At the office we need all the inspiration we can get.
Working out of an uninspiring grey bull pen will simply not help generate that
award winning idea; landing that deal to pave way for your boss to give you
that promotion. So, what can you do to help boost personal productivity in the
work space? Well, quite a lot really. So, let’s remodel your
forty-five-shades-of-grey-of-an-office and start getting your employee’s
creative juices flowing! Here are some top tips on how to create a productive
office environment.
What motivates an employee?
When a company tries to recruit employees, it pulls out
all the stops to make them feel welcome. A recent study by the American Society of Interior design investigated how employees felt within a workplace. The
study revealed:
- 31%
of employees felt that the positive physical aspects of their workspace
impacted their job satisfaction.
- 41%
of potential employees felt that the workspace influenced their decision
to accept a job.
- 51%
of workers felt that the workspace plays a part in their decision to leave
the company.
- When
it came to benefits of the job, comfort and aesthetic of the workplace
came in at second after compensation.
This study just goes to show that an office which is
warm, comfortable and welcoming will give employees a sense of satisfaction
with their jobs. If this is ignored, an office can be full of resentful people
who are always on the cusp of leaving. So, what steps can be taken to inspire
greatness within the office?
Comfort
An employee spends as much time at work as he does
sleeping; so coming into the office should be a pleasurable experience. The
more comfortable an office is, the more the employee will enjoy the tasks at
hand. Design your office space with plenty of natural light, ventilation and
purposely picked colours to suitably enrich the working experience. In doing
this, absenteeism levels will drop among workers, whilst willingness to work
and self-value will increase.
Aesthetics
As much as each worker wants a big window by their desk
to let plenty of light in and gaze out of; it is not always possible. So, take
a look at your office aesthetics. This may be changing the lighting fixtures,
bringing some new plants in or even finding ways to incorporate some art into
the office. Conduct small surveys and ask your team how to improve on the space
around them. The inclusion of your employees in this will not only help create
a better workspace, but will help to build rapport between boss and
employee.
Furniture
The average employee spends many hours sitting down
either on the phone or tapping away at a keyboard. Find chairs which are not
only modern, but provide adjustable back & neck support. Furniture which
can be moved around easily is also ideal, for it symbolizes a changeable
working environment. Temperature Workers that are too hot or too cold will
spend a lot of time saying how hot or cold they are, preventing them from
working. You are never going to please the whole office with one temperature,
so if possible create localized temperature settings so that you can please
more workers.
In doing all this you will have constructed a workplace
which not only provides comfort but inspires greatness. Remember to regularly
check in with your employees to see what is working and what is not to get the
best results.
Happy working, the Hi Team! x
