“Seating is an important part of any office environment and you should consider a seating plan when setting up your office space. Even if you have already set up your office, you might want to consider a new seating plan if your team isn’t working efficiently. Research has even suggested that getting the seating plan right can help to increase your revenue by £1 million. It is also important that you have the right furniture and ergonomic desk chairs for your office environment to ensure your staff are comfortable. But if you’re wondering how to get the seating plan right then we have the perfect guide to help you.
Step 1: Group Departments Together
The first step when creating an office seating plan is to group people together by departments, which makes it easier for people to work together. It also makes it easier to speak to people as a group and address a department over any issues or praise that you might have. But you should also consider which departments frequently work together so that you can plan to place them together and make it easier for them to communicate. This will mean that people don’t have to spend as much time walking around the office to speak to colleagues and get their work done.
Step 2: Consider People’s Preferences
One of the main reasons for putting together a seating plan is to make sure that your staff are working well with each other and that they’re happy. So a good idea when putting together your seating plan is to actually ask your colleagues where they would like to sit. Although you might not be able to sit everyone next to the person of their choice, if you take their preference into account you can keep your staff happy. People also work differently and although some are quite happy to get on with their work quietly, others want to bounce ideas around.
Step 3: Consider Your Environment
You should also consider your actual office environment and make sure that the seating plan you are devising is practical. Make sure you take into account heating vents or air conditioning units in the office so that you can avoid sitting anybody too close to these areas. It is also a good idea to decide on how much time people actually spend at their desk so that you can seat those who spend longer in a more desirable space. Many people would prefer to be sat next to a window where possible, so it can be a good idea to give these seats to staff that spends most of their time at a desk.
Put Together Your Plan
By following these steps before putting together your plan you can make sure that everyone is satisfied and create a better working atmosphere. Make use of the floor plan of your office so that you know how much space you have in the office and where you can seat people. It is also a good idea to measure your desks and furniture so that you know exactly how many people you can fit into each space. If your furniture is too bulky or doesn’t suit your environment then this might be a good time to consider new office furniture. “
By: Richard Edwards
Published: 21st April 2017
