Have you often wondered what the role of your employees should be during a commercial office fit out? And we aren’t talking about whether they should help you take the workstations apart or paint the walls; we’re talking about the planning of the fit out. In this article, we have outlined the different roles that your employees should play during work.
Put together an internal team at the beginning of the project
It is a good idea to establish a team of employees that understand where the business is going. This will ensure that they plan a fit out that meets your needs, both now and in the future. You need to provide the team with ample opportunity to think long and hard about where the business might go in the long term.
Draw upon the full leadership team across the business
This internal team should be made up of leaders from across the business (such as the marketing manager and a receptionist). The diversity that exists amongst these leaders adds to the design, because each person will require something different from their workspace. Drawing from all leaders ensures that all elements are covered.
Encourage the team to be a voice for their employees
Those leaders who have been placed on the internal team should bring forward ideas and concerns from within their own departments. This will allow the team to consider critical issues as they arise, as well as ensuring that the future workspace effectively meets everyone’s needs. Employees should feel comfortable with approaching a leader.
Meet regularly according to needs of the project
Whilst the frequency of these meetings will vary depending on what stage of the commercial office fit out you’re in, it is essential that you allow the internal team to meet regularly. The meetings held in the very beginning should be longer and organised close together, as this is when the fundamental design decisions are made.
Understand the impact that being in the team has on workloads
It is important to keep in mind that the various employees on the internal team will be extremely busy at the best of times, so planning the fit out will be adding to this demand. Help your employees to prioritise and even delegate their duties so that their regular workload is still being met; you don’t want to fall behind.
Solve all problems as they arise knowing success is close
We definitely recommend that the internal team work hard to resolve any issues as they occur, as this will ensure that further problems do not arise down the track. This will also provide you with the peace of mind that your fit out will be everything you wanted (and more). It will also prove that you have chosen the best team for the job.
Whilst we certainly recommend getting as many of your employees involved in the commercial office fit-out process as possible, we also think that the formation of an internal team will be beneficial. This will ensure that there are many people who can be approached when problems or ideas arise, as well as ensuring that the fit out meets all needs perfectly.