Do you believe in first impressions? Do you value a sense of arrival?

When you rock up to a hotel, if your anything like me I’m judging the welcome, the staff, the appearance of the lobby, the deco – is it dated or modern, the smell and the atmosphere. Being offered a refreshment with a little snack is a clear winner for me!

People are guided by their emotions.

What’s more, quality design makes a statement about a company, its people, brand and ethos.

So when arriving to your office building does it matter if there is a pretty picture on the wall, plants in the window, your signage on display, comfortable seating, the aroma? No, “we’re not a hotel lobby” I hear some of you say.

The answer, should be YES.

Your office is a home from home. We “typically” spend half our life at the office (pre lockdown).

Your reception is your front door, regardless if you have a fancy office fitout once you get through the doors, up the stairs, around the corner. It is about creating that first impression for your employees and clients.

If your reception is outdated or looks tired, it could impact your business. Clients who arrive for meetings or potential employees are going to judge the quality of your operations and the corporate culture by the look and feel of a lobby.

Occupiers looking for new offices will reflect whether the point of arrival meets their goals of the brand.

Landlords letting space should consider what type of tenants they want to attract and at what price point.

As a result, it is important to ensure that this space is impressive, practical and sends the right message.

Coworking space is disrupting the office market. Landlords will need to adapt their standard offering and pivot to keep up with the challenging demands.

To understand the future of offices we also need to understand what individuals will want and need from their place of work.

• Face to face contact
• A place for employees to connect and collaborate
• Lease flexibility
• A place to build a culture
• Reduced occupational costs
• Reduce commuting time
• Landlord and tenant relationship
• Pandemic proofed – sophisticated ventilation system, smart technology and fit out space with anti-microbial materials.
• Workplace design – strong focus on boutique hospitality and coworking venues. Enclosed booths for video calls
• Hybrid spaces
• Healthy and a focus on employee wellbeing. Light airy spaces. Bringing dogs to work
• Visitor management systems – contactless facial, voice recognition. Thermal body gauge. UV lights to terminate invisible germs.

To understand more about occupier demands, contact Nella Pang nella@omega-re.co.uk

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-you-office-say-your-business-nella-pang-mrics