Making the decision as to whether you need to refurbish your office space can be a difficult one for businesses to make. In some cases, the answer may be glaringly obvious – if you have an issue with overcrowding, lack of communal space or are planning to expand, then you should definitely consider a refurbishment.
But, if your office has simply become outdated over the last few years and there are no obvious problems, then it can be easy to consider just leaving things as they are until this is the case. You will already be aware of whether your office is no longer as good as it used to be. But it can sometimes be hard to define exactly what is wrong with the space. It’s important to find out whether a refurbishment project is worth taking on. So, how do you decide whether or not you need to refurbish your office space? Let’s take a look at 3 of the potential signs.
Poor Space Utilisation
One of the main reasons why businesses decide to refurbish their office is that they simply no longer have the right types of space needed to suit the way in which the business now works. The surge in popularity of hybrid working post-pandemic has caused a shift in the way that businesses now use their office space. It is common now that offices are used as a hub for collaboration, as opposed to being the sole workplace for employees.
In 2019, just a year before the pandemic, collaboration spaces in offices took up just 10% of the overall workspace. Now, this figure is between 35%-45%. If your office space no longer suits the way in which your employees work, then it may be time to consider a space-focused office fit out.
Outdated Design and Decor
With the numerous economic challenges faced by businesses in recent years, many companies have chosen to forgo an office refurbishment due to the fact that the money was likely better spent elsewhere. This has meant that, during this time, office spaces have become very outdated, very quickly.
It’s important to realise that over time, brands and business cultures evolve and, whilst your office may have been the perfect representation of your business a few years ago, it may not reflect what your business is about now. As well as this, your staff may have changed, whether with new employees added to the mix or promotions meaning that different departments work in different ways. Outdated office design and decor can have negative impacts on the well-being and motivation of your employees, gradually leading to a decrease in productivity. An office refurbishment and commercial fit out can be a cost-effective way to refresh and re-energise your office and a good way to encourage more natural light and more tech-led features to be incorporated into the space.
Lack Of Variety In The Space
If your office consists of simply desks and a meeting room, then a lack of workspace variety can be impacting on the performance and productivity of your employees. When the only choice of space they have is a desk or meeting room, then there is nowhere for informal chatter or collaboration which is the backbone of many workspaces now, thanks to hybrid working. You ideally want your office space to offer a multitude of different workspaces from which your team can move fluidly, depending on what it is their task requires.