Company Structure

Consider opening partner/principal “offices” to the rest of the team when these folks are on vacation or working from home. If senior management would like, they also have the option to slide into the bullpen and work alongside junior staff, breaking down perceived hierarchical boundaries. For more hierarchical workplaces, assign time-slots for reserving a desk based on seniority. Senior staff can guarantee they have the resources they/their team members need at their disposal, and junior staff will most likely select a space based on their manager’s location.

Social Capital

One of the biggest people-focused draws to free-address is the goal that people from other departments, teams, and backgrounds start collaborating more: resulting in fresh ideas. This is especially important for creative workforces.

If grouping project teams is a part of company culture, teams can sit together as needed for the project’s life cycle, while easily dipping into and out of the seating pod if project staffing flexes. There is no need for a company-wide seating chart shake-up to accommodate for staffing shifts. For spread-out project teams seeking to stay connected, try starting each day with a project team huddle. In either case, use software, like a Slack channel, to help employees locate their coworkers from day to day.

To develop camaraderie and address the loss of personalized desks, provide a shared space for employees to share personal info – like a bulletin board they can post on, or a shared staff lounge employees may bring books or plants to on a quarterly basis. Companies can allocate time for one on one checkpoints and camaraderie-building meetings during the week: with a peer, with a senior leader, or with an unfamiliar colleague.

Change Management Strategy

Regarding change management strategies pre-design: perform studies on team fluidity, what type of work/collaboration is done by how many people, and try free-address with one section of the office who is rarely at their desks. Successful design will be dictated by early stakeholder involvement. The more the end-user can inform the design, and feel empowered by doing so, the more free-address workplaces will improve and proliferate.

End-user studies are key to determining how many individual workspaces to provide – a figure that greatly impacts site selection re: sq. footage needed (and rent to pay). Determine how many individual workstations may be in use during peak demand. Provide a generous quantity of seats at the beginning and flex down as employees embrace the agile work lifestyle. Employees are more likely to embrace the change if they feel they came to identify the benefits on their own.

Rules and Regulations

To ensure operational success, many companies employ rules, such as not staying at the same work area for more than 2 consecutive days. Companies should define what constitutes a desk activity (not eating or taking personal calls). However, some case studies have shown senior staff struggle to follow rules put in place in a free-address environment. To “flatten the workplace hierarchy” by promising equitable access to spaces consider using a scheduling app. A company branded check-in app or “virtual concierge” kiosk that allows team members to see available space and reserve an area for a pre-determined amount of time can function as an impartial intermediary for this conflict.

Nevertheless, rather than implement inflexible rules, studies show that maybe the most successful strategy is to use thoughtful design and integration of technology to send messages to move around more into the subconscious. People are much more willing to do something when they aren’t being told to.

What are typical staff movement patterns throughout the day?

How do people meet and congregate, and how many?

Are there some staff groups that are more mobile than others?

What activities take place at desks that could take place elsewhere?

Implement strong “neighborhood” identifiers, whether a simple color or high-concept design theme. Employees often remark that free-address workplaces feel uncomfortably impersonal and sterile – so use this as a fun design opportunity.

Epic Systems’ campus near Madison, WI has an Alice in Wonderland themed building: “Mr. David’s team was able to provide landmarks that give direction and define “neighborhoods” amongst what used to be indiscernible hallways.”

Who cleans what, and when?

Occupants should be clearly reminded of high-touch surfaces to clean after each use. More employees using the same spaces means more frequent cleaning is needed. Create a policy of employees cleaning desks before and after each use, and provide cleaning materials at many locations (and include thoughtful storage) to promote the practice.

At a high level, having a free-address policy in place streamlines shifting to WFH as needed.

Who takes ownership for repairs and ongoing maintenance, even turning off/on overhead lights? Develop an EOD cleaning/operations policy that relates to facilities staff as well, defining what may be cleaned, turned off, or thrown out; and what is personal property or collaborative work in progress to be left alone.

Furniture

For new free-address furniture systems, consider the longevity of viruses on certain surfaces. The COVID-19 virus can survive on smooth surfaces (such as stainless steel) for up to three days. A work surface that has been treated with an antimicrobial finish can reduce the viral survival rate to as little a few hours. Manufacturers may offer an antimicrobial finish that can be added to hard and soft surfaces without compromising the design. One post-pandemic consideration is to specify privacy booths that have air filtration built into the unit, which keeps air circulating to reduce the buildup of potential airborne illness.