Is your chair getting too weak for your weight? Does the carpet seem too old or tired? Are the walls stained or seem too dull for an office? Take a break to improve your office design for improved productivity and engagement.
Take an Improve Your Office Day off to tap into your innermost designer to bring about a positive change to your office. A well -designed and welcoming office will not only help attract/retain staff, but also contribute significantly to increased productivity, staff cohesion, and efficiency. Here are a few tips and ideas on how to convert your office design into an engaging one.
1. Add a Few Real Plants
The greenery provided by plants is not only welcoming but also comes with various physical and psychological benefits. For starters, green plants use up carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen to the environment. This means cleaner air in the office hence a better way for employees to combat stress. Green plants are also known to absorb and reduce noise levels by changing the room’s acoustics.
According to research, adding plants to the workplace is beneficial to all through a number of ways. From the study, employees working in workplaces with real plants seem happier and more satisfied than those in other offices. In addition to this, the employees handled stressing moments much better, which also contributed to an up to 15% increase in productivity. Implementing live plants in the workplace should, therefore, boost employee satisfaction, concentration, as well as indoor air quality.
2. Create a Biophilic Office Design
If it seems almost impossible to bring plants in the office setup, why not try a biophilic office design. This design allows one to incorporate nature in the office design to tap into nature’s power and qi. You don’t necessarily have to knock down a few walls to connect with nature. A simple step, such as replacing all bulb lights with full-spectrum lights, would do the trick. These lights are designed to reduce eye strain by producing light similar to natural daylight. These lights come in handy in reducing tiredness and eye strain in the office.
3. Bring In Some Food
Food provides a tasty yet effective way to promote cohesion and communication in the workplace. Installing a cereal or smoothie station in the workplace (with all the ingredients) would, therefore, be a wise idea. The staff will feel free to make a salad, smoothie, or even a quick cereal meal to help rejuvenate and stay energized. It would be best to ensure all the ingredients are restocked just before they run out. Having a chef prepare meals for the staff on specific days (say Monday and Friday) would be a welcome idea too.
In addition to food, everyone loves a hot mug of coffee. Instant coffee is the one thing many workers will appreciate when they come to the office on Mondays. Placing a morbid tin of instant coffee beside the coffee machine will also be a huge motivator for the workers. Some of these gestures go a long way in promoting employee retention and loyalty. It also shows them that they are valued in the company.
4. Replace Regular Desks With Adjustable Standing Desks
Standing desks are slowly becoming a popular option in many office setups today. These desks are designed to help improve the user’s posture as well as burn calories. The user, however, has to adjust the desk to the preferred height to be able to work comfortably while on his/her feet. Unlike regular desks, standing desks will contribute to improved productivity and better employee health. Replacing regular desks with adjustable standing desks would be a massive plus for the company. The employees won’t necessarily have to work while on their feet unless they wish to.
5. Introduce Multi-Purpose Workstations
Most office furniture in Houston (desk and chair) are just that, furniture. Investing in a more efficient multi-purpose workstation instead of just a desk and chair can help improve productivity and employee satisfaction. These workstations are designed to have the little perks a regular one seems to forget. This includes a phone charger built inside the desk, as well as a built-in plug socket. While it may not seem like much, a plug-in socket and a charger will come in handy for many employees who wish to charge their phones or hook their laptops.
Other Ways You Can Transform the Workstations Include:
- Transform the office setup to serve as a remote working area, presentation, and meeting area whenever needed.
- Provide workers with laptops and tablets to enable them to work away from their stations.
Install interactive walls.
6. Provide a Common Place for Workers to Socialize and Boost Morale
The office setup shouldn’t be all about working and beating deadlines. While this is the norm with most office setups, workers here often get bogged down by deadlines, work-related stress, and heavy workloads. Creating a shared space where workers can socialize, talk, play games, and have fun can help boost their morale while at work. Gaming rooms, for instance, provide an excellent opportunity for workers to increase talent, reduce stress, and boost concentration. Social rooms also bring about a sense of community.
Don’t let these spaces remain unused. Encourage employees to go for a pool tournament during lunch hour, or even a quick battle on the arcade machine as a way to destress. Although most employers may not know this, social and gaming rooms encourage bonding and cohesion amongst employees, and can also be used for inter-departmental socializing, collaborative thinking, and to stem a sense of unity within the company.
7. Consider Nap Pods
The afternoon nap is one of the most addictive things for many employees. Many people, however, take an afternoon nap to rejuvenate in readiness for several hours of marathon immediately after. Have you ever wondered why most people appear alert and highly responsive shortly after a 20-minute nap? This is because napping acts as a reset button – it helps the mind offload the day’s work. That said, installing nap pods in the workplace would be an excellent way to promote productivity and concentration. Larger companies such as Google and NASA implemented this many years ago – your time is now.
Conclusion:
In addition to implementing all the measures and steps outlined above, it is of utmost importance to ensure the workplace is as conducive and peaceful as possible. Even the slightest adjustment to the workplace design can have a significant impact on productivity and employee retention. Put all these into consideration to realize the benefits.
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