Moving to new office space? Whether you are purchasing a modern space or renting a space for a bigger team, one thing that can be challenging is getting through the move. Generally, changes can be triggering, and office moves are no exception.
From hiring the best commercial movers Maryland to packing all fragile items like smart technology, there’s a lot to consider. Moreover, you would also have to deal with new office cleaning and ensure a move that does not affect the team’s productivity.
No matter how stressful a move can get, it always comes with opportunities for building better employee connections and skyrocketing your productivity by providing a better working environment. Keeping this in mind, here are the top five strategies you must consider for a smooth office move:
Informing Employees
Lack of communication and information thrives uncertainties. And, because your business growth is usually accountable to the employees, you must start by informing them. So, once you have signed the lease and finalized the moving date, tell your staff about it.
If you are shifting to a space with better amenities like a gym, daycare or cafeteria, informing your employees is pretty exciting. Besides helping you foster trust, informing the team as soon as possible helps them figure out their new commuting route. You can hold a meeting and give your team a virtual tour of the new space.
Hold An Event
It’s normal for employees to get stressed about moving to a new place. From finding the right commute route to searching for new restaurants in that area, some employees might not be too excited about the office move. To get employees excited, host a Lunch n Learn. Order some food from a restaurant in the area where your new office is located. This will help employees find their new everyday rituals.
Lastly, if your employees are happy about the move, your move will go smoothly. Therefore, you must make your team feel comfortable about this change.
Plan Attainable Competitions
To make a move swift and smooth, you can host small competitions by dividing your employees into different teams. It could be anything like who packs first, shreds the most, or dispose of trash more sustainably.
What we’re trying to say is to host attainable, small competitions to keep your employees on the hook and help them pack their belongings fast. You can host a pizza party or give free goodies to the winning team.
How About Happy Hours?
Once you have shifted into the new office, how about hosting after-hours happy hours? In addition to helping your team get closer and find common ground, a happy hour will allow them to roam around their new office and get to know their neighbors more personally.
You can also give them a small space tour, allowing your team to feel at home.
Resist The DIY Urge
We get it; DIYing a move can seem exciting and might help your team engage more. But, an office move is a serious undertaking. No matter if you have just 20 employees or 2000, you would have to take care of packing all fragile items, securing all important files, disassembling all cubicles and removing all decorative items.
If you DIY this move, you will keep your team restricted to the move, meaning they won’t be able to focus on actual work, thus affecting your productivity. Instead, hire commercial movers who will keep all health and safety standards in mind and pack all things accordingly. This will keep everything organized and help you unpack smoothly once you enter your new office. Their office moving management is quite impressive in removing obstacles to employee productivity regarding moving.
Wrapping Up
Besides contacting the right mover for the move, you must also ensure employee engagement for a smooth move. You can also provide free giveaways like ordering new office supplies or giving your employees gift cards to get them more excited about the move.