Create the Perfect Office to Get More Productive Employees
Running a successful business means managing many different aspects, but the most vital part of any company are employees whose skills and efforts make a business thrive. The key to success is workers’ motivation and devotion to the company’s goals as well as doing all you can to maintain your employee’s efficiency. There are plenty of ways to stimulate your staff to perform better, starting with suitable financial incentives, along with improving your social and coaching skills to create a friendly atmosphere with good communication flow and strong relationships.
Still, many business owners tend to oversee one of the most important aspects when it comes to boosting their employee’s productivity – their workspace. Our environment heavily affects our ability to focus and perform, so consequently, a positive and comfortable work environment will have a beneficial effect on employees productivity. Read on to find out how to transform workspace into a perfect office.
Table of Contents
Provide space for work and socializing
Regardless of the general design, whether it is an open plan, private offices or cubicles, allow your workers to have an extra room where they can have a break and socialize during working hours. Socializing in a workplace makes people feel more connected and satisfied. Strong relationships and bonds within a team can only improve the overall atmosphere, while members of such teams tend to be loyal, happier and yes – more productive. Social space area should be slightly less formal than the rest of the workplace, so include some brighter colors and comfortable furniture. Also, ensure that socializing goes without disturbing those who work.
Choose the right colors
It is a known fact that the right color palette can make or break any design, but if you plan to create a perfect office, then you’ll have to think beyond aesthetic principles. Countless studies have shown that colors have a tremendous effect on our brain functions and overall mood. We respond to certain colors both physically and emotionally, and they play a significant role in almost every aspect of our lives, starting with how we feel to how we perceive our environment. Clever choice of colors can set the tone and mood in any interior, so choose your colors wisely. For instance, yellow and orange are warm and optimistic colors that can improve creativity. Blue and green are more of calming tones, ideal for projects that require concentration.
Proper lighting
For some reason, in many offices lighting is often overlooked. Although the benefits of good lighting are numerous as they directly impact workers health, mood, and productivity, some business owners still refuse to invest in such an important feature. Ideal working conditions involve big amounts of natural light, but some workplaces have no sunlight at all, while they do have bad general lighting. Poor lighting can cause a headache, eyestrain, fatigue, and even anxiety and depression. Make sure that your staff works under proper lighting, so invest in natural light bulbs or another type of quality artificial light. It will help your staff to feel better and to stay productive.
Control noise level
We live in a noisy world, and most of the time we are involuntarily exposed to different soundscapes that affect us on many levels. Noise is a kind of pollution that interferes with our cognitive process, while it affects how we feel as well. Offices, especially open plan, can be quite noisy places where employees can have a real struggle in staying focused and productive. There are many ways you can control and reduce noise in the office, although some may sound counterintuitive at first. For instance, having music in the office or fighting noise with ambient noise that will mask unwanted sounds. Other options involve noise friendly floors, sound friendly furniture and lots of plants. Also, you can make use of acoustic wall panels that will absorb sound.
Ensure comfort
Since your employees spend most of the day in the office, it is of great importance to make them feel comfortable. Invest in quality furniture, desk, and chairs with proper support for the back. Constant moving and stretching due to the uncomfortable chair can hardly keep anyone focused or productive, so make sure to meet your employee’s basic needs to make sure that they have no distractions. Also, a few useful additions like an ergonomic keyboard, footrest or closed cell foam anti-fatigue mats for employees who spend most of their working hours standing behind a counter can make a big change. Making the workplace more comfortable will result in a relaxed and productive atmosphere.
De-clutter
Although some people can work quite well and stay creative in a messy environment, most people have difficulties staying productive in cluttered spaces. Clutter can be a huge distraction, especially for administrative workers who deal with numerous files during their working hours. Visual clutter interferes with our ability to focus, while physical clutter is the number one reason why our work is so stressful. In messy offices, workers spend one to four hours weekly just looking for mishandled and lost papers, which seriously affect their efficiency. To prevent this stress-inducing and time-consuming distraction, make sure to include minimalist design in your office, come up with with a good filing system and provide some neat storage. Encourage your workers to be organized and lead by example.
Bring nature in
Whether being aware of it or not, our mind and body craves nature and outdoors. Since these modern times keep us chained to our laptops and desks, the only way we can connect with nature is by bringing it inside. Plants are a great way to make office welcoming and pleasant as they reduce stress, improve air quality and boost productivity. Also, various plants are a lovely sight for sore eyes, and they absorb a certain amount of noise. Include more greenery and pictures of beautiful landscapes and let your workers enjoy the benefits of small pockets of nature in the office.
Conclusion
Creating better working conditions for your staff is a sure investment since only a happy employee can be loyal and productive.
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