Make your office recreational area a success by considering these three things.
An office recreational area, otherwise known as a breakout area, is a key part of the modern workplace that can significantly enhance employee wellbeing and productivity.
Investing in an office recreational area, whilst worthwhile, can be costly, so to give yourself the best chance of success you need to consider these three things prior to build.
1) Space.
Every workplace is different and so the amount of space you have available for your office recreational area will depend on your own circumstances.
Naturally, your plans need to align with this space. Take a look at some of the extravagant breakout areas in companies all over the world and you’ll realise that your opportunities are endless, but there’s no point adding facilities like a pool table if there’s no room for anything else thereafter!
Of course, you could look to overhaul an existing office or space if you want your office recreational area to stand out. For most companies however, you may prefer to utilise empty space to make the process easier.
It’s important to talk to your team about what would enhance there working day, then see what you can implement. For example, an office coffee machine surrounded by a few tables and chairs could represent an excellent employee perk for those short on space.
Meanwhile, consider a Micro Market as your refreshment solution if you have more room to play with, meticulously placed around comfy booth seating.
After all, tea, coffee, and snacks have always been a key part of relaxing and winding down.
2) Practicality.
As an effort to reduce costs if nothing else, lots of business combine their office recreational area with opportunities for team collaboration.
It makes sense, really. The modern employee requires greater flexibility, which extends to more than just home and hybrid working. In addition, they crave opportunities to work elsewhere in the office, away from their desks. Your office recreational area can provide a great solution if designed the right way.
Having touched on booth seating above, it’s important to remember that this kind of furniture provides more than just a chance to wind down. Booth seating can also bring employees together for meetings and collaboration, particularly if you utilise designs that encourage your team to face one another.
Likewise, you could also explore individual pods if your budget and available space allows. This makes it easy for your team to get away from a potentially noisy office environment and find the focus they need to work to best of their abilities.
Consider smaller aspects that will enhance these kind of solutions further, such as charging stations for laptops and smartphones.
3) Design.
First impressions are everything. The design of your office recreational area will undoubtedly impact whether your team want to regularly use this space.
Don’t lose sight of the purpose of an office recreational area. Whilst you can have this environment double up as an opportunity for work, your main goal should be to help your team wind down and relax throughout their day. Regular breaks can improve productivity when they head back to work.
Make sure your office recreational area stands apart from the rest of the building. Whereas you may have adopted a formal, professional design for your offices, why not consider brighter colours for your breakout area that promote happiness?
Consider your seating areas and tables, too. Fabrics can play a big role in any given vibe. For example, tactile fabrics convey a sense of warmth, whilst adding plush cushions welcome a sense of comfort and homeliness. These are all things that a good office recreational area needs to offer.
Meanwhile, with tea and coffee synonymous with a good break time either alone or with colleagues, don’t ignore the idea of a premium office coffee machine that can provide fresh bean coffee and fresh leaf tea.
If nothing else, this will promote regular usage of your office recreational area instead of staff heading off site to the coffee shop during break times.
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