Dress code and office fashion is one that many debate. There are those that prefer to suited up and those that are ‘dressing down’, adopting a more smart-casual work attire. A lot of this depends on the industry you are in and the organisational dress code in place, however, we are seeing a definite shift away from the power suit in favour of a more “dressed-down” environment.
A recent article published by The Guardian, takes a look at office fashion in the environment, times and situations we find ourselves in.
*Image courtesy: The Guardian
The article, featuring Condeco Connect and digital meeting room booking screen technology, brought on a another discussion around how organisations dress the workplace itself for success? In the same way that the clothes we wear, create first impressions about us, so too, does our workplace design. (Read the full article here)
So what are the right workplace design elements to take note of?
Your workplace is your showroom – the window to your business. Dressing it appropriately, in the correct style, with the right tools, technologies and furnishings creates an impression, a look and an appeal; distinguishing markers that not only look good, visually, but aid in overall work management. It’s the furnisher you decorate the floor space with, desk placement, breakout rooms, meeting rooms and of course, the technology and equipment in place that are key to success.
Workplace dressing tips:
- Hide the wires. Eliminate clutter from desktops and meeting rooms, and create an environment that looks more organised.
- Bring the outdoors in. Natural flora-inspired patterns and designs are becoming more and more popular – it’s the look of natural elements without the physical plant-life requirements.
- Shrubbery styling. While wall designs for instance can feature outdoor elements, introducing plants and shrubs into the workspace can also create a more tranquil, harmonious environment. Good tip for creating this look invest in low maintenance plants and indoor shrubs that don’t require a lot of attention (pruning and watering). Having dead or very sad looking plants in the office is worse than no plants at all.
- Designated lounge areas. Technology on the go enables a shift from rigid workstations to spaces that create a more relaxed collaborative surroundings.
- Colour coordination. A workspace designed with colours in mind will create a more organised and productive environment, boosting happiness and employee engagement.
- Texture variations. Your working environment should evoke wellness and productivity, adding different textures and design elements emphasis originality and boldness, ultimately leading to a more inspiring place to achieve your goals.
- The community table. Enhancing collaboration, enabling communication and improving kinship, community tables are a very popular feature in the Coffice space – a working module that many a freelancing millennial has embraced and continue to thrive in.
- Hot desks and flexible workspaces. Permanent office layout requirements are shifting towards remote working environments. Dynamic and collaborative workplaces, where employees are able to move about the floorplan are becoming increasingly popular.
Putting in the time and effort into dressing your workplace appropriately works in three parts:
- For potential recruits
- Retained employees
- Clients/partners
The office space of the future
Multipurpose workspaces are becoming increasing popular for convenience in utilising the office. From presentations, to casual break out rooms, these workspaces are convenient and enhance more informal places to meet and collaborate, be it with colleagues, partners or clients.
The office space of the future is closer than we think… Case in point, The Edge, in Amsterdam, being hailed as the greenest smart office.
Technology is enabling more connected ways of working and allowing us to interact with the workspace around us. The Edge provides 1,000 desks for 2,500 Deloitte workers, who interact with the building through a dedicated app. The smart infrastructure is powered through 30,000 sensors embedded in an LED lighting system. Talent attraction and retention has rocketed, with a fourfold increase in job applications and 60% fewer absentees. (Source: British Land / Worktech Academy)
Meetings, meeting spaces and collaboration solutions are key to transforming this into the workplace of the future. Workspace management solutions introduced into the market including meeting room booking and desk booing software, as well as digital signage hardware aided in creating this agile environment. Condeco Connect, is a cloud-enabled digital screen, that integrated into the office design as hardware that sits outside the meeting room, offers a sleek and sophisticated element to the overall office aesthetic.
For businesses today, growth at scale depends on total management of the workplace environment. Creating agile organisations takes initiative and desire, as well as streamlining operations to increase productivity and interact more efficiently.
And as that catchy 80s tune by a fashionably-styled pop duo once said, “dress for success”. So how are you dressing your office?
*This article was written byJade Roberts, Content Marketing Manager at Condeco.