Back to the Office – Configuring Your Workspace the Right Way

It’s been so long since things have been “normal.” If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that nothing is permanent, and everything can change in an instant.

Take the office workspace, for example. Remember “water cooler chat?” What used to be a harmless method for casual communication with co-workers suddenly seemed off-limits forever. Same goes for birthday parties at the office, team-building exercises, and a thousand other things.

How can your office workspace return to normal after a global pandemic? Social distancing in the office will no doubt be encouraged by authorities like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), not to mention state and local agencies.

Remote ways of working aren’t going away, but the farther we get from the worst ravages of COVID-19, the more likely open space office best practices are ready to go. Some sort of hybrid (remote / office based) working patters will likely become the norm, which means office managers and office workspace planners need to start thinking about social distancing in the office, effective office workspace layout, and more.

No matter what type of work schedule you’re looking at, TeleDirect’s business process outsourcing (BPO) platform assists your business or non-profit with everything from inbound & outbound services to lead response management and much more.

We’ve already offered tips & tricks for improving your call center and increasing customer lifetime value. Now, let’s look at actually improving your employees’ lives, period, as they return to the office!

 

Planning Your Office Workspace – Social Distancing in the Office, Open Space Strategies & More

Just because everyone is returning to the office, that doesn’t mean everything will return to pre-pandemic measures ASAP. Here a few things to consider as you plan and configure your office workspace layout:

• Hello cubicle, my old friend. While it seems like open space office best practices are all everyone is talking about, COVID-19 showed why private, personal spaces are still valid. So consider going back to a cubicle configuration for your post-COVID office workspace. And let’s be honest – not everyone loves the idea of working shoulder-to-shoulder in community office spaces.
• Make good use of conference rooms. Smart office workspace layout includes making the most of larger spaces. Take your conference rooms, for example. With Zoom, Teams and other remote applications, including TeleDirect’s cloud-based call center platform, the days of packed conference rooms might be nearing the end. So, make the space count by turning them into less densely crowded “officles,” with room for a handful of people. You could even add desktop panels to divide the space as your employees see fit.
• Windows > forced air. If you’re fortunate enough to work somewhere with temperate year-round climate, open the windows more. A constant supply of fresh air not only makes sense from a viral load perspective, but it’s a great way to keep your workers invigorated and feeling fresh. Sure, not everyone works in San Diego, but open your office windows whenever possible – it’s great for physical and mental health!
• Move outside. To expand on the point above, some companies have already established outdoor workspaces for workers. Weather permitting, this is an ideal way to simultaneously improve mental health and discourage viruses and diseases at the office!
• Deploy hand sanitizer stations. Look for hand sanitizing stations to become part of the post-COVID office workspace. Put dispensers in larger conference rooms, hallways, lunch rooms and more.

For more recommendations, please visit the CDC’s guidelines for office workspaces.

 

Need Assistance with Call Center, Client Communication & More? Call TeleDirect Today!

We hope these suggestions make your transition back to the office workspace worthwhile. Here’s another worthwhile recommendation: TeleDirect for your call center tasks, client communication requirements and more. We deliver value & results for all of our clients, thanks to next-level services like appointment setting, customer retention, after hours support and much more.

Whatever type of office workspace you plan on working in, TeleDirect will enhance and refine your current business model, regardless of your particular industry. Give us a call at (800) 776-1081 or complete TeleDirect’s customer contact form and we’ll get back to you!