Planning a workplace transformation is an exciting milestone for any organisation. It’s an opportunity to align the physical space with the company’s evolving culture and operational needs. At the same time, it involves a complete overhaul of your working environment and a significant investment – so you want to get it right.

In this article, we’ll take you through three elements that will help you prepare your organisation for a successful office refurbishment. 

1. Define your office refurb vision

Defining your vision and core motivations for change is a crucial first step. It’s about pinpointing the impact you want to have on people, property and the planet. It’s also about ensuring key decision-makers are on the same page about what will make this refurb a success.

Common motivations include:

• Expanding or downsizing
• Attracting new talent pools
• Improving employee retention
• Creating a more productive workspace
• Supporting hybrid working
• Prioritising health and well-being 
• Improving company culture
• Rebranding
• Enhancing sustainability (and minimising carbon footprint)

By defining these goals, you can create a clear vision that guides every decision during your workplace refurb.

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The factors that drive a refurbishment differ for every organisation but can be broadly categorised into these three areas.

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2. Understand how your current workplace is performing

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Employee engagement

Once you’re clear on your aspirations, it’s time to analyse the status quo. 

Engaging employees throughout your office refurb project will highlight potential concerns early on, boost morale, encourage employee buy-in and ease the transition. 

Talking to people across different departments, hosting workshops, and running surveys will also provide valuable insights into their roles, functions, behaviours, and even health and wellbeing in the workplace – leading to better decision-making.

Here are some questions to consider:

• What works well?
• What are their working patterns?
• What tasks feel under supported?
• What matters most to your people?

Workplace data

Collecting and analysing relevant workplace data reveals how people are using their existing space. This includes looking at:

• Occupancy patterns
• Traffic flow
• Activity levels
• Over- or underutilised space

By combining employee feedback with utilisation data, you’ll get a complete picture of how your current workspace is performing and where you can make improvements.

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3. Set your refurb strategy in motion

Gathering sentiment and evidence-based data will clarify what an ‘exceptional workplace experience’ means to your organisation – and guide your design strategy.

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Prioritising sustainability was a key objective for Oliver Wyman and its people, so we had to ensure every design decision aligned with their ESG objectives. 

During the design development phase of Oliver Wyman’s office refurb, we scrutinised each element to make sure it reflected a commitment to lowering their environmental footprint.

For instance, over a third of the furniture was reused, 29% of the removed materials were recovered, and over 70% recycled.

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Planning logistics

While an office refurb might sound like a logistical headache, it can be done with minimal disruption to your day-to-day operations. In fact, the flexibility of an in-situ refurb can often provide many benefits.

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Oliver Wyman

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For Oliver Wyman, a phased floor-by-floor approach to their office refurbishment project meant employees could use the building and pilot the new workspace.

This gave staff the opportunity to test each space, get used to their new environment, and provide evidence-based recommendations for the rest of the refurb.

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Communication, communication, communication

A poorly communicated workplace refurbishment can leave employees feeling excluded and demotivated – and harm your company culture.  

Transparency and communication are key to avoiding resistance to change. Keeping your staff involved in your workplace transformation gives them opportunities to voice concerns, ask questions, and understand the value of the changes ahead.

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Livv Housing

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To prepare Livv Housing employees for their office refurb, we worked closely with a team of Change Champions, who acted as advocates for change. We also created a video that was showcased during the launch event so staff could visualise how the new space would work for them and get excited about their new environment.

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‍Final thoughts...

For your office refurb to be a resounding success, it needs careful preparation, from the initial planning stages through to the delivery. Engaging stakeholders, determining goals, conducting research, and keeping employees informed are vital for a seamless transition and impactful outcomes.

Want to know more about the best way to prepare for an office refurb? Get in touch with our workplace experts.