While your organisation continues to grow in size, the amount of floor space needed to accommodate new staff members will quickly start to shrink. Any new hire will need a dedicated workspace to perform their work comfortably. You will also need to try to keep existing employees who frequently collaborate close.

An unfortunate side effect is a decrease in employee’s personal space. This leads to an environment that is not always collaborative or positive.

When remaining space becomes an issue, management often thinks the solution is to move to a bigger building. But often, the answer is found with office planning and space redesign. It is also a much cheaper alternative. 

So how exactly do you make space in your existing office to accommodate for headcount?

Reduce Office Furniture

Standard office furniture is often bulky and takes up a significant amount of space. Not only can it be an eyesore, but it also reduces the number of people who can comfortably fit in an area.

Luckily, suppliers now offer solutions with space savings in mind. Slim, stylish and functional furniture allows you to utilise every single centimetre in even the smallest office space.

• Swap out large desks for multi-worker tables
• Say goodbye to large leather chairs and hello to sleek mesh chairs instead
• Organise your office by utilising vertical wall height
• Add slim vertical shelves along with cabinets
• Consider adding separate zones in the office for both collaborative and individual work

One Space, Multiple Functions

There is also a need to provide space for conference rooms and common areas, which contribute to a positive employee workplace culture.

But instead of having multiple spaces, combine them. Replace small dining tables in your break room with a large conference table instead. Let the area act as both a meeting space and a break room.

Switch to an Open Office Design

Another option is moving from traditional cubicles to an open work environment. By having people who work together side by side, it can help to increase productivity and idea sharing, while creating a more collaborative environment.

By adding desks, tables and cabinets on wheels, it also allows you to reconfigure the office layout easily anytime it is needed.

Offer office alternatives

Are you finding your office is still too cramped even after reducing office furniture and making a change to an open office layout? Another solution is to reduce the amount of staff who are working in-office by providing alternatives.

A study by Global Workplace Analytics found that over a staggering 2/3 of business owners saw better productivity from their remote employees than those who work in an office.

Consider rotating staff/teams to work from home during certain times, and only come in the office when they are needed. Another popular option is to work from the office 2-3 days per week and from home the rest of the time.

Considering over 34% of employees would prefer remote-work opportunities over a pay rise, it may also help to increase employee morale and worker satisfaction significantly.