There are plenty of ways to get the most from your staff, including motivating and inspiring them to be the best that they can be, avoiding micromanagement, and creating a pleasant work environment for them to work in. Many company bosses take time to get the first two of these points right, but when it comes to the work environment aspect, many aren’t quite as committed to getting it right as they should be.
It really is worthwhile making sure that the office is just right for your staff, since it can help improve morale and boost productivity. But how do you do this? We take a look at a few tried and tested methods below.
Light and Airy
We all respond to our surroundings. If they’re pleasant and agreeable, then we’ll find it easier to fall into a positive frame of mind, and focus just on our work. If they’re the opposite, then the subtle influences they have on our state of mind will be negative. So take a look at your office, and make sure that it’s projecting a positive energy. One common problem is that some offices can be overly dark and dingy. In these cases, be sure to let in more light — it’s always possible, though might involve switching out your current windows for newer ones. You’ll find that everything feels a lot fresher once the changes have been made.
Hire Nice People
Your primary concern should be to ensure that whoever you bring on board can do the job well. But that shouldn’t be your only concern. You’ll also want to think about how their overall attitude will influence the workplace. A person might be talented in their work, but if they have a combative attitude, and can’t get along with other people, then they could cause conflicts that really compromise the ambience of the office. So as well as taking a look at the CV, think about how their personality will mix with the other workers and with the company culture as a whole.
Make it Peaceful
Your staff might like the company they work for, but still dread coming into work. Why? Because the workspace is stressful and unpleasant to be in. There is any number of issues that can compromise the enjoyment of an office, but the most common complaint is to do with noise. If your office is overly noisy, then you’ll need to take action. One way to do this is to look at working with a company such as https://www.rockfon.co.uk; they can help insulate your office against sound. Instead of reverberating around the worksite, the noise will be absorbed. This will help to improve the focus of your staff and generally make your office a much more peaceful place.
Relaxing Spaces
There’s an upper limit of how long we’re able to work. Even if we want to work for twelve hours straight, it wouldn’t be recommended, purely because our minds are unable to focus for that long. The quality of our work would dip. That’s why it’s important to take regular breaks — if we can calm our brains for a little while, then we will return to our desks refreshed and ready to go. You can help your staff to get this headspace by setting up a relaxing zone within your office. If there’s a room that has nothing but comfortable seating, agreeable lighting, and not much else, then your employees will have a chance to calm their mind throughout the day.
Coffee and Snacks
It’s funny what we prioritise. Studies have found that one of the best ways to boost employee morale and productivity is to offer coffee and snacks for free. It just makes people happy! It’s a small price to pay for the happiness of your employees, and there’s a benefit for the company, too: your staff will stay on site more if they don’t need to visit a store to get their caffeine and snack fix.
Ask for Feedback
Finally, why not look at asking your staff what they want to see in the workplace? They’ll know more than you about what’s good for them. They could come up with something that you had not thought of, something that really helps to push the office forward. As well as improving the office, this approach can help to strengthen the relationship between you and your employees. It’ll show that you care about what they want, and that you’re willing to make it happen.
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