Is everyone still working from home? Good. Now is the time to make some changes while the office space is still quiet. It might be that you’ve given the place a much-needed lick of paint. Or you’ve finally gotten some new chairs for the conference room to avoid people having to roll theirs in and out.
If you’re in the process of getting your office ready to welcome staff back, here are five ways to update the office while it’s quiet.
1. The Deep Clean
Obviously, your office will need to have certain practices in place for staff to return safely, but while they’re all gone, get in the professional cleaners to go through the place from top to toe. I’m talking about cables dusted under desks, carpets shampooed, the whole shebang.
Get the place looking brand new again. It’ll be daunting for some staff to come back to normalcy, and having an office that looks brand new can help lift moods.
2. Your Staff
Now, this suggestion isn’t me telling you to get some new staff, but rather to get some fresh eyes on the topic of any improvements in the office from those who (used to) spend most of the day there. You might have some grand ideas for rearranging furniture and getting new desks and chairs ordered in, but do you know what your staff members think is important for the office to look well and function properly?
Get everyone on an informal call to ask for their views on any improvements which could be made while the place is empty. You might be surprised, in a good way, with some of their suggestions. I do recommend arranging such a call for late on Friday afternoon, as it’s when everyone will be winding down for the weekend and you know it won’t interfere with other work.
3. The Coffee Machine, Fridge, or the Entire Kitchen
If your office has been completely quiet, and nary a soul has been there, I dread to think what’s going on in the fridge and kitchen cupboards. Office kitchens are the source of embarrassment and petty arguments between staff, so while everyone isn’t there, gut it out and make it an open plan.
No more cupboards, but rather open shelves. No more teaspoons tossed in the sink, but rather dedicated holders. If you make the kitchen look great, staff will treat it like their own. Oh, and double-check that the coffee machine is still in good working order. It may need a full clean through a few times. And while we’re at it with deep cleaning, unplug the fridge and get it bleached from top to bottom.
The more I think about it, it’s surprising how office kitchens can even survive a full day’s use.
4. The Radiators
Staff can’t work in an office when the heating doesn’t work, and if you know you have radiators which are prone to acting up in colder months, now is the ideal time for an upgrade. Most office radiators need to have a higher heat output due to the size of the space you’re working in, so you’ll need to take that into consideration.
If you’re buying radiators in bulk to replace all your old ones, I recommend visiting https://www.traderadiators.com. They sell radiators for offices at the same rates they would for any professionals, making them ideal when you’re looking to make big changes. Just make sure you get smart radiator valves installed so you can control the temperature without team members messing around with radiator valves. You don’t want to be hit with high energy bills by surprise.
5. The Sound System
I don’t know about you, but I find walking into a quiet office to be one of the most surreal and odd experiences you’ll come across. There needs to be a bit of atmosphere in the air and not just the sounds of endless typing on keyboards.
It wasn’t so long ago that getting a sound system installed in the office, especially if you were already in established premises, was incredibly costly and required engineers to get everything hooked up. Now though, you could get it done yourself for less than £200. How? By being savvy and getting some smart speakers dotted around the office.
Although most Amazon speakers work fine, I’ve found that Google mini speakers are ideal for placement, as you can place them on desks to let staff have volumes at an adequate level for their work area, as opposed to a central volume control staff would bicker over. These speakers also let you broadcast messages and set reminders for projects, making that fear-inducing “can you come see me in the office” not sound so worrying when they hear your cheerful voice instead.
Make Your Office That Much Better!
There you have it: five ways to adapt and upgrade your office so everyone will be happy to be back. If you’re looking for more tips, check out the latest office articles on the site by clicking here. There are some great home office articles you might want to share with staff.
