The office space is a major factor in how productive your employees can be. The way you structure your workspace matters, and the amount of work your assign and how you supervise them are all important. But if your employees are physically uncomfortable, they will be unable to give their all to their work. The temperature of the office matters because coolness is soothing and good for concentration and focus. But cold or warm is distracting and makes it hard to focus and be alert.
Block cubicle arrangements hinder movement and make it harder for people to easily collaborate and confer on matters. Dull-colored walls make for more pessimistic mindsets while windows that let sunlight in lift spirits and make for optimistic employees. Toilet partitions or stalls should be replaced with ones that offer more privacy because this will allow employees to truly refresh themselves in the bathroom. Being able to use the bathroom in peace and comfort can help employees to feel a stronger desire to be in the workspace. This feeling adds to their loyalty and improves their dedication to producing efficient results.
A renovation with the comfort and productivity of your employees in mind is an investment you make in the future of your business. Happy employees are productive employees and will be the main factor in helping your business meet its goals.
Inviting Office Layout
This is the first step to start planning the office renovation. There have been many ideas over the years about what is the best layout for productivity. Most businesses went in the direction that allowed them to save money by paying for less space. That is why so many businesses have open-plan offices noways even though research over the years has shown that this is bad for employee concentration and productivity.
Nowadays, many businesses have found success with layouts that give employees options. They assign an area to an employee rather than a desk which they are not allowed to move away from. These areas are designated by the department/team, and they are structured to provide multiple space usage for the employees. There are desks in small clusters so people can sit down and work individually or with a group. Closed-off rooms can serve for meetings and for senior managers who need to store physical documents. There are quiet areas where employees can go with the guarantee that no one will make noise or interrupt them.
Energy Efficient Appliances
There are many appliances that need to be in the office space in order to help the functioning of both the people and the processes. Choose energy-efficient appliances so that your utility bills will go down and help your employees to feel better about the usage of the devices. Many people desire to live environmentally friendly lives and if they can do this within the workspace it will greatly improve their satisfaction while at the office. Energy Star refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee machines are utilitarian and energy-efficient.
Cloud-Based Workflow
The daily workflow of your office could improve if you were to begin using more cloud-based services. Paperless office behaviors and choices are helping many businesses to work efficiently without having to make concessions for the space and effort that daily usage of paper requires. Unless your businesses absolutely need to have paper records, it would be more efficient, more cost-effective, and more environmentally friendly to use cloud-based filing and bookkeeping services.
Paint Your Walls
Paint is such a great way to refresh the feel of your office in a cost-effective way. Dull colors have a negative psychological effect on people. Dull-colored walls could be subconsciously making your employees feel depressed, un-stimulated, and they could feel unhappy about returning to the office. This is not how you want your employees to feel. You want excited employees, who feel dynamic in the workplace.
Include them in your decisions regarding the new paint. Provide them paint samples and tell them where the colors are meant to go. Then allow your employees to vote on which colors are best to use in the areas. They will likely choose the colors that appeal to them the most and will give them the desired effects they need in the workspace. The marketing and design departments are likely to choose bold and exciting colors like reds and oranges as these are dynamic colors that inspire energy and creativity. Accounting and HR departments are likely to prefer cool blues and light purples for the soothing and calming effects of these colors that promote communication and optimism.
The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone and recovery will not be easy. Focus on providing an environment that appeals to your employees’ mental health and wellness. You need to focus on giving them a space that helps them to reach their productivity goals without pressuring them to unrealistic standards.
Consider providing meditation spaces within the office for people to take some time alone. These spaces can also be used by employees who want to set up groups to discuss ways to overcome procrastination, improve self-care, and tips for efficiency.
