How to Create an Office Seating Arrangement That Maximizes Productivity

For most companies around the world, regardless of their specific field, one of the top priorities that exists within their offices is productivity.

Productivity is what allows offices to optimize efficiency in order to accomplish as many objectives relating to their work as possible.

Ultimately, it inspires great work and is the lifeblood of any well functioning business.

Managers have taken this into account when designing their office operations by developing a multitude of different strategies to encourage their team to achieve this goal.

However, one exceptional method that can be used is the implementation of a well thought out office seating arrangement that inspires creativity and furthers productivity.

This can be developed in many different ways so that a plan that specifically targets the needs of the manager’s business and staff can be created.

1. Group Departments Together

Depending on the makeup of your specific business, it may be beneficial to group those who are in the same department together.

This can contribute to establishing a more collaborative environment where coworkers can easily connect with those they interact with more often.

This includes both those who are placed in executive positions as well as employees who are on more basic levels.

In regards to the executives, it has been proven time and time again that the key to running a business that is successful is based around developing a leading team of executives who know their responsibilities and can effectively enhance the performance of the company as a whole.

When they are placed in an area with close proximity to one another, it allows for open communication enabling them to make decisions with each other instead of operating a system where issues and ideas are constantly being delivered straight to the CEO.

This concept works to break down existing barriers and increase informal, open conversation that leads to the improvement of ideas and cooperation which, in turn, boosts productivity.

This same methodology can be applied to lower level employees who exist within the several departments of the office space.

Consider individuals and groups who often have to interact with one another on a daily basis.

Information like this can be used to examine the layout of the office and organize it in a way that places those who depend on others near each other to ensure communication and allow them to perform their jobs in a more structured fashion.

2. Ask Your Employees Directly

One way to increase productivity by way of seating arrangements is to take into account the opinions and ideas of those who will actually be affected by the new plan.

Office managers can ask their employees directly what they feel would be a good plan so they feel included within the process and feedback can be developed creating a more effective sense of organization in the long run.

This can be accomplished by sending out a questionnaire every now and then on the subject of seating within the office place.

Subtopics including what would be the employee’s ideal seating arrangement, who they work with most often on a day to day basis, and where they would place themselves within the space to improve their productivity can aid in giving the manager a general consensus of the perception held by their team.

This is a crucial consideration to take into account because it gives employees the feeling that they are truly being included within the development of office operations and that their ideas are contributing to the establishment of a productive work environment.

Along with this technique comes another benefit that gives managers the ability to analyze the individual strengths or weaknesses of a team member and use these specific characteristics to place them next to those who can help them become a stronger employee overall.

For example, if there is someone within the office who seems to be struggling with a certain aspect of their work, they can be strategically placed by someone who has exhibited a clear strength for this same aspect so that they can cooperate and help each other out.

3. Stay Modern

For years, the majority of workplaces were organized using the same techniques: mundane cubicles, rows of desks that defeated interconnectivity, and a general uninspired feeling within the office that, in a lot of ways, stunted innovation.

This has been combated through the use of new, modern ideas that have revitalized what an office space can look like.

A major example of this has come in the form of the popularity of open floor plans.

Open floor plans are based around the idea of collaboration and an unrestricted flow that improves interaction.

These seating designs assist in making a more welcoming environment possible that comforts the employees and gives them the resources they need to function in a manner based solely around productivity.

It is a layout that is based entirely upon the free flowing of ideas between those who are part of the company.

The barriers of a cubicle are literally brought down to inspire a true community that is able to bounce ideas off of each member and receive instant input from their peers to fulfill their individual needs as well as those of their coworkers.

4. Allow for Flexibility

Even after a specific plan is decided upon for the new design of the office space, managers must still implement the ability to be flexible as part of the overall layout.

As time goes on, needs may change and the community as a whole within the office may shift to require modifications to be put in place.

To achieve optimal productivity, this must be able to occur in a manner that is quick and efficient.

This can be accomplished by creating a flexible environment that can adjust over time to the natural development of the staff.

There are many specific instances that can arise at any time within a company that calls for short term changes to be completed even in the wake of short notice.

There may be new projects that need to be worked on or even a change in the dynamics of the staff which would bring about the need for a rearrangement of the current seating chart.

Truthfully, it can often be difficult for office managers to figure out the best seating arrangement that works specifically for their group and the requirements of their industry.

However, when flexibility is in place, there is a middle ground that allows for a more well-fitting strategy in regards to the office layout.

This middle ground can be reached by implementing agile techniques such as movable walls or desks that can be arranged on the spot to stay on par with the changes happening within the office without the need for a major overhaul to be completed.

5. Implement the Plan

There are a myriad of different considerations that must be taken into account when trying to come up with a seating plan that’s the best fit for your office.

Features such as company goals, the existing layout of your office, and the interaction between staff members all come into play when trying to find something that will best optimize productivity and create a space that produces the best results for the business.

Once you have included all of these priorities into your thought process, you can actually begin to design your ideal layout for the office’s new design.

It is important to actually plan out what is to be implemented before actually doing so in order to mitigate the presence of error and get a feel for things before the work begins.

You can use anything from software to simple hand drawn examples of your office space to see what the office will look like before implementing the planned design updates.

However it’s done, a few things must be accounted for so the plan is effective.

These include figuring out how the seating will work in regards to permanent structural features like polls or walls, testing out different areas within the office, ensuring the design is flexible so that it can be altered in the future if necessary, and overall experimenting with different designs until the perfect one is found.

Choose The Best Office Seating Arrangement for Your Team

Having a proper office seating arrangement is vital to helping productivity as well as general employee morale within a company.

Be sure to consult your team and see if there are any areas within your office space that could be better optimized with a different seating arrangement.

Plan things out accordingly, and be open to any suggestions from your staff if they will ultimately help improve your office’s work environment.

Are you interested in making your workplace more efficient? Check out what Eden’s Workplace Management Platform can do for your office.