Planning a new workspace for employees? Here’s what to avoid

If you’re in the market for office space in Cape Town, you’re not alone. The city’s popularity as a business destination – especially amongst semigrants – shows no signs of diminishing with businesses clamouring for access to sought-after premium properties.

After a relatively slow period during the pandemic and lockdown, the Mother City’s property sector is back in full swing.
Demand from local, regional, national, and international tenants is dropping vacancy levels into the single digits and making the city’s most popular office buildings into rare commodities.

Our team of area specialists has been helping businesses in the Mother City to find the ideal office premises for decades, but the current demand for premier commercial space in Cape Town is exceeding even the highest points of the market in previous years.

In our article on business relocation, we touched on some of the important factors that drive the decision to relocate a company’s base of operations. Before you make your move to Cape Town, it’s essential to know the pitfalls that every company faces when choosing a workspace and how to avoid them.

Here are some common errors to avoid when choosing a workspace.

Ignoring your team’s requirements

No business can function and thrive without a dynamic, skilled, and motivated team.

Your employees are the backbone of your business and since team members outnumber management several times it’s essential to understand their needs and requirements when you choose an office space.

A companywide survey or series of interviews about team members’ satisfaction levels in the current workspace can be an extremely valuable intelligence gathering and exercise for any business.

Here are some topics to cover when gathering feedback:

The amount of useful workspace your employees currently have
Layout and ergonomics of the office
Distance and time taken on their daily commute and whether it’s optimal for them
Building facilities and amenities that they currently enjoy using and others that they would prefer to have.

Once you understand your team’s requirements, it will be easier to choose a workspace that will motivate and inspire them and avoid feelings of burnout.

Choosing a generic layout

Keeping with the theme of employee requirements, it’s essential to avoid generic layouts that look good on paper but simply don’t suit the needs of your staff and business.

Studying the work processes that go on in your office and designing the layout around them is a far better approach than choosing a generic layout which will force your employees to change their behaviours in order to fit the space limitations of the office.
Creative and collaborative businesses will need plenty of shared work spaces to share ideas, while tasks that require intense focus may be better suited to more isolated work pods.

A great office layout also needs to suit the requirements of management.

Locating supervisors and managers close enough to employees to facilitate good communication, but with some type of physical separation like doors or movable panels to ensure privacy, will help you strike the balance that is necessary to keep motivation up while ensuring effective training and oversight.

Prioritising comfort

With employees spending upwards of 40 hours a week in the office, the comforts and ergonomics of your furnishings is of paramount importance.

Desks that are the correct height for a healthy sitting position, ergonomic chairs that offer back and neck support (especially for computer-based tasks) and a variety of work areas and standing desks will give employees enhanced comfort and offer the opportunity to change posture and position.

These are essential elements of healthy workplace ergonomics which contribute to employee health, wellness, and productivity.

Dark office spaces

A dark, gloomy office is hardly the place to seek out motivation and success, yet many businesses still have old fashioned premises that rely on artificial light.

Unnatural lighting sources have been shown to tire out employees, ruining their focus and lowering their motivation levels.

Commercial premises that make use of natural light are not only more pleasant to work in but will also help you save money on electricity costs.

By choosing a building with large north-facing windows, you’ll be ensuring a more motivated workforce while also doing your part to ensure sustainability and adding to your company’s ESG efforts.

Keeping the same design forever

The final office space mistake to avoid is keeping the same old design for decades at a time.

New trends in office space design go way beyond the superficial level.

Changes in office layout come about as a result of the latest research on industrial psychology, health, and wellness, and management efficiency studies.

Embracing new designs will help your business to attract new talent with an on-trend work environment and boost productivity in line with the latest developments in operations management.

Choose your ideal workspace before vacancies vanish

The Cape Town commercial property market is hotter than ever this year and savvy tenants and buyers will need to act quickly to secure the perfect premises.

By avoiding the common mistakes in this article, you’ll be in a good position to choose and set up the ideal business location for future growth.

To find your next office space in Cape Town, contact our team of experienced area specialists today.