April 1st 2022
In recent times, more and more businesses are looking for ways to increase their employees’ productivity while in the office. This can come from a variety of different factors, from maximising their space to keeping a cool, calm and positive atmosphere. It’s becoming vital to give employees all the tools and mechanisms to complete their work successfully.
We’re going to outline some handy tips for you to utilise in your space, if you’re one of those businesses looking to maximise output, whilst also considering the impact of how your space can drive productivity and contribute to more positive company culture.
Promote Movement to Boost Productivity
We all know that the office is where work gets done but considering different ways you can operate can drastically boost your overall business performance.
At the end of the day, employees are human beings that need space and comfort to function at their best. Promoting movement around the office is a fantastic way to increase your employees overall happiness, and even do away with those awful mental blocks.
Making the most of your space in the office, allowing workers to freely move around and working at different desks each day, is a great way to promote both collaboration and focus. A change of scenery can be a great antidote to break through a productivity wall.
This can come from the highest office, through company initiatives and missions, encouraging employees to also freely take short breaks to refuel and gain some focus back on their tasks at hand.
Focus on Space – Not Layout
The space in which your employees work can have a huge impact on how they function during their day. Cramped and crowded spaces are hardly the breeding ground for innovation and productivity, so maximising the available space in your office is one way to combat the dreaded mental drain of dull surroundings.
Open plan offices are one solution to this problem. Tying into the point above, by creating a free-flowing space for your employees to work in is becoming more and more popular in many of today’s modern offices.
You should also consider the primary reason for each room you have available to you. Designating specific rooms for company meetings, break-out rooms, client meeting rooms, free seating areas and the like will give enough diversity in your space that your employees know where they are able to go, and more importantly, where they work best.
Here at Click Offices, we have a wide range of serviced offices to suit any size business, so if you’re looking to properly maximise your space, why not head over and see if you can level-up your office?
Control Light and Sound
We all know the feeling of trying to get on with critical tasks when the light is too bright, or there’s far too much noise going on. You should aim to create an environment where no worker feels like they’re struggling to get their work completed.
This is where you can customise your space a little better for your employees. Try testing out different lighting solutions, such as lamps during the evenings or less piercing overhead lighting. When it comes to sound levels during the workday, try to keep a calm ambience in the space so people can focus on their tasks.
One difficult thing about finding the right light and sound levels is that almost every employee will likely have different tolerances. Why not call a company meeting to discuss it with them personally? Find out what they like and don’t like and find a happy medium that everyone can agree on. You can even make this a monthly thing, ensuring that they’re all seen and heard, which will also contribute to overall office equilibrium.
Maximise Technology Requirements
When technology goes wrong (or doesn’t work entirely) it can be the most frustrating thing in the world. Different businesses require different levels of connectivity to function, and ensuring your employees have all of the tools they need to get their work done is incredibly important.
We’re living in the technological age where the need to be connected 24/7 is almost a given. Your employees will depend on you as a business to provide that connectivity. You should consider upgrading your tech to help minimise issues further down the line, from the computers that are used and even the available wi-fi. Forking out for top tech now will help to future-proof (or for at least the next 5-10 years) your business from a technology standpoint.
We must also touch on how employees working from home or in a hybrid working set-up will also need your full support when it comes to tech. Ensure your employees working from home have company-issued computers/laptops, tablets, tools or any other devices or software that they’ll need to complete their tasks.
Utilise Art and Decoration Wisely
Back in the 80s and 90s, most of what office employees had to look at was the drab, grey walls of a cubicle. We now know that this hardly promotes creativity and productivity in today’s business world. In fact, it very much hinders it.
Nobody wants to see bland and uninteresting walls anymore; it creates a cold and clinical atmosphere in which no one would be able to create their best work. So, why not bring the space to life with fun art-pieces, or interesting wall designs? We don’t recommend going too overboard with these, of course, but spicing up your space with interesting surroundings can have a hand in contributing to your employees’ productivity.
You could also consider placing plants around the office to give a more back-to-nature feel, which can also help in creating a more environmentally friendly office.
Keep It Clean and Hygienic
Whether in the office or working from home, it’s always important to keep your workspace clean. This is especially important if you’re encouraging movement around your office, allowing your employees to work at different stations.
Promote proper cleaning regimes to your employees, sanitising workstations after use, wiping down surfaces, cleaning up crumbs and disposing of food waste and packaging. This will all help to contribute to an overall healthier and liveable space for your employees.
You can also encourage your employees to declutter their personal desk once in a while, as this can be both a cathartic and relaxing exercise.
Why not send out a company-wide newsletter informing your employees of the new changes, and what’s expected of them. It’s a trade-off – more freedom to move, but more responsibility for the space that they occupy. Something that we think will be appreciated by all workers, and in turn, boost productivity overall. A cleaner space means fewer distractions.
We hope you’ve taken away something from what we’ve discussed today. Employee happiness should always be at the forefront of any business owners’ mind, so starting a dialogue with your employees on what their space can look and feel like will be the best way going forward to increase their productivity and contribute to a better office culture.
If you’re looking to upgrade your space, need more space, or even want control over how it looks from the get-go, head over and look at out serviced offices and managed offices to see what we have available to you in your area today!
