Whilst a move might be the best step forward for a business, it can often be a step in the wrong direction for employees. An office relocation can be an upheaval from comfortable surroundings for employees, and a personal expense as they have to change their commute. Therefore employers need to make the move as simple as possible, and make it easy for employees to settle in to their new surroundings. There are a number of ways to help your employees deal with the change and settle into their new office before and after the move.
1. Be Honest
When deciding to relocate, be honest with your employees. Let them know details about the move well in advance. This gives them choice. Choice to decide whether they will benefit from the move, or whether they wish to start looking for new employment because of it. Whilst this may sound negative to you, letting employees know of plans early on actually makes staff feel more included with the decision (and therefore less likely to leave) and means that any that do hand in their notices leave on much more amicable grounds.
2. Let them Choose
Although the overall design and layout of your office space needs to fit with your company’s requirements and budgets, there are some areas that you can allow your employees to make decisions in. For example, you can easily allow individuals to pick their own office chair from a selection that fits in with your budget. If going for a more uniform office space, then create a team task, or hold a vote, to help with furniture decisions.
3. Promote Team Morale
Any office move, whether to a different city, or to a building down the road, can lower morale. So make sure that you pay special attention to keeping yours raised. Great ways to keep morale high include offering relocation compensation (for moves that a substantial change to the commute) or simply taking the team out for a meal.
4. Give them Extra Holiday
Giving employees an extra day’s annual leave during the move will really help boost morale and can help with organisation. Whilst your employees may be required during parts of the office move, it is unlikely that they will be need for transporting the business’s belongings, making the actual removal day the ideal time for a day off.
5. Little Perks
Introducing some small perks to the new office will help employees settle into their new surroundings. A coffee machine, like the ones supplied by this Bristol based company, or comfortable break area, can really cheer up your team on a daily basis, and doesn’t cost that much. These can ‘win over’ those who aren’t pleased with the move.
6. Make it Homely
If your employees are going to be spending a lot of time at work, then try to make it a comfortable and homely environment. Making your office into a jungle will make work hard, but a couple of potted plants will help keep productivity and oxygen levels high, and provide a comfortable working environment for individuals to settle into.
7. Organise Car Shares
If moving a considerable distance, why not try to organise car shares for your employees. Not only is this good for the environment, but it also cuts down on your employee’s travelling costs and time. If a very large organisation, you could even consider contracting your own bus service to transport people to work.
8. Survey your Surroundings
Prior to your move, it is a good idea to take a look at the neighbourhood surrounding your new office space. Are there local amenities such as shops, post offices, and banks that will allow you and your employees to carry out daily tasks, or is it sparse? An office surrounded by coffee shops, bus stops, along with other useful things will help your employees settle and enjoy working in their new office.
If you’re organising an office move and need help from a professional removal company, then why not get in touch? We are a removal company operating in Bath, Chippenham, Melksham, and other locations in the south west, so give us a call on 01225 759220.
