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How to Manage Your Office Layout to Prevent Gender Bias
Employees spend a significant portion of their day in the workplace, so it's important that they feel included and comfortable. Creating an office layout that doesn't promote gender bias is one way you can ensure this. I won't be surprised if office layout is probably one of the last things that come to mind regarding gender bias. However, you might be surprised to find out how small, yet important, changes to your office layout can help to reduce gender bias drastically. How Can Office Layout Result in Gender Bias? A gender divide can be seen in how office space is allocated and accessed. Traditional offices are typically squared-off and segmented—thereby literally creating divides. This setup is best suited for hierarchies and a chain-of-command approach, which can lead to perceptions of being left out and undervalued. Alternatively, open space offices can be more congenial and egalitarian. With fewer structural barriers, a more democratic work environment is possible that encourages collaboration among all employees. ■ Cater to different employee needs through flexible workspaces Mitigate Gender Bias With These Office Layout Suggestions Mitigating gender bias in the office boils down to creating more open spaces than traditionally closed ones. Consider these suggestions to help you manage your workplace better: Make sure your workspace can be transformed easily One of the easiest ways I make sure I can transform my office on the fly is via portable desks, sliding doors, and movable wall sections. This can prevent gender bias by increasing visibility, while also ensuring privacy. Allow for flexible working arrangements I believe time flexibility greatly boosts employee morale. With flexible working hours and arrangements, employees can manage their work-life balance better and reduce the stressors and invisibility issues they might feel in the workplace. A hybrid work model could be the exact solution you're looking for. Design your office around collaboration An open-office layout increases the flow of communication and encourages collaboration, especially for those working in customer service or on projects that require cooperation. I've found that open workspaces also create a sense of inclusivity and allow for an equal playing field, promoting gender equality in the workplace. How an Automated Solution Can Help You An automated solution like POC's space management software can help you to optimize your office space. This user-friendly cloud-based solution allows you to customize your office setup and employee seating plans easily. Real-time data and regular reports make it a breeze to determine whether changes to your office space are effective. ■ Want to try it for yourself? Book a demo We're All Equal Here Gender bias in the workplace, just like proximity bias, is a serious issue that shouldn't be taken lightly. To create an inclusive and comfortable environment, I urge employers to take employees’ needs and preferences into account. Office customization and layout flexibility can be the first step. ■ Follow these additional office space optimization tips to increase employee satisfaction further
Asked 10 months ago
What Is an Agile Work Environment? Understanding the Basics
For many, the idea of an agile work environment might seem foreign. But in fact, it's something that many organizations are moving toward. The agile approach to business has been proven to increase efficiency and productivity in large and small companies. Keep reading to learn about the agile work environment, its features, and how you can use it to configure your own workplace. Agile work environments are synonymous with flexibility. The company provides different workspaces, each with specific resources. Employees are encouraged to move freely between them and use the spaces best suited to their objective at that time. The purpose is to increase the quality and quantity of work done. ■ Do office spaces influence employee performance? Optimize your office space for employee satisfaction Characteristics of an Agile Work Environment Accessible Agile work environments are built on the principles of collaboration and communication. The space should have no barriers and encourage seamless movement, both physically and by sharing ideas and opinions.Comfortable An agile office utilizes available space efficiently and ensures employees are comfortable. If a space is set up uncomfortably, employees waste time adjusting to it and may even eventually not use the room at all, thereby wasting resources.Easily adaptable Agile spaces need to give your employees the freedom to do their best work. This includes the flexibility to adapt to employee needs every time they change. In the long term, agile environments can help to attract and retain talent in the organization. Conducive Finally, as the goal of an agile environment is increased productivity, employees must be able to focus in the workspace. Therefore, distractions and interruptions must be minimized. Get an Agile Start With POC System The biggest value of agile working is it improves space efficiency, thereby eventually reducing costs and improving productivity. Partnering with a solution like POC System will provide you with the office space management tools to effectively implement an agile work environment suited to your company. ■ Want to see how POC System works? Request a demo
Asked 10 months ago
Office Space Optimization: 4 Easy Steps to Ensure Employee Satisfaction
You may not know it, but the quality of your employees' workspace greatly contributes to their productivity and the overall stress level in the office. Employees are the lifeblood of any organization, but keeping your employees happy can be tough when you're short on space in your office. If you're in a similar situation, don't fret! Here are four easy steps that will help you optimize your office space and increase employee satisfaction. 1. Champion Comfort Above All Else Start by thinking carefully about the types of furniture and equipment in your office space. Comfortable chairs, ergonomic keyboards, light and visually engaging decor, comfortable room temperatures, and a breakout space contribute to a positive work experience. 2. Create Spaces That Foster Collaboration While giving your employees their own space to do their work is important, it's also crucial that you create opportunities for collaboration and teamwork. Consider setting up communal spaces in your office where team members can gather to brainstorm and make decisions together. ■ Are you using your meeting rooms optimally? Set etiquette guidelines for your meeting rooms 3. Consider Employee Needs Employee needs are often related to their roles, tasks, and functions. While some tasks can be accomplished at home easily, others need office space that meets specific requirements to complete those tasks effectively (e.g., special equipment). Office space must also take any employee disability into consideration (e.g., wheelchairs). 4. Plan For & With Technology With the growing popularity of remote work, it's more important than ever for organizations to stay on top of the latest office technology trends. This includes everything from cloud-based file-sharing software to video conferencing tools. Investing in these tools will not only save you money but help increase employee satisfaction by making it easier to get their work done effectively. Not Getting Any Satisfaction? Ultimately, optimizing your office space is about meeting the unique needs of your employees so they can feel comfortable, productive, and engaged in their work. Consider investing in a space management tool to streamline this process, giving you a custom solution for your office and employees. ■ Looking for an office space partner? Explore POC System's solutions
Asked 10 months ago
Does Hot Desking Work? 3 Metrics to Measure Your Success
Having a productive and comfortable work environment can be incredibly beneficial to a business's workflow and results—whether your company works with a hybrid work model or another flexible working strategy. You may even have considered hot desking to maximize your space management, reduce costs, and allocate desks as necessary. But does hot desking work? While it may seem chaotic, in reality, hot desking can help a business increase efficiency, communication, and collaboration. Below, we discuss 3 metrics you can use to measure the success of your hot desking implementation. ■ Explore the main benefits of hot desking 1. Space Utilization This metric helps you check that you're using your available space effectively, because it can bring the cost per person down. This means that just moving to cheaper real estate isn't necessarily the answer, especially if you're not going to use that space optimally either. Space utilization is based on how frequently a space is used by employees. Therefore, you can use peak rates, actual ratios, and target ratios to measure it. In terms of hot desking, it's successful if it helps you to: Reduce overhead costsIncrease productivity and collaboration Ensure every employee has access to a comfortable workspace when needed ■ Here's how optimizing your office spaces ensures employee satisfaction 2. Workplace Analytics Workspace analytics is a data-driven approach to understanding how well your workplace is used and what improvements you can make, including which workspaces are used most often and whether they're properly equipped with everything needed for optimal productivity. This data can help you implement effective hot desking by: Identifying which areas are too noisy or show a lack of collaborationImproving the flow of communication between coworkersUnderstanding of how often people interact in different spaces 3. Occupancy Rate Finally, occupancy rate is the number of people present in the office at a given time. Hot desking helps reduce the overall occupancy rate compared to traditional seating models, saving you money on energy and other operating costs. Occupancy rate and hot desking work together by: Reducing stress levels through varietyEnsuring equality by providing employees access to the same resources ■ Still unsure? Compare the advantages and disadvantages of hot desking Don't Let Hot Desking Go Cold Positive performances in these metrics mean hot desking is working, including higher occupancy rates and space utilization (over 70%), increased productivity and collaboration among coworkers, and better trends in workplace analytics. Using modern solutions like POC's office space management software makes space planning, utilization, and allocation easy, leading to a positive change in multiple metrics simultaneously. ■ Explore POC System's features: Book a demo
Asked 10 months ago
Preventing Invisible Energy Waste in Hybrid Work Environments
All businesses have one common goal—increasing income and reducing expenses. One way to reduce expenses is to find sources of invisible energy waste and cut them off. Simply put, invisible energy waste refers to energy sources that aren't visible to the human eye, meaning they're not immediately obvious. Many business owners believe this is not applicable in traditional office environments. This misconception largely stems from the idea that the majority of energy sources in a traditional office environment are visible and, thus, easily identified. However, this isn't the case for hybrid work environments. One common example of invisible energy waste in hybrid work environments is laptop chargers that are left plugged in. Employees may leave their charger plugged into an outlet even if their device is not charging, leading to an unnecessary waste of electricity. Moreover, the importance of a greener workspace is more relevant now than ever, and there are many ways business owners can contribute to this. So, let's go over the best tips to prevent invisible energy waste: Unplugging devices Make sure that all digital devices are unplugged when they're not in use or left overnight. Also consider using smart technology, like smart chargers in the case of laptops, that can detect when a device is fully charged and automatically shut off.Monitoring power consumption Consider using power meters to monitor the electrical load of digital devices used in your facility. This way, you can ensure that no excess energy is consumed unnecessarily. Control ventilation and light Make sure that air conditioners and lights are turned off when they're not in use. Proper ventilation and lighting can help reduce energy costs by a considerable amount. Educate your staff Last but not least, educate your staff on the importance of reducing energy waste and remind them to turn off devices and equipment when they're not in use. ■ Using occupancy sensors for a more sustainable workplace? Compare ultrasonic vs PIR sensors Implement Real Energy Waste Prevention By following these prompts, businesses can not only reduce their expenses but also contribute to a greener environment by cutting down on invisible energy waste in a hybrid work environment. You'll see the bigger picture and easily identify opportunities for bigger cost savings in the long term.
Asked 10 months ago
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