When your company was in its initial phase of a new venture, you probably had the flexibility of working from anywhere or everywhere. However, when your emergent company reached about a dozen staff, you discovered the challenges of working from dispersed spaces. That got you thinking of how to go about from the startup to growth mode and on to a well-established company. This article will provide ideas and help you make your workplace plans right.

During the planning phase, you will do well to consider the following top drivers for workplace success. 

- Enhancing the employee experience

- Creating flexible space for future needs and expansion

- Attracting top talent

- Utilizing space optimally

- Improving productivity

- Promoting health and wellness

- Creating branded experiences

- Fostering creativity and innovation

- Integrating technology

- Aural and Visual privacy

- Addressing evolving demography

- Addressing sustainability

Real Estate Lease or Flexible Space Options?

When you choose to lease a traditional real estate lease, you are committed to a specific term and a location. Although it is difficult to forecast precisely, the trajectory of the growth of the company, there is much to learn from successful companies. The founders of successful companies had clear goals and a vision for the future. You do well to have the same. Most choose to adopt workplace strategies that embrace a variety of flexible space options from coworking space providers, landlords offering shared spaces, and serviced offices.

Scaling Up During the Growth Mode – Workplace as an Enabler of Ideation and Innovation

As your business scales up to over 40 to 60 staff, you will need increased structure. Teams start to be formed, HR policies and workplace guidelines need to be given to keep your organization aligned. At this stage of growth, your space becomes a key asset that creates a team mindset, delivers environments that foster creativity and fast-tracks a culture of innovation. This is the stage, usually, the founders focus on attracting investors and acquisition suitors.

Growing Up Into an Established Organization

During this stage, it is important to align your space strategies with your overarching business strategy. By connecting the workplace into your purpose, brand, and culture, you can strengthen the brand image, attract and retain top employees, express a unified mission and nurture collaboration. This is the stage you will have to think in terms of ‘What if’ workplace settings to be able to quickly adapt to new opportunities and market shifts.

What Kind of Space is Best Suited for your Tech Company?

Deciding on the space solution best suited for your business depends on your company culture, work style, business goals, and mobility profile. Below are some examples of compelling workspaces with definitions of each:

Coworking Space

Whatis.com provides this definition: ‘Coworking is a business services provision model that involves individuals working independently or collaboratively in shared office space.’ This model is suitable for startups with less than 5 employees.

Open Offices

Open-plan offices are offices that have low or no-panel spaces, assigned seating and limited enclosed offices. Open plans are suitable for organizations that have flat structures, staff working individually and have occasional collaboration.

Activity-Based Workplaces (ABW)

The book Corporate Real Estate Asset Management: Strategy and Implementation states ‘Activity-based working allows occupiers to choose the most appropriate environment to undertake a particular activity. Therefore the office occupier has a choice about how they work and where they work in the office building. This approach means office occupiers can effectively design their own work on an hourly, weekly and monthly basis. Giving the office occupiers the choice of the working environment means they do not have a single restrictive type forced on them, but can adapt their physical work environment to suit their specific work-task needs.’

Other Work Environments Recommended By Designers And Workplace Strategists Via Work Design Magazine.Com 

- Neighborhood-based Choice Environments (NCE)

- Maker Environments, Mobile Occupants (MEMO)

- Immersive Environments

Workspace Strategy for Tech Companies

Your physical space can change the fundamental behavior and experiences of people. In turn, it can improve your business performance. That's where Spaceler can help. We have years of combined experience and expertise with workplace strategy development for tech startups and emerging tech companies. Contact us.