FURNISH TO THRIVE IN THE NEW WORLD OF WORK +

At a basic level, all workers want access to a comfortable and functional workspace; an ergonomic chair and workstation, power, and all the tools and equipment they need to get work done. But in a post-Covid world, the office is no longer a place to sit at a desk all day. The office is a place where people go to meet colleagues, collaborate, move projects along, and immerse themselves in the culture. And this has a direct impact on the type of furniture that is required within the space. Steelcase’s global research found five critical things workers want from the post-Covid workplace:

SAFETY

People need the workplace to be and feel safe. Air quality, cleanliness and the ability to physically distance from others are of crucial concern. Furniture solutions must be flexible so workers can move furniture around to create boundaries as and when they need.

BELONGING

The need to belong is hardwired into our DNA. People want to work in spaces that enable them to interact with others and feel part of a community. Furniture solutions within open plan spaces need to support all modes of work, and different levels of privacy, so that everyone has the space to concentrate while also feeling part of a bigger picture.

PRODUCTIVITY

Employees want the workspace to support individual focus work as well as collaboration. Furniture solutions will need to support them as they move between these two modes of work.

COMFORT

Employees are more aware of their need for physical, emotional and cognitive comfort and expect the workplace to meet these needs. Adjustable chairs, desks and the ability to move furniture around to suit individual needs are more important than ever.

CONTROL

People want control over where they work and their environment in the office. They want the choice to sit at a dedicated workstation, a comfortable sofa or even outside. And they want the option to move furniture and tools around to give them the visual and territorial privacy they need to focus.

If your employees know they are coming into a well designed, comfortable office that supports the way they want to work, they will be far more motivated to get out of bed in the morning. They will be happier, more engaged and more productive, which will ultimately boost your bottom line.

WELLBEING

Post-Covid, there’s a greater focus on creating a workplace where employee safety and wellbeing
is prioritised.

Research shows that successful organisations support their employees with a holistic approach to mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. When employees have the best place to do their work, it helps them to be more efficient, less stressed and more satisfied with their job.

Some of the wellbeing-focused design trends helping to create better workplace experiences for employees include:

• Introducing more biophilia and natural light

• Improving visual and acoustic privacy with the use of screens and barriers

• Offering flexible furniture solutions that allow people to work how and where they want

• Use of standing desks to offer respite for the back and neck whilst boosting energy and productivity

• Tech free zones or relaxation areas filled with comfortable lounge furniture that give workers a space to pause and a chance to refresh

INCLUSIVITY

The pandemic has reminded us of the value of individual staff members and how they can contribute to the productivity and profitability of a company. Employers are becoming more focused on creating an accessible and inclusive workplace that meets the needs of a diverse range of employees. This includes both younger and older workers, those with physical, intellectual or sensory disabilities, workers with neurodiverse conditions, as well as those with no disabilities at all.

HOK’s WorkPlace group has been researching how design can help generate and sustain a culture of diversity and inclusivity:

“While an organizational culture of inclusion and respect is the single most essential element in the success of a biodiverse workplace, we also heard that design has a major role to play by removing barriers, improving access to opportunities, reinforcing organizational values and facilitating success.”

By leveraging inclusive design, not only will employees be happier and more productive, but companies will also have a broader talent pool to draw from, which can translate into a business advantage.

Furniture elements to consider for your project include:

• Ergonomic chairs, desks, tools and equipment that suit people of all heights and abilities, including wheelchair users

• Acoustic screens to support intense concentration within the open plan for those with neurodiverse conditions like autism

• Smart technologies and apps that allow workers to adjust the environmental settings, including lighting, heating, glare, music and scent

SUSTAINABILITY

Greater understanding of environmental pressures, coupled with pressures from a more engaged workforce, is causing businesses to prioritise more sustainable choices around office furniture.

More companies are looking at how they can reuse their existing office furniture and paying closer attention to the material content of products. Some are pursuing green building certifications such as BREEAM, LEED and SKA to help demonstrate their efforts to reduce their environmental impact.

Jon Wyss, Strategic Projects Director at Insightful Environments explains:

“There’s been a huge sea change in terms of client attitudes towards reusing furniture. They are prepared to spend that extra money if it means there will be some kind of saving in the long term, for instance not having to pay for items to be disposed of when they are no longer fit for purpose. This has changed dramatically during and post-Covid. A lot of it is about saving money but often it’s more about their ESG strategy and being able to put some facts behind their ambitions of being sustainable.”

To help you make more sustainable furniture choices:

• Look for options to reuse your existing assets - The most sustainable furniture items are those that already exist. You may have items that can be reupholstered, or parts replaced to bring them back to life.

• Pay attention to the material content of products - Where possible, choose items made from natural renewable materials like wood, wool and bamboo.

• Choose products that can be recycled - Opt for products that can be easily disassembled at end of life and reintroduced into the supply chain. Ideally, the product will come with an environmental product declaration (EPD) that will show you what percentage of the product is recyclable.

• Look for lifetime warranties - The longer the warranty, the more sustainable the product. By buying items built to last, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

FLEXIBILITY

Post-Covid, the office has become a dynamic hub for meetings and collaboration. But amidst this buzz, teams and individuals still need to find quieter, more intimate spaces for 1-2-1 and solo work.

This need to work in different configurations at different levels of intensity demands more flexibility from our workspaces and furniture solutions than ever before.

Flexible solutions can also help organisations to future proof their work spaces. As Gensler point out:

“New workspace approaches must be more responsive to rapidly adjust to new ways of working with flexible spaces and furniture for newly emerging work patterns.”

Furniture items to consider include:

• Height-adjustable desks to give workers freedom to adjust their workspace throughout the day and improve comfort

• Moveable screens, whiteboards and barriers that allow workers to ‘hack’ the space to improve productivity and comfort

• Dynamic team spaces that can be reconfigured to suit work flows throughout the project will help teams to innovate and move work forward

HYBRID COLLABORATION

With a shift towards hybrid working, employees are collaborating with a blend of remote and co-located teammates more than ever before. Many organisations are taking steps to support the increase in hybrid collaboration so they can be as productive as possible. These organisations recognise how much they need the energy and vibe that drive innovation and growth, and that if people struggle, they will retreat to their homes.

To create the best possible hybrid work experience, the workplace needs to provide a range of spaces and technology solutions to easily support diverse types of collaboration, from planned creative sessions to an impromptu one-on-one and everything in between.

Video conferencing involving a group of people sitting around a table while others join remotely from a screen at the side isn’t a sustainable solution. Introducing ‘always-on’ video conferencing and digital platforms such as virtual whiteboards that allow team members to co-create content will be far more effective.

Furniture solutions to support hybrid collaboration could include:

• Acoustic boundaries to help mitigate audio distractions

• Moveable tables to reposition for clear sightlines to people and content

• Adjacent lounge seating and phone booths to allow for pre or post-meeting follow up with in-person or virtual colleagues

• Mobile display screens to allow remote participants to become more immersed in a formal gathering.

WELLBEING

Post-Covid, there’s a greater focus on creating a workplace where employee safety and wellbeing is prioritised.

Research shows that successful organisations support their employees with a holistic approach to mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. When employees have the best place to do their work, it helps them to be more efficient, less stressed and more satisfied with their job.

Some of the wellbeing-focused design trends helping to create better workplace experiences for employees include:

• Introducing more biophilia and natural light
• Improving visual and acoustic privacy with the use of screens and barriers
• Offering flexible furniture solutions that allow people to work how and where they want
• Use of standing desks to offer respite for the back and neck whilst boosting energy and productivity
• Tech free zones or relaxation areas filled with comfortable lounge furniture that give workers a space to pause and a chance to refresh

INCLUSIVITY

The pandemic has reminded us of the value of individual staff members and how they can contribute to the productivity and profitability of a company. Employers are becoming more focused on creating an accessible and inclusive workplace that meets the needs of a diverse range of employees. This includes both younger and older workers, those with physical, intellectual or sensory disabilities, workers with neurodiverse conditions, as well as those with no disabilities at all.

HOK’s WorkPlace group has been researching how design can help generate and sustain a culture of diversity and inclusivity:

“While an organizational culture of inclusion and respect is the single most essential element in the success of a biodiverse workplace, we also heard that design has a major role to play by removing barriers, improving access to opportunities, reinforcing organizational values and facilitating success.”

By leveraging inclusive design, not only will employees be happier and more productive, but companies will also have a broader talent pool to draw from, which can translate into a business advantage.

Furniture elements to consider for your project include:

• Ergonomic chairs, desks, tools and equipment that suit people of all heights and abilities, including wheelchair users
• Acoustic screens to support intense concentration within the open plan for those with neurodiverse conditions like autism
• Smart technologies and apps that allow workers to adjust the environmental settings, including lighting, heating, glare, music and scent

Having supported hundreds of workplace transformations, we’ve collated some of our top tips.

1. NAIL YOUR WORKPLACE STRATEGY

Defining your workplace strategy at the very beginning of your journey will be essential to the success of your project. What are your wider business goals? To become carbon neutral, more inclusive, or attract new talent? Perhaps it’s all of the above.

Aligning your workplace strategy to that of the business will not only help you to achieve your company’s objectives, but it will also help you to gain support from senior stakeholders when it comes to getting sign off on budget.

You should also determine what you want your workspace to look and feel like. The workplace will need to reflect your company’s brand, personality and culture. What does that look like?

And what about your workers? What do they need and want from the workspace? Gather stories from the floor about how people currently use the space, what areas are under or over used, how many meetings you have, and the products, tools and technology workers rely on to get work done. Surveying your employees will help to give you a good idea about how they feel about the existing workspace and provide valuable insights for moving forward.

We can help you to define your strategy so you can make informed decisions at every stage of the procurement process.

2. AUDIT YOUR EXISTING FURNITURE

Before you decide on new products, with a furniture audit you can assess how to best deploy your existing assets to meet your workplace goals.

There may be more life and potential in your current furniture than you thought. Not only is reusing or repurposing products great for the environment, it can also save you a significant amount of money. You will have fewer new items to buy and save on disposal costs.

A full furniture audit should:

• Photograph and digitally catalogue all your physical assets

• Label them with unique barcodes for reference

• Assess them for condition, reuse and repurposing potential

We can help you carry out this process, so you will have all the insights you need to plan and execute your project more effectively.

Timing will be critical. If you’re going to reuse items from buildings you’re about to exit, then you will need to be one hundred percent certain that those items will be available.

Some examples of how furniture can be reused or repurposed include:

• Turning unused desks into collaboration tables by removing beams and altering leg frames

• Respraying and reupholstering assets to be used in different settings

• Reupholstering or replacing parts to make tired chairs look like new

3. PLAN YOUR SPACE

Now you can start looking at additional furniture options and how they could work in your space alongside your existing assets. Important considerations will include ensuring the material palette works with the aesthetics of the space and with your existing furniture.

Your office furniture provider will be instrumental in this process. We will present you with a portfolio of products that meet your needs, using product brochures, 3D renders and showroom visits to help you visualise your options. If you’re looking to pursue a BREEAM, LEED, SKA or WELL rating, we will source products that meet the criteria.

We will help guide you on the right aesthetics, finishes, ergonomic and environmental standards and tech integrations for your needs. We will also make sure the products work together in both design and function, helping you to avoid costly mistakes.

4. EXPERIMENT

To minimise risks in their investments, many companies are conducting pilots or behavioural prototypes. New research suggests that 94% of global companies plan to run pilots or prototypes.

Elise Valoe, Director of Workspace Futures Research and New Business Innovation at Steelcase discusses how they recently tested a range of hybrid collaboration solutions:

“To meet the new needs emerging from hybrid work, we spent the summer testing a range of spaces and technology experiences across nine different prototypes from individual to large group collaboration sessions. We tested formal meeting spaces for 4-6 people with closed doors, video conferencing, multiple displays and white boards to support generative work. We invited people to submit feedback via a QR code and conducted interviews with people who used the space.”

The best way to decide on the furniture solutions that are right for your company is to trial them in a real setting. The earlier you start this journey, the more time you will have for plans to evolve and the better chance you have of creating a space that works for your people.

If you know you are moving your office in five years, you could start prototyping your space now to define ways of working and activity settings, measuring what works and what doesn’t. This can all become part of your furniture strategy.

The role of an office furniture provider is moving beyond a single project to guiding clients over time. Through the use of prototypes and pilots, we can help you to evolve your design in an iterative way, changing things over time as lessons are learned.

5. CONSOLIDATE

Getting to the right price is about consolidating volume and having an office furniture provider that can help you value engineer to meet your budget. We can source numerous products at different price points to meet your requirements.

It’s worth bearing in mind that prices change constantly, so try and lock in at least a short term hold. Consider also that additional products purchased after a project will not receive the same level of discount.

The final purchase can be structured in a variety of ways. These may include components like rebate volumes. The best scenario will depend on the size and scale of the project.

If you can consolidate suppliers, you will have more leverage not just on price, but also on your environmental footprint. You will require fewer deliveries to site, more control over the type of waste created as part of the process, what it’s made up of, and who deals and disposes of it.

Here’s a round up of common mistakes to avoid when undergoing your workplace transformation.

Failing to align decision making with your broader company goals

Knowing your priorities up front, whether it’s meeting sustainability goals, creating spaces that better support employee wellbeing, reducing costs - or all of the above - will save you from making costly mistakes. There is no point procuring furniture for your space that has to be swapped out six months later because it’s not sustainable. Be sure of your priorities from the very beginning so that the whole procurement process can be tailored towards achieving your specific goals.

Not thinking beyond the furniture

When you are appointing an office furniture provider, make sure you are thinking beyond just the items of furniture you want to buy. Look to your company’s wider goals and challenges, whether it’s improving sustainability, collaboration or wellbeing. Could you repurpose some of your existing furniture? Are you absolutely sure you are going to get the best value? How will you use some of that furniture to test, learn and iterate? The core criteria for appointing a provider isn’t getting a good price across 400 suppliers. It’s needing a strategic partner that links in with your company’s strategic goals.

Not considering how employees use the space

A common mistake is to source furniture options without an understanding of what workers need from the space. Knowing what tasks and activities the team are trying to do will help you identify the furniture items they need within the setting. For tasks that require high levels of concentration workers may need a high performing ergonomic chair, access to a second monitor, and acoustic privacy. And for those activities where they need to think creatively, furniture that supports lounging may be more appropriate, along with access to a whiteboard for brainstorming. Choosing furniture options that support the type of work people need to do will not only help them to perform better, but it will also give them a better experience and help contribute to a sense of belonging.

Leaving decisions too late

Late decisions can lead to bad choices. You may have to choose solutions that aren’t what you want as you have only five weeks to go and haven’t project managed or de-risked the timelines enough. The procurement process takes time. And it’s important not to underestimate how much time can be lost, whether it’s waiting for POs or agreeing solutions internally. Make sure you allow time to work through different revisions so you can evolve the design and value engineer to get to the right solution.

Going over budget

The ability to plan and meet a budget is crucial. The benefit of working in partnership with an office furniture provider is that we can ensure budgets are made and help you make educated and intelligent choices about what you can get for your budget.

Not aligning with other contractors early on

Choosing the furniture for a new office space is often seen as the last piece of the puzzle. But getting your office furniture provider involved in initial conversations with the project management team, architects, IT contractors and other suppliers early on in the process can be invaluable. We get a lot of value from those interactions, hearing things that can influence our ability to do a good job and ensure a smooth delivery. Ideally, we will have direct dialogue with IT and AC contractors so we can align processes and understand what is happening on site and when. Look to us as part of your project team from the very start of the journey.