Preparing for a big office move?

Hoping to have a stress-free transition?

A big office move can be hard on employees and there can be a lot of frustration that is created during the process. Because of this, it's important that you do everything you can to ease the burden and make it the change as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.

If you keep your employee's thoughts and feelings in mind, you'll have the best chance of having an easy and calm transition in which everyone is happily onboard with the move.

Below we'll look at a few tips you'll want to keep in mind to keep employees happy during an office relocation.

1. Keep Your Employees in the Loop

Communication is key when it comes to an office move. You need to keep your employees in the loop at all times and make sure to give them all of the information that you can about the move beforehand. This way, you'll make sure they're well-prepared and not anxious about what to expect.

You may want to send your employees information about the building's floor plan ahead of time, for example. Information about parking, commuting details, or anything else they can expect from the new building can also be a great help.

Consider creating a special calendar for the move where you'll post announcements about the move, give a timeline, and other tips for the change. Extra email communication during the move can also help.

Open communication is one of the best ways you can help employees feel more valued at work, and this is especially true during a big move or change.

While there are many more things you can do to improve the ease of a move, looking at things from your employee's point of view and fostering strong communication will go a long way.

2. Send a Checklist to Your Team

Creating a checklist for the business and for employee tasks during a relocation can also be a huge help. A checklist can help employees better manage the tasks they need to get done for the change.

Make sure to send them a checklist to help them know what to expect and what their exact responsibilities will be for the transition. By laying it all out clearly and not leaving anything to the imagination you'll take a weight off of their shoulders.

Include information about any packing they'll need to do versus what, if anything, will be done, by professional movers. Make sure they know what items in their desk or office they'll be responsible for bringing during the move.

It's a good idea to create a clear timeline and split a checklist up on a week-by-week basis. It's also important to give them plenty of notice for each task during the move so that their work isn't being interfered with and they're not overwhelmed.

3. Create Excitement For the Move

An office move doesn't have to be a scary thing. In fact, if you frame it in the right way, you can create a lot of excitement and positive anticipation for it. Consider branding the change to build excitement and make the move seem like an exciting event, rather than a hassle.

Give the branding a cool name that excites employees. Refer to it when discussing the move with employees. Sometimes what you also need to do to create excitement for the move is to simply communicate with them more, as mentioned above.

This communication should not only include keeping them in the loop but also explaining to them why the move is taking place. Explain to them how the new office space will benefit the business and will make it easier for them to get work done. If the office space or building has a particularly interesting history, a great design, or an amazing location, make sure that employees know about it.

Scheduling tours of the new office space with your staff can be a great way to build some excitement and show off the benefits of the new office.

Final Thoughts

An office move doesn't have to be as difficult as you may believe and with a little bit of effort on your side, it can be easy enough to keep your employees happy. Any type of change can be scary for employees but by staying communicative and taking the steps mentioned above you'll minimize employee headaches and reduce any anxiety they may be experiencing in anticipation of the change.