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Every company wants to believe their office is an exciting and fulfilling place for its workers.
After all, it plays a big part in employee recognition. But did you know just 13% of the workforce says they’re highly committed and delighted with their workplace?
Before you start spending your budget on all-day happy hours and Puppy Tuesdays, think practical. There are lots of ways your office design can make your representatives more relaxed and more fruitful.
Office Design Tips for Employee Engagement
When your employees are involved in their environment, they’re more satisfied and more productive at the same time. It’s a win-win situation, and it’s easier to accomplish than you think. Start with these top tips.
Brand Your Space
Your brand is more than a custom colour scheme and a logo. It’s the embodiment of your company’s personality. You already know the significance of branding in marketing and publicity. In an ideal world, each step your employees take will align with that brand too.
To make that a reality, you have to invest in branding for your workplace. Decorate the walls with the colours of your company. Incorporate wall art that matches your brand. It all works together to get your employees into the best mindset.
Think About Your Team Configuration
Let’s start with the big picture: your workplace layout. Think about how your employees kill most of their working time.
Do most people work on separate assignments? Do they cooperate in teams? Maybe instead, they need to work in pairs.
This should be a significant part of the planning and designing of your new workplace layout. It will show you whether you should focus on individual desks or a more open plan like large tables.
Do not hesitate to ask your employees for their input. They might be using more teamwork than you realize, and you don’t want to choke it with cubicles.
Keep It Natural
We have all had at least a few difficulties with fluorescent lights. They are harsh, and many people associate them with an intimidating or unwelcoming environment. That’s the last type of atmosphere you want.
In your workplace, you have to invite as much natural light as you can. That natural light helps employees perceive a sense of fresh air rather than feeling closed and restricted.
If you need to supplement with artificial light, steer clear of fluorescents. Fancy lighting options that are mimic the tone of natural light. You want your lighting to spark energy and thoughtfulness.
Prioritize Closed Storage
Every company requires space to store items in their office, from files to office supplies. The way you keep those items has an impact on your workers’ productivity.
You ever heard the saying, “A cluttered room equals a cluttered mind?” It is very precise, and it is quite challenging for your workers to focus if they are surrounded by other stuff. No one wants to struggle to keep their attention on work all day.
Instead, store your items in enclosed spaces. Use your closet space. Install sliding doors in front of built-in shelves. The more clutter you can hide, the less chaos will be in your employees’ minds.
Evaluate Office Furniture as an Asset Purchase
Following the weighty lifting of renting office space and preparing for a move, workplace furniture seems like tiny peaches.
Frankly, though, you might want to give it serious attention. You wouldn’t buy a business vehicle on a whim, so at the same time, you should not do that with your furniture either.
There are quite a lot of office furniture tips for you to keep in mind. Use the time to weigh all your choices. It would help if you got your employees’ input too because they are the ones who will use the furniture.
Overall, find flexible pieces. A comfortable chair for someone who’s five feet tall won’t be comfortable for their co-worker who’s six feet tall. Be assured your employees can make their chairs and other furniture fit their needs.
Design for Breaks
Let’s be frank: no one can work at their highest productivity for eight hours straight. You do not want your employees to push for that either.
It is s a reliable recipe for burnout.
Support your employees and encourage them to take breaks and design your office space to reflect this. Set up a rest/break area with comfy seats and possibly a game or two. To make it even more refreshing, designate it as a screen-free zone so employees can give their eyes a pause.
Of course, there are limits to this. You don’t want employees to spend five hours every day playing ping-pong. Set obvious expectations for how much break time is suitable.
Establish a Quiet Corner
As great as collaborative work and workspace can be, at times, you need to put your head down and get focused on a solitary task. That can be quite hard when everyone else is chatting and brainstorming.
You might need closed-off areas with unique individual desks. This also produces an ideal space for customer phone calls away from the office chatter.
Go Green
While there are plenty of reasons an eco-friendly office benefits your business, that isn’t what we’re talking about.
Supplement some green into your workplace by bringing in a variety of potted plants. Please make sure they’re live plants rather than fake ones.
This serves a few purposes. First, it improves air quality. Next, just like natural light, it also helps employees appear and feel less isolated and caged. Allowing them to feel connected to the world outside the office can keep their brains more active and engaged.
There is one caveat: research a plant’s maintenance needs before you buy it. The extra productivity won’t help if your employees have to spend hours each week caring for the plant.
Designing Your Office Around Your Employees
As a business owner, you want to get as much value as you can from your employees. Some employers mistakenly think that will happen if they stifle employee chatter and break time.
In reality, your employees need a balance to be productive and fulfilled. With the office design tips above, you can get higher-quality work as well as longer-lasting employees. It’s a win for your wallet, your company’s reputation, and your employees too.
