Today's workplace – more office design choices than ever

Around 10 years ago, the industry was generally geared towards Cat A and Cat B fit outs, where the most complex decision for a company was what procurement route to use: traditional, design and build, detail and build or framework agreements.

Now there are a plethora of decisions to be made around the design and positioning of the workplace. Does the organisation want to be able to move into a space at short-notice and have everything ready to go, or does it see the benefit of creating a bespoke workplace?

Is the organisation planning to be in the space for the medium to long term or does it envisage a more short-term approach? Maybe it’s growing at pace and doesn’t want the anchor of a fixed floorplate? Is there just one head office, or is the business considering leasing smaller hub offices to reduce the need for people to commute but maintain collaboration? How will home-working fit into the post-pandemic working week and what impact will this have on the physical space an organisation needs?

One of the main concerns is how to rebuild the social capital lost through a long period of home-working. In our OnePulse poll of 1,000 employees, 90 percent missed the social contact in the workplace with 47 percent missing the ability to collaborate easily. Organisations are realising that to bring people back to an office, they need to create a more bespoke workplace experience which is unique to their organisation and reflects both their culture and what their people need from the space. Many want to establish what’s being known as the FOMO workplace – somewhere that people want to come back to because they fear missing out otherwise.

But there’s genuine confusion about the different options available for forward-thinking organisations exploring the options for a post-pandemic workplace which helps to boost social capital. This guide talks through the main fit out choices, what they mean and who they’ll best suit.

Like Cat A+, Cat B fit outs provide a space that an organisation can simply move into and start working. But unlike Cat A+, the fit out is bespoke to your organisation and people and tailored to your brand’s personality. A Cat B fit out starts by understanding how people currently use their workspace and how the new space can support the organisation. This isn’t just about choosing desks and furniture, but also about ensuring that your office is somewhere that your employees would love to work; all while helping you attract and retain your industry’s best talent. The occupier is usually heavily involved in decision-making in a Cat B fit out.

A Cat B fit out includes everything in a Cat A fit out plus:

• Fully-fitted kitchens and non-communal office amenities
• Workstations and furniture
• Partitioning; including meeting rooms, offices and breakout spaces
• Re-routing air conditioning and power points
• IT installation and infrastructure
• Design and brand detailing

Who’s it for? Occupiers of all sizes choose a Cat B fit out as it’s an excellent way to allow the workplace to reflect an organisation’s personality. But there can be vastly different standards of a Cat B fit out, with some landlords providing Cat B spaces as simply room partitions, tea points and carpet but with no brand personalisation.

The pandemic has accelerated the distributed workforce trend which was already gaining ground. The hub and spoke model sees an organisation complement a head office (the hub) with smaller regional offices (spokes) which could be owned, leased or in serviced office or coworking space. This helps to reduce commuting, support work-life balance and improve collaboration.

Who’s it for? Organisations of all sizes who are looking to support employees achieve a better work-life balance while also maintaining engagement, collaboration and productivity.

Whatever option an organisation chooses, the key to success is to start with the employee. Every organisation has its own unique DNA and will require different things from their workplace. There is no one-size-fits-all option. The important thing is that the employee is put at the heart of every decision.

In our December 2020 poll, people saw the post-pandemic workplace as a space to get team work done (52%), to meet up and socialise with colleagues (51%) and to create and share ideas with their team (43%). But, at the same time, 20% wanted to use it to focus on individual work, demonstrating that every person and every organisation is different.

By better understanding what individuals need, organisations can not only boost their social capital but also retain their talent and attract new people. And they can start to plan their post-pandemic workplace offer and go to the market with a strong understanding of their requirements.