Top Workplace Trends for 2022
The pandemic has changed the way the world works. Understanding the top trends in workplace design and thinking will help you choose the right solutions for your next space and implement effective practices and strategy for the year today. Here are the eight top trends to consider for you workspace.
1. Hybrid Working
The top trend of the modern workplace is Hybrid Working. Hybrid… or flexible working… is a mix of working in an office setting, at home or possibly even in a third space like a café, park or coworking space.
Unlike a fully remote or fully in-person model, hybrid attempts to combine the flexibility of working from home with the collaboration and culture benefits of being together in a workplace. While many organizations found that teams could stay productive while remote during the pandemic, a growing number of studies show a significant need to return to the workplace for most organizations. Accenture, for example, recently reported that workers prefer a hybrid model 83% of the time. And it’s actually the younger generation leading the charge back to in-person… with over 74% of Gen Z respondents claiming they prefer interactive with colleagues face-to-face.
The right solution for a company can be found through peer-to-peer sharing, working with a capable team and building agility and flexibility into space plans and strategies to change, tweak and adjust when timing is right.
2. Agile Workplace
An agile workplace is one designed to offer complete flexibility. Individuals and teams are encouraged to move freely and frequently. They have the freedom to choose the space that is best suited for the task at hand. The working environment can easily be rearranged, reconfigured, refreshed to increase space utilization or adapt to changing needs. Agile workplaces are smart, fast, dynamic and, when done correctly, maximize opportunity and budget. Be sure to consider agile products, designs and policies in your next workspace plan.
3. Mental Wellbeing
Wellbeing at work is not a new trend. For over a decade the commercial interiors world has been promoting physical wellness through ergonomic solutions, floorplate designs that encourage movement and health conscious spaces. Yet to be ‘well’ means more than being physically well. Emotional wellbeing. Financial wellbeing… mental wellbeing. Total wellness is body AND mind. We have all been impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, and today, more than ever before, mental wellbeing must be considered when we think about the workplace.
Workspaces that support the different ways we work, provide choice, connect us with our colleagues and are easy to use and navigate all contribute to less stress, higher satisfaction and improved mental states. There are many ways to promote mental wellbeing in the workplace… the most important thing is to recognize its importance so that teams can incorporate the right practices, solutions and strategies to achieve the highest levels of mental wellness in a space!
4. Technology
As many organizations navigate the path back to the workplace, business leaders are working diligently to understand the major opportunities that will define post pandemic working. Technology takes a top spot in defining and shaping the future of work. From connecting people to powering productivity, promoting culture to ensuring wellbeing, technology will, without a doubt, accelerate change, innovation and growth for companies wiling to make smart, informed investments in their digital spaces.
5. Density
In commercial furniture, density refers to how many people are working in a space. Workspace size is determined by square footage, and so density is the average square footage per employee. As we strive to understand the impact hybrid workforces will have on modern, post-pandemic workplace design, determining specific density formulas and ratios may become necessary for some professionals in commercial furniture, but having a solid grasp of general density trends… and more importantly why design decisions are being made to drive those trends… is knowledge that can benefit all of us. Remember that workplace density averages are constantly changing… and a modern workplace that is agile and capable of addressing by the opportunities and challenges of post-pandemic working.
6. Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods at work are an emerging trend where areas of the floorplate are intentionally designed to optimize performance of certain teams, culture types or ways of working. Neighborhoods take into account things like flexibility, adjacencies, focus needs, collaboration, technologies and tools. Instead of an assigned desk, employees can be placed or may even have the option to choose which communities they work in. Depending on the needs of the team and the goals of organization, these spaces support the most productive way of working for that community or group. Neighborhoods enable and promote the culture type they are designed for and can boost collaboration.
7. Neurodiversity
The term ‘Neurodiverse’ often refers to individuals with neurodevelopmental differences, like ADHD, Autism and learning disabilities. To be ‘neurodivergent’ means you think differently than the majority of society (or those who are neurotypical). To date, there is not standardized definition of who is and isn’t considered neurodivergent… just a lot of new research, opinions and ideas. Just as companies make ergonomic accommodations for different body types or access and accessibility accommodations for a variety of physical limitations… forward thinking companies are designing and operating their spaces to also accommodate neurodiversity. Applying research and strategy in a wide variety of areas like visuals, layouts, sensory and furnishings, companies can not only accommodate their neurodiverse team members… but enable them and tap into their superpowers of unique thinking!
8. Biophilic Design
Biophilic design addresses the need to incorporate nature into workspaces by building a framework for human-nature connections to thrive in. These features help to create workplaces that optimize the environment for performance, health, and well-being. By better connecting to the natural world, employees report overall reductions in stress and mental fatigue as well as improved cognitive performance on tasks. Research shows that organizations that harness the power of Biophilic design have a greater ability to attract and retain employees and increase levels of productivity and creativity within their teams.
