By Dahna M. Chandler
From the reception desk to the shape of your conference table, the details of office design affect the vibe your business creates for everyone who enters. “Visitors get a feel for your space the moment they enter,” says Debra Duneier, the President and founder of EcoChi, LLC.
“They decide almost immediately if they want to stay or get out of there as quickly as they can,” adds Duneier, a Feng Shui Master Practitioner. That is equally true of current and prospective employees as well as clients.
Office Design Conveys Your Business Message
The way you design your office determines how others respond to your business. The feel of an office can affect talent acquisition, employee retention, and the customer experience. The furniture you choose, especially for a modern office environment, isn’t just about the look. The arrangement is also important, and both aspects reflect your business culture.
Duneier compares office design to an advertising campaign. “People get messages from everything they see, including their workplace,” she explains. “What are the messages you’re sending to your employees and yourself?” she asks. The messages you send with office design affect your success, so use it to your benefit.
Show Your Employees You Value Them
Considering how much time they spend at work, it’s important for employees to see their work environment as one that makes them feel important and productive. Increase employee engagement and satisfaction by making design choices that consider their needs.
Today’s employees want to work for businesses that respect their personal values, and they are much more likely to stay with those employers longer. “Millennials, GenXers, and even some Baby Boomers care tremendously about the planet,” says Duneier. “Your office design can show through choice of furniture, fabrics, textures, shapes, and even artwork that you value sustainability,” she continues.
Furniture rental shows environmental conscientiousness because it’s flexible, not permanent, and that flexibility allows you to swap out different pieces as needed to achieve the right arrangement without spending a fortune on new purchases. You also won’t need to store or dispose of perfectly good furniture you no longer need.
Personalize design choices when possible. If you have an employee who prefers working at a small desk rather than a large workstation, try to accommodate him. Other employees may have specific preferences for furniture pieces like comfortable chairs or sofas when working.
Office design that considers employees’ needs and preferences shows you care about their overall health and well-being. Choosing furniture that’s ergonomic and arranging spaces for comfort and efficiency enhances employee satisfaction and physical and mental wellness. “Happier, healthier employees take less time off, are more productive and reduce health care costs for businesses,” explains Duneier, whose firm designs interiors for the human experience.
Attract the Right Talent to Your Company
Office design sends messages to prospective employees about the kind of company you are. They learn a lot about you just by walking into the office for an interview. Modern office furniture conveys a different message than classic designs, and you should choose design elements based on the type of talent you’re trying to attract.
Throughout the hiring process, prospective employees also see how your current employees feel about their work environment. They essentially see your corporate values on display, and these perceptions help them decide if you are the right employer for them.
Furniture rental helps you meet the challenge of staying on top of design trends, which is especially important in business sectors that are always modernizing, such as the tech sector. Working with components that aren’t permanent allows you to adapt your office design quickly to reflect industry changes and evolving talent needs.
Affirm Client Faith in Your Business
Clients sometimes worry about their choices to work with particular businesses. They look for visual cues to help them decide if your enterprise shares their values. They want assurance that working with you will be a positive experience after the close of the sale.
Office design helps potential clients feel aligned with your brand, which establishes a firm foundation for a solid working relationship. Additionally, employees who are happy in their environment transmit those positive feelings to clients. Not only do clients appreciate being treated well, but they also feel better about working with companies with happy employees. “We prefer doing business with people we like and to interact in spaces where we want to return and stay,” states Duneier, “so don’t overlook the power of your spaces and their design.”
CORT Furniture Rental offers services in the U.S. and more than 80 countries around the world. Learn more about CORT’s workspace solutions to maximize the power of your workplace.
