Hills area still has farmland, so tap into this dimension.
Incorporating local elements into your colors and overall office design gives your employees a sense of continuity. They’re not shutting the door on one place to enter another world but are blending the environments in a pleasing way.
Stay Flexible
Flexibility remains key to retaining top talent and making the corporate office a desirable place to work. Be flexible in different ways. Allow your team to take their laptops and phones away from their workstations and go to lounges if they decide they can work better there.
And if they stay at their desks, then encourage your employees to stretch once an hour and get up for a brief walk every couple of hours. Movement helps the blood circulate throughout the body and to the brain. This reduces foggy thinking and aids in clarity throughout the day.
Flexibility also means accommodating remote employees who split time between their home office and the corporate office. Have dedicated space for teleconferencing by using architectural walls like the OFS Obeya Architectural Structure.
Involve them on the inside, too. Ask members of your remote team to come into the office and lead meetings when appropriate. This way, they’re involved internally and feel as engaged as someone coming in full-time.
Plan for a Great Office Environment
Looking for help and guidance to create the beast office design layout? Contact the team at 2010 Office Furniture on planning your floor space and choosing the furnishings that are right for your employees.
Tap into more than a half-century of combined professional experience that 2010 Office Furniture has earned in assisting clients who are recognized as Southern California’s most distinguished corporations, universities, and small businesses.
Read Also: Easy Guide to Calculating Space for Best Office Layout
Main Photo: Senator Group Mote Workstation
Resources & Special Thanks to Respective Product Manufacturers: AMQ, Global, Loftwall, OCI Seating, Senator
