Back to the Office? It Could Be Time to Rethink Your Workspace

There’s something about the end of summer that changes the atmosphere in an office.

After a quieter few weeks, people begin returning from holidays, diaries start filling up and teams are back together. The office feels busier, meetings become more frequent and those spaces that may have been underused during the summer suddenly have a very different purpose.

It can also be a good time to look at the office with fresh eyes.

Does the current layout still work for the way your team works? Are your meeting rooms being used in the way you intended? Do people have somewhere comfortable to collaborate, concentrate or simply step away from their desk? And is your office furniture helping your people make the most of their time in the workplace?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, the end of summer could be the right time to make a few changes.

Start with the spaces where people come together

Meeting rooms have changed considerably in recent years. Hybrid working means a meeting could involve two people sitting around a table, a full team in the room, or a mixture of people joining remotely.

That makes the furniture within the room more important than it might first appear.

A traditional boardroom table may be exactly what your business needs, but it isn’t the only option. Depending on the room and how it is used, round, rectangular or oval tables can create very different environments. Folding or stacking options can also provide greater flexibility where a room needs to serve several purposes.

The layout matters too. Boardroom, cabaret, classroom and U-shape arrangements each offer something different, while the number of people using the space and the frequency of meetings will influence the furniture that makes most sense.

And there are the details that are easy to overlook until they become a problem: connectivity, technology, accessibility, acoustics and even somewhere to put refreshments.

At Sygnus, we believe these decisions are best made by looking at how the room will actually be used, rather than simply choosing furniture because it fits the space.

Look beyond the meeting room

Of course, the meeting room is only one part of the workplace. If more people are returning to the office, it is worth looking at the wider working environment too.

For those spending more time at a desk, ergonomic seating and sit-to-stand desks can make a significant difference to the everyday experience. Sygnus offers adjustable desks that allow employees to alternate between sitting and standing, alongside a range of task and executive seating designed with comfort and ergonomics in mind.

The desk itself is worth considering too.

Modern workplaces don’t necessarily need endless rows of identical individual workstations. Bench desking can help make better use of available space and encourage a more collaborative environment, while different workstation configurations can be introduced depending on the needs of the team.

Sometimes, a relatively simple change to the layout can make an office feel very different.

Give people somewhere other than their desk

One of the biggest changes in workplace design has been the recognition that people don’t necessarily need to do every task at the same desk.

A quick conversation might work better in a breakout area. A confidential discussion may require somewhere more private. Someone working on a task that needs concentration may simply need somewhere away from the general activity of the office.

This is where breakout furniture, booths, soft seating and meeting pods can play an important role.

Sygnus’ furniture range includes breakout furniture and soft seating designed for informal meetings, collaboration and relaxation, while meeting pods can provide more private spaces for focused work or smaller meetings.

Adding these different environments doesn’t necessarily mean creating a much larger office. It can be about making better use of the space you already have.

Don’t forget the first impression

The return to the office is also a good opportunity to consider what visitors see when they walk through the door.

Reception furniture has an obvious practical role, but it also contributes to how your business is presented. A reception area should feel welcoming, functional and consistent with the wider workplace, whether you’re welcoming clients, candidates, suppliers or new members of the team.

It is often the first physical interaction someone has with your business, so it deserves some thought.

Furniture should work with your office, not against it

A workplace doesn’t need to be completely redesigned every time working patterns change.

Sometimes the answer is a new meeting table. Sometimes it is better seating, a more flexible desk arrangement or the introduction of a breakout area. In other cases, a wider rethink of the layout may be needed.

The important thing is to start with the people using the space.

How many people are coming into the office? What are they coming in to do? Which areas are busy and which are rarely used? Where do conversations happen naturally? Where do people go when they need to concentrate?

Those answers can tell you far more about what your office needs than a furniture catalogue ever could.

A fresh start for the months ahead

As summer comes to an end, there is a natural temptation to simply get back to business.

But if your team is returning to an office that hasn’t quite kept pace with the way they work, it could be worth taking a little time to look around before the autumn gets fully underway.

The right furniture can help make a meeting room more adaptable, a workstation more comfortable and an underused corner of the office into somewhere people actually want to spend time.

At Sygnus Office Partnership, we can help with everything from individual furniture choices to office design, space planning and complete office interiors.

Because sometimes getting your office ready for the next chapter is realising how the space you already have can work harder for the people who use it.

Ready to rethink your workspace?

Talk to Sygnus Office Partnership about your office furniture and workspace requirements.