How to Prepare Your Team for an Office Move

October 26, 2023

An office relocation is daunting, and your team will doubtlessly be anxious about the move. You can relieve team members’ anxiety and gain support by taking a few simple steps.

Communicate Early and Often

You don’t want employees to learn about the move through the grapevine. Tell them as soon as you know you’ll be moving. Be straightforward about the relocation and stress its benefits for the company and them. Communicating with them early in the process helps them come to terms with the decision to move.

Also, continue to communicate with your team throughout the process. You want team members to commit to your move fully. Provide any information that will help them, such as information on nearby daycare centers, gyms, restaurants, and banks. If they are likely to incur additional expenses at the new location, such as parking, consider providing them with bonuses to cover these expenses. Also, consider partnering with local businesses to offer discounts to your team.

Prepare Relocation Packages

Employees will need to relocate if the move is a great distance. Develop a relocation package early and communicate it to your team. Allow them plenty of time to discuss the relocation with family and friends and decide whether to move with the company.

Be Enthusiastic

Employees will watch management closely to see how they talk about and react to the move. Always be enthusiastic and optimistic about the move. Your excitement could be contagious.

On the other hand, if you seem anxious or unhappy about the move, employees may pick up on that as well.

Involve Them

Ensure that employees have some input into issues that concern them, especially the design of their workspace. Ask them or hire a designer to ask how they do their work and what they believe would help them do their jobs better. Team members’ anxiety will decrease once they realize they have at least some control over their workspace.

Also, allocate tasks to employees. Delegating will keep employees engaged and also ensure tasks are completed more quickly. For example, some employees might be in charge of decluttering while others are in charge of finding packing materials.

Design the Space With Them in Mind

The best-designed workspaces are comfortable for employees as well as functional. They promote employee health by using natural light and soothing and grounding colors. They incorporate other aspects of nature into the design. And they have spaces for working alone and for collaborating.

As the design progresses, management should keep team members informed. Knowing what their new space will look like will keep anxiety levels down. Employees will be excited about the move if the area is exceptionally well-designed.

Hire A Professional Mover

Hiring a professional office mover can keep the stress level down throughout the move by handling many tasks and ensuring the relocation goes smoothly. The mover can help you develop an efficient plan that will reduce downtime. Employees will be better satisfied knowing they won’t be down for long.

A professional commercial mover also can provide tips on involving employees throughout the process. Many commercial movers also can provide help in developing relocation packages.