Research has shown that work environments affect the productivity of employees. For employees to be productive, they need to be comfortable. Comfort in the workplace is not focused only on the paycheck. And regardless of how much you pay your employees, if the workspace is not suitable, it would have implications on performance. That is why it is essential to have the perfect setup for your office, so your employees feel motivated to take on work.
The design of an office impacts the psychology of employees. It also influences interaction, collaboration, exchange of ideas, emotions of employees, and attitude towards work.
The goal is to inspire maximum productivity from employees, and one way to do this is by creating an office with the perfect design. Here are some tips to get you started.
Examine your Office Space.
It is pretty expensive to buy a building, so many organizations rent office spaces. It is essential to make the most of the space, so you remodel to suit the purpose of the business. The business you run determines the setup of the office.
Do you want a more focused environment?
Do employees need to have access to each other?
Do you need supervisors and managers in the same space as employees?
Remodeling is expensive, and depending on how often you intend to remodel, it is necessary to cut costs. The process involves creating walls and partitions. It also involves creating and restricting access around the workplace. As growth occurs, changes in structure would be necessary. Having to tear down and rebuild walls can incur too much cost for your organization, so the best option is operable walls. These allow you to make the needed adjustments to your office anytime.
Don’t squeeze your employees into a space leaving little or no room to move around. Most people like to interact but still enjoy a bit of privacy. Thus, you can make the partitions not too low, so when staff sits to work, they can’t be seen.
Use Ergonomic furniture
Some employers go for the cheaper version of furniture because they believe ergonomic chairs are a luxury. Employees spend half of their entire day on a chair, and if those chairs are not comfortable, your work suffers. Ergonomic furniture is your way of showing your employees that you care about their health and wellbeing. They keep the back straight and reduce the occurrences of back and waist pains. Comfortable allows employees to work long hours without getting fatigued, and this is good for business.
Make sure the table has enough compartments, so employees don’t have files lying on the table. It can be overwhelming when the table is covered with things that could easily fit into shelves.
Use Smart Technology and Solutions
To enhance work productivity, get updated equipment that speeds up the rate at which work is done. Having a printer that keeps jamming, outdated software that keeps crashing, scanners that blur images can discourage employees from doing their jobs. Install working systems to help employees achieve goals and meet up deadlines faster. Work becomes fun when you have the right tools. Employ updated solutions and watch the moods of your employees light up. They also get to learn new applications that improve their employability status.
Illuminate the Workspace
Too much light or too little light affects the eyes. Employees need to be able to see clearly and around the office. When an environment is dark, the pineal glands get activated, and their job is to help the eyes go to sleep. You don’t want your employees sleeping on the job. So get an expert to give an accurate measure of the luminous intensity required for each space. A lighted environment unconsciously keeps employees active for longer than they imagined. So, if you want to see employees at their best, light up the place.
Office Colors
Did you ever know that colors have an impact on our psychology? Colors affect and influence moods. When you make your choice of colors, make sure they are bright and not excessively dominant. Colors like red, dark blue, and black require more lighting because they make strong imprints on the pupil and inspire imagination. Imagination can be a bit distracting when it isn’t work-focused.
Office Temperature and Scents
The temperature of an office environment should be regulated. It shouldn’t be too cold or hot. Sweating or freezing on the job is not healthy for employee productivity. Have the air conditioning running at all times. Make sure it is serviced regularly, so it produces fresh and clean air. Also, don’t use air fragrances with strong scents. Most people are allergic to scents. Use mild flavors enough to keep the environment scenting nice. Good scents include lavender, pine, citrus, and peppermint.
Relaxation Spot
All work and no play is unhealthy for employees. When they go on breaks, they would need a place to let off steam and refresh. Some need a quiet space, while some need to interact; try setting up something that helps them relax. Do well to make beverages available during work hours like coffee and tea.