When it comes to running a business—no matter the size or scale—one of the key factors to consider is the well-being of your employees. This can manifest itself in many forms, whether it’s offering fair benefits that support your staff’s health and wellness, committing to open-door policies to ensure your employees feel comfortable having an open dialogue, or providing a positive, efficient environment that fosters a feeling of security, creativity, and happiness. Though there are too many unique factors to list (because the things that drive and motivate employees will differ for every business), there are some foundational determinants that are crucial to effective, healthy, and positive work environments. The top of that list? Well-managed coworking spaces and well-designed office spaces. If you weren’t previously aware, space planning (how it’s designed and how it’s managed) plays a crucial role in your employees’ attitudes, outputs, and mindsets. Ineffective and inefficient space utilization can be a drain on employees, make their jobs harder than necessary, and even discourage them from doing their best. One of the most straightforward examples of how office spaces affect employees is to evaluate the gradual evolution of the office in the last two decades, transforming from tightly-packed cubicle farms to open-concept, collaborative spaces that focus on employee health and well-being. But how can you—as the office manager or owner—tackle the task of properly managing a workspace? One of the most effective ways is to invest in workspace management software to help you seamlessly and simply approach this issue. We’re here to shed light and provide insight on how using solid, reliable space management software can make substantial and sustainable changes in your employees’ lives and your overall company culture and attitude. The Main Ways Inefficient Space Management Can Affect Employees Just like outdated equipment, insufficient tools, and poor management can affect the overall well-being of your employees, inefficient space management can also be the culprit of a poor work environment. If you’re unsure whether your office space is creating atmosphere issues and motivational blocks, we encourage you to take a good, hard look at your layouts and try to answer the next round of questions as honestly as possible. Have You Noticed Your Employees’ Work Is Impacted by Bad Space Management? Is it inconvenient for your employees to access useful and necessary tools? Are some parts of the building blocked off and difficult to reach? Are parts of your employees’ work impacted by the way certain spaces are arranged? If your office space is not designed specifically to provide your employees with the space and resources to do their greatest work, you’re unintentionally setting them up to fail. This includes factors like providing quiet spaces for deeper levels of concentration, common areas that make collaboration seamless, and the right amount of space for each employee to feel safe, secure, and comfortable. Do You Provide Effective, Updated Workplace Technology? If your current office space management team isn’t using effective data-driven workplace technology, you could be unintentionally contributing to a negative attitude or work culture. Why? Because creating floor plans that work well and allow employees to do their jobs correctly is one of the greatest measures of a quality employee experience. If your current office space setup isn’t designed properly for the employee, this could result in greater problems down the road. Where Is the Natural Light Streaming In? Natural light is a lot more important for space optimization than you might think. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review and a survey published by a firm known as Future Workplace, about 70 percent of employees said that when they have access to more natural light, they’re more productive. Further, about 33 percent of employees surveyed didn’t feel like they had an appropriate or adequate amount of natural light in their everyday workspaces. Reorganizing with factors like this in mind can make a substantial difference in your employees’ lives. How Cramped and Uncomfortable Is Your Space? You probably already know this, but crowded, uncomfortable spaces can be a drain on your employees. This type of environment can encourage distraction, hurt morale, and leave your employees with a feeling of dread every time they have to work in the office. That’s likely not the type of in-office environment you want to foster. Instead, employees need flexible workspace and comfortable options for coworking. How to Use Space Management Software to Optimize Your Employees’ Experiences When it comes to re-organizing and revamping how your office space is used, it’s important to remember the difference between opting for a trendy redesign and implementing sustainable changes that will make real differences. It’s not all about adding in ping pong tables in the community room and marble countertops in the staff kitchen (though we’re sure your employees wouldn’t mind that, either). When it comes to fads in the realm of office space design, it’s crucial to remember they will come and go. But an office space that’s been managed and designed with the overall wellbeing and efficiency of an entire staff in mind is unlikely to lose its impact. So, how can you make that happen? The best way is to use high-quality workspace management software to evaluate your needs, make error-proof changes, and collaborate seamlessly. You’ll always want to take steps like: Utilize your data (however you collect and evaluate it), and lead with that during your office space redesign process. Don’t ignore what the data is telling you—raw data, when properly evaluated, can provide you with real, tangible solutions. Be willing to be flexible with your redesign. Remember, reorganizing your office space isn’t just about what you want—it’s about what’s going to work better for your employees. And in the end, it won’t just be your employees’ lives that will have been improved—yours will, too. Mind your real-time reports when redesigning your space. Make sure to leave room for ebb and flow—don’t reorganize yourself into a corner. It’s crucial to remember that your needs and your office space management requirements will change over time. Be mindful of your employees’ opinions. After all, their well-being is likely one of the major driving forces pushing you toward reorganizing your office space. Talk to them openly and directly about what they want and need in a space, then use collaborative software to learn how they picture a healthy office culture. Use mobile planning to create reservation systems that can resolve any overcrowding issues you might face. You can’t change the amount of space you have, but you can transform the way you use that space. Offering solutions for reservations can take your organization to the next level, help you avoid overcrowding, and improve office morale. Nuvolo Space Management Software—The Seamless Choice for Space Management Your business has its own needs, space requirements, and employee culture—that means you need unique software that’s going to offer an all-in-one solution for your space management needs. At Nuvolo, we believe that we’ve created the ultimate space management software that can help accomplish all of your office space organizational needs and beyond. To learn more, visit our workspace management software page or reach out to one of our team members today. Whether you have questions about our solutions, want to learn more about how you can effectively revamp your space, or simply want to jump-start your space management process, we’ll be glad to help. Share