How An Office Upgrade Can Help Your Business Retain Skilled Staff

During the present skills shortages, office design is an underutilised tool you can exercise to your advantage in the battle to keep employees on board.

With media reports detailing hundreds of occupations in Australia are experiencing skills shortages , staff retainment—and recruitment—is a growing priority for companies. Creating a premium work environment is integral.

If you have concerns about staff being poached , now is the time to focus on increasing employee satisfaction. If trying to entice skilled newcomers to the team, the best possible working conditions can only prove a plus.

Insightful office design assists retainment and recruitment strategies. Our multi-disciplinary experts can advise on changes to optimise the impact of your office fitout design, in the context of your unique business processes.

Not sure where to start? Below are baseline questions from the Hub Interiors team to help you evaluate potential weak points in the current workplace structure and culture that may be negatively effecting your staffing levels.

Do you understand why employees are leaving?

Many assume monetary incentive is the primary reason staff move on, but the truth can be a different story. A recent Seek survey saw mediocre management take top place, with a bad environment/poor work conditions coming in fourth.

Addressing office conditions and helping enhance them via office fitouts, is an intelligent move. Is your office a dynamic environment that inspires your team? If not, now is the time to figure out what’s lacking, and take action.

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Is workflow support operating at premium capacity?

Over the years, assigned tasks can alter as the company’s focus shifts or expands. Most businesses adapt office space in-house, rather than investing in professional design that caters to the functional needs of each department.

In short, your office may be rendering tasks more time consuming, hampering performance. Improve productivity and company morale with expert, forward-thinking adjustments to the fitout that enable strategic solutions.

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Are your amenities lacking, and in need of an upgrade?

Hub Interiors are often asked to increase amenities. Pinpointing what staff want is a good start—anything from onsite fitness facilities, showers and lockers, to barbecue areas, outdoor courtyards, and expanded parking.

Not recognising the importance of quality social zones is a common error. Often dining and refreshment areas are ill equipped to meet present and future capacities. Giving your team space to pause and revive, is imperative.

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Is a fluid design approach offering office flexibility?

Not all workspaces are created equal. How dynamic is your set up? A previous article, The future is flexibility in the office , highlights how incorporating furniture and spaces that can adapt and change equals premium office flexibility .

Your staff should ideally be able to move quickly and easily between tasks, with spaces that enable collaboration and engagement. Encouraging movement and team ownership of space creates a forward-thinking workspace model.

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Does your company appearance cohesively reflect your branding?

First impressions count. When recruiting, chances are the company exterior is going to have some influence a candidate’s perspective. How are your entry statements? Landscaping, and the lobby? Facades and cladding?

A workplace that has impeccable branding also allows current staff to take pride in the company’s presence—unlike the lacklustre vibe created by peeling paint, shoddy brickwork, fading signage, and worn ramps and stairs.

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Are you easily facilitating support of hybrid workers?

As employees embrace flexible work arrangements , the ability to successfully cater to a hybrid workplace becomes paramount. Are your technologies and work stations designed to suit workers moving between numerous locales?

The goal is to foster a positive relationship with the office. Office days should be enticing, offering a set up equal or preferably superior to the one at home, with the added benefits of amenities, in a pleasant social work environment.

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Is your office interior design ensuring employee comfort?

Comfort sounds like a simple concept, but in the office, has myriad manifestations. Light quality, including access to sunlight. Air quality. Sound quality, meaning office acoustics. Biophilic design elements , echoing the natural world.

Upgraded chairs, and standing desk options. Relaxing lounge areas and private booths. Overall, an awareness of the office sensory experience. Sight. Sound. Sense. Smell. Touch. Our office interior designers make use of them all.

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Are wellness initiatives and improved work culture on your radar?

The far-reaching value of workplace wellness is well documented . This article previously mentioned the impact of office spaces on mental health , as well as the importance of creating a space that positively impacts team culture .

Some businesses are turning to wellbeing audits for help ascertaining the effectiveness of their initiatives. Embracing out of the box thinking could prove transformative. One example is accommodating pets in the workplace .

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Utilising office design with Hub Interiors

Competitive sectors are doing all they can to ensure a desirable work environment through office renovations. At Hub interiors, we offer complete design and construction solutions. Based in Perth, we assist companies across Australia.

Contact us today to discuss a commercial office fitout that aligns with your budget while building better culture. A functional yet fantastic and inspiring work environment, and positive contributor to recruitment and retainment.