4 Signs You've Outgrown Your Headquarters

Most headquarters require updates every 15 to 20 years, but the rapid advancement of technology is shortening the life of a building and making the demand for modernization even greater.

For example, in the financial industry, institutions have been so focused on their system of branches for the past 20 years, they now find their headquarters out of date and out of space.

As some financial transactions shift from in-person to online, the support for those transactions is moving from in-branch to the back office. Supporting online banking means handling a constant stream of consumer needs and system updates reliably and efficiently. This means more space is needed for digital experience centers (i.e., call centers), IT staff, and equipment.

A headquarters building must facilitate operational efficiency as well as the acquisition and retention of your employees.

Here are a few common signs that you’ve outgrown your headquarters. 

1. Shared and Overflowing Offices

As you hire staff for digital experience-centers and the IT department, the temptation to overbook office space grows. However, going back to shared office space may not fit the atmosphere of your institution or meet employee expectations.

Cramming into shared desk space is not a long-term solution. Crowded break rooms, not enough chairs, and long lines to a single bathroom disrupt the workday. Achieving your employees’ top performance requires ample and well-designed space.

According to work-space design specialists, each employee requires 300 square feet of space. More than just desk space, this measurement factors in hallways, break areas, and conference -rooms - anything less risks disorganization and discomfort.

2. Conflict for Conference Space

Conference rooms must be readily available and well-equipped. When conference spaces are hard to reserve or nonexistent, we see less collaboration. Unintended meeting spaces - pieced together as an afterthought - are not efficient at producing the same results as cleverly designed conference rooms. Areas designated for collaboration give employees a sense of community where everyone is comfortable collaborating and offering ideas.

Supplying the meeting spaces with technology encourages creative thinking. Providing employees with sufficient meeting space and modern video conferencing technology can improve overall employee communication and effectiveness.  

3. Low Employee Retention

Turnover will always exist, but if you find it difficult to retain a consistent core, consider assessing your work environment. Employees don’t need extravagant work-spaces, but they must have access to flexible spaces where they can perform focused, uninterrupted work or engage with others without fear of disrupting their peers. The work-space should enable, not prohibit their best working style.

The work-space must also provide a sense of self, an ability to move freely and escape noise and disruption. Employees are happiest when working in an environment with ample space to be productive and separate spaces to take breaks and refresh. When your staff is happy, turnover is lower, and productivity is increased.

4. Clutter and Disorganization

When your institution advances in new technology, the staff hired to support will also grow. This addition of equipment and staff can quickly turn the work-space into a cluttered, disorganized space. Boxes stacked along hallways and wires and cords scattered around, create hazardous areas and take over space that was once available for new hires.

Organization is key to making an office run efficiently and avoid costly mistakes. A floor plan should easily incorporate new hires, technology upgrades, and a changing workflow. Organizing adequate space through the latest proven designs help employees separate work-space, from storage space.

Your headquarters should be able to adjust to accommodate your company’s changing needs.

 To see some of the headquarters we have designed  and delivered, click here.