When you begin furnishing an office, one of the most important factors to consider is the ergonomics of each piece of furniture. When you take this into consideration and select furniture that works for employees, it helps to reduce the amount of moving around to achieve comfortable positions. It also eases uncomfortable sitting positions and allows employees to rest easy while they work. Remember, we are often at our desks with very few breaks for eight or more hours a day.  Read our related article The Perfect Seating Positions at Work.

Getting the correct furniture for your employee needs is vital when it comes to increasing your chances of preventing certain work-related aches, pains and strains, as well as more serious issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injuries and a range of back problems. This, in turn, means that employees are less likely to miss work due to these issues. Putting money and thought into every piece of furniture and how these pieces work together can improve employee attitude and performance.

Who are you as a company? Whether you are a brand new organisation or you are simply updating your current look and feel, the aesthetics of your office matters. It might seem like a small thing, but your office looking well designed is important for a range of reasons. You will want to consider how the space appears to potential visiting clients or employees when they come to interview. If your office looks like you have taken time to consider the aesthetics of it, then it implies a deeper care for your work – just like wearing smarter clothes to important meetings.

Another important factor when thinking of the design, layout and overall appearance of the office is how this might make your employees feel. An office with mismatched furniture could make employees feel as though they work for a lower calibre organisation. Presenting a modern, clean, and well-designed space gives a better impression to everyone who comes into contact with your office.

Are you always growing your organisation, adding amazing new staff members? Or do you have a core team who have worked with you and thrived in your office over many years? Whatever your situation, employee needs are sure to change. Whether this is because you have new people starting or your existing employees have life and health changes, you need furniture that can adapt to meet altering needs. Therefore, it is important not to choose furniture which only works for a certain type of person – furniture that is adaptable or suitable for a wide range of people and needs is a great investment for any company.

Along similar lines, keep in mind that people come in all shapes and sizes, and your setup cannot be a one size fits all situation. Taking into consideration something as seemingly simple as height and weight is incredibly important in setting up an office space that can hire more diversely. This might impact on the desks you choose and the types of chairs that you want to purchase.

You should also take a moment to think about hiring people of different abilities and having, at the very least, the space available to accommodate desk spaces and meeting room setups that can suit mobility aids. This can really make people feel more welcome, and more eager to be a loyal and dedicated employee.

One of the things you may want to consider when selecting office furniture is the warranty length of each piece of furniture, and what the warranty covers. Some pieces of office furniture naturally encounter more wear and tear than others.

Most furniture comes with a manufacturer’s warranty or guarantee of at least a year, which will cover issues found with the furniture that has been used under reasonable working conditions.

Here at Southern Office Furniture most of our desks have a manufacturers guarantee of 5 years.  Our chairs have at least a 1 year guarantee, with many ranges covered by 3-5 year guarantees.

There are proven links between office furniture and employee wellbeing. Thinking about this ahead of time, before problems occur, can help to reduce absenteeism, low motivation, and even staff turnover. Essentially, by considering employee wellbeing as a priority can have a big impact on the atmosphere and work output of your company, as our survey found.

Wellbeing can include people having the correct tools with which to do their job – while it might not seem like that includes the space around them and is more geared towards technology, furniture is a huge part of it. One of the most important ways that you can show your employees that you care about them is by providing them with high quality, comfortable furniture – this is proven to be especially important when it comes to chairs.  Read our related article Boosting Employee Satisfaction in the Workplace.

In turn, the physical comfort they experience at work, even when putting in long hours, results in less distraction and raises the ability to focus. Thinking about how the furniture works in the space available, and the overall atmosphere and feel, can create a positive attitude vital to wellbeing in the workplace.

We hope that this guide has given you an overview of what to look for when seeking the ideal furniture for your office space. Remember – it’s worth speaking with existing employees to see what their needs are so you can get an overview of what may and may not work in the future. Good luck in furnishing a stylish and functional space that is perfect for you and your employees.