5 factors that will define the office of the future

1. Technology 

With the growth and development in technology, offices must adapt and incorporate the rise of technological advancements and the changes they will bring into the business world. A trend that we've notice is the increased demand for mobility, people are continuously in and out of meetings and enjoy moving around the office and from site to site. Paper is almost a thing of the past, mobile devices and laptops have become a popular choice for many employees. This allows people to take their devices to meetings, move around as they please and organise and save all their files securely.

2. Flexibility 

An office must be able to cater to all the varying needs of its employees. Some prefer working in silence and others thrive with music or team work. You must be able to offer options for both or you might lose a quality employee. Varying age groups and personality types suit certain environments and to ensure you're providing everything they need to be productive it's important to be flexible. 

3. Culture 

Office culture will help create a work place that people are excited to be a part of. Positive people who are excited about what they do will produce high quality work, reflecting their passion. Create an office that encourages enthusiasm. 

4. Well-being 

Well-being and the health of your employees can effect their performance in the office. You should promote a healthy lifestyle amongst your workers and help support it within the office. Offering fruit and other healthy options within the office could be a good way to get them thinking about nutrition. Providing standing desks will reduce lazy behaviour and get their blood and oxygen flowing. Large windows will bring in natural light and give employees the ability to see outside rather than looking at screens all day. 

5. Adapt to the environment 

The environment people work in can be a large influencing factor on an individual's work ethic and whether they continue to learn and develop their skills.

The office of the future should encourage learning through unconventional methods, appealing to all ages and adapting with the changing times. Lunch and learn spaces are becoming more popular, a place where people can relax in a comfortable setting and learn from others at the same time. These hubs will allow for creativity, increased performance and encourage innovation.

Creating an office where people are comfortable will allow them to feel at home and help voice their opinions and encourage them to try new things.

As technology evolves and employees adapt and change, business owners must ensure they're making changes in all necessary areas in order to retain a high quality work force. Implementing the office of the future is a good starting point for building employee satisfaction but you must adapt your business practices to also succeed and satisfy your customers. Social media is a tool available to help grow your business, we've put together an eBook to show you a few ways in which social media could increase your business' success.