Everyone dreads an office removal because it upsets absolutely everything in the workplace. Some office moves are better than others, but they are all inconvenient on some level. The challenge with an office removal is that the work needs to continue uninterrupted, no matter what is going on. This can be frustrating for both the employees and customers and clients as well. However, there are ways to keep your staff motivated during an office removal.
1. Have some dress down days. If your staff has to wear suits and ties, let them dress casually during the move. They will have a much more relaxed attitude if they don’t have to be all dressed up during the move, even if they aren’t doing the moving themselves.
2. Notify all of your clients in advance. If everyone expects the move, clients will not be so upset when they can’t get what they want in the time that it was promised. Send out several emails before the move, letting customers know that they may have to wait while the office removal is in progress.
3. Hire a few temps to help organize the office or answer the phones. You may have professional removalists for the office furniture, but the files still have to be organized as well as all the office equipment and the wires and adapters that go with them. A few temps will take the pressure off of employees that have to move their files and still do their work at the same time.
4. Schedule the Removal During a Weekday. Don’t expect staff to give up their weekend to help with your office removal, even if you pay them. This can build up resentment from employees who have to give up their weekend to help with a move that they didn’t ask for.
5. Keep pictures of the new office posted around the workplace. If your new offices are a vast improvement, pictures of it will remind people of how much better the future will be and keep them motivated.
6. Don’t take on extra or new projects during the move. It may be tempting, but wait to take on new business until after the office removal. If you don’t, you may lose the new business along with some of your staff.
7. Have an office party in the new place. You don’t have to get carried away, just have some refreshments brought in to thank everyone for the hard work they put in. Advertise it beforehand to keep people going during the office removal process.
