Traditional, nine-to-five, salaried employees are no longer the norm (if they ever were). Instead, more and more office "employees" are contractors.
They might be:
- temporary hires brought in by an agency
- professional gig workers that juggle a handful of clients
- consultants brought in to temporarily take the helm of departments or new processes
- third-party services that round out the workload
No matter what type of employees and contractors you have in your company, your physical workspace needs to be able to accommodate without disrupting everyone else. Here are a few tips to help you do precisely that:
Have Clear Landmarks
Whenever new people arrive in the office, they aren't going to know where to go. Counting aisles and having to ask multiple people for help can make anyone feel like they're off to a poor start. Instead of leaving new arrivals floundering, have clear landmarks.New intern? Head to the office by the blue painting.New contractor? Head to the table next to the kitchen with the yellow chairs.
Set Aside Multi-Purpose, Enclosed Spaces
But before you and your employees can help new people find their spots, there has to be a spot for them to go to. Analysts, cold callers, and graphic designers don't need more than a wifi connection and a workspace. But upper-level consultants and third-party legal services need walls and a closed door. So make sure there are closed, multi-purpose spaces and a clear system of marking if the room is occupied for the day.
Keep Security in Mind
When you have lots of new faces in the office, it's hard to know who should be where (and, more importantly, who shouldn't be there). So keep your confidential files as far to the back as possible, as well as the people who work with them. Also, equip your receptionist with the tools to give everyone the right badges ASAP.
Designing your office is hard. So get back-up. Contact our team at Studio Other for office design tips and custom furniture.
