Since the pandemic, we’ve all been guessing about what will happen to the workplace. While return to work guidelines have been stable for a year or so now, the expectation of employees and business owners has been anything but. Then throw in the cost of living crisis and other external events - it leads to more instability and bigger challenges for space planning teams. 

In 2022 one of the biggest talking points was hybrid working. For the more black and white thinkers, it turned into a completely saturated debate around team office or team work from home. One thing is for certain though, we haven’t gone back to the pre-pandemic office 9-5 and businesses had a tougher battle than they initially thought to get employees to return to the workplace. 

For businesses, a focus on creating a space that enticed workers back to the office was high on the agenda. The office as a destination or a community building space to be creative with your team was a popular transition. Businesses catered to a newly flexible workforce, with hot desking and meeting pods - all with a home-like feel to emulate the level of comfort employees got used to while working from home. 

One thing is for certain in 2023 - the office is here to stay and businesses are willing to invest in a space for the future. With many positives, such as an established physical presence and a space for collaboration, businesses are re-imagining the workplace instead of embracing fully remote operations. Employees are increasing the amount of time they spend in the office amidst cost of living concerns too. 

Here are the biggest trends we anticipate for 2023…

Flexibility: catering to a newly hybrid workforce

Businesses struggled with getting the balance of hybrid working right - and only now are we starting to find our groove. For a lot of businesses, this means reimagining how we use space both for business purposes and for individual requirements. 

Downsizing wasn’t uncommon during the pandemic. Many offices went from huge open plan spaces with rows and rows of desks - to now needing a completely different way of working. The eeriness of empty offices ate into the culture companies spent so long trying to build and space utilisation was at an all time low. 

Designs around flexibility and good use of space rose to the fore - with the expectation that offices will improve communication and also provide an experience for employees that fully remote working can’t compete with. The biggest challenge is a fluctuating headcount and designing a space that is agile enough to work for a more transient workforce. 

Technology: seamless integration for remote and in-office workers

The reliance on technology during the pandemic shows how important it was to keep businesses operational. Now that some employees are back in the office and others have remained at home, the space needs to facilitate digital communication easily. Ensuring that remote workers feel a part of team discussions that are held in the office can be difficult so technology needs to bridge this gap. 

Soundproof meeting booths with screens are an effective use of space because they separate the meeting participants from the rest of the people in the office. Making them as comfortable or as formal as you need, the space can be agile and technology integrated seamlessly into the space. 

With the rise of hybrid working, ensuring you have hot-desking facilities with screens and enough charging cables for phones and laptops will help your team. Also allowing employees to wear headphones for music can help with deep focus tasks. 

Sustainability: create a space for the future 

Carbon net zero is a goal many businesses have and it’s becoming incredibly important to help with climate change on a micro level. We all need to do our bit and businesses are becoming increasingly incentivised on a brand sentiment level to get onboard with sustainability. 

From day to day considerations like swaps for more sustainable office products, to wanting office furniture that is made from eco-friendly materials - businesses are changing the way they buy. Considering the future when buying for the present is a great way to save cost and the planet too. 

Energy efficient light and heating systems might seem like an unnecessary initial outlay but we’ve seen with the energy price hike that they can begin to save you money sooner than you think. It also improves your carbon footprint and helps towards any sustainability audits. 

Anticipating long term business needs is also essential before investing in your office space. Buying products you won’t need for very long will lead to waste and buying cheaper, low quality items means you will need to replace them faster. Well thought through, higher quality products will last longer and an increased life span of a product is a sustainable approach to purchasing. 

Looking to update your workspace - we can ensure your design is futureproofed for the needs of your business: furniture@fenns.co.uk