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By Lisa Smalls | Freelance Writer
Running a successful business is a complicated endeavour. The importance of worker productivity and satisfaction is an often-underestimated factor that has a big impact on a company’s bottom line. If your employees are disengaged from their work or have to overcome obstacles to focus on their tasks, your overall productivity might be taking a big hit. It’s never too late to make changes to help your workforce produce higher-quality work more quickly, however, and some of the changes are pretty easy to implement. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how to increase productivity in the workplace.
Design Matters
This isn’t typically a factor that people give much thought to when designing their offices, however the truth is that your employees’ surroundings can significantly impact their productivity. Instead of opting for a bare, minimalist environment, consider adding some plants around your workplace. One study conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that some greenery around work areas improved worker productivity by as much as 15%. Creating a well-lit space is equally important. Sunshine affects our circadian rhythms and let our bodies know that it’s time to get up and go about our day. Workplaces that have plenty of natural light or lighting designed to simulate sunlight have been shown to improve worker mood and alertness.
Invest in Healthy Snacks
One way to help improve the morale – and, thus, the productivity – of the workplace is by offering employees healthy snacks. This can be done in a few different ways. Vending machines that provide workers with healthy snack and meal options, for example, can help keep them energised throughout the day. Companies that provide their workers with free snacks stand to boost worker happiness even more. Make sure that the food and beverages you supply are healthy, however, and avoid overly fatty or sugary options. Unhealthy food has a negative impact on people in general, and that won’t change just because the individuals in question are at work.
Privacy Boosts Productivity
Open office environments have become increasingly popular over the past several years, but they might not be the best options if you’re looking for productivity. If your business is one that thrives on creativity and brainstorming, then an open layout might be great for your employees as they tend to enhance both characteristics. For everyone else, however, they can be a bit distracting and actually lead to lower productivity in general. In traditional office spaces where employees must focus on their own tasks and don’t have the need to collaborate spontaneously on projects, open office design just creates a disruptive environment. Opt for privacy over open space if you’re hoping to boost productivity.
Encourage Employees to Rest
While you can do a lot to help provide a work environment that promotes productivity and engagement, employees must also take individual action to remain healthy and alert. This includes taking time off and getting plenty of sleep. One study found 72% of managers believe encouraging staff to take time off makes them more willing to put in long hours. Additionally, 84% of the same managers agreed employees are more focuses when they return from vacation. But you don’t have to tell your staff to take two weeks just to reap the benefits of a well-rested employee. You should also encourage them to get their sleep. The average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep a night to wake up fully rested and ready to begin their day. Encourage your workers to maintain a healthy work/life balance and sleep consistently every night. There are lots of factors that impact sleep—caffeine, sleep environment, sleep structure, exposure to blue light, stress from the day, etc. to name a few. Do what you can at work to help improve their resting hours at home.
Let Workers Set Beneficial Schedules
Another way to help create a happier and more productive workforce is to allow employees to schedule their days around their most productive hours. Some people are at their best in the morning and should aim to get the bulk of their intensive work completed during those hours. Other individuals will find the first few hours at work to be a bit hazy and might benefit from scheduling energising or engaging activities during that time and saving the bulk of their effort-intensive work for later in the day. Doing this allows employees to play to their strengths and improve their productivity with very little effort expended on the part of the company.
Boosting productivity in the workplace is absolutely vital to the long-term success of your business and bottom line. The information above should help give you a starting point of things to keep in mind about your office layout and how its impacting office morale.
