Whether your company consists of only you, or 200 people, or anywhere in between, it’s in your interest to make sure they’re happy at work.
The happier they are, the more they enjoy work. The more they enjoy work, the better quality of work they do, and the longer they stay with the company. Many bosses think this just means giving them regular positive feedback and staff nights out, but their actually day to day comfort is also essential.
Keep the office comfortable
From temperature to ergonomic furniture, comfort is essential for your staff. When they’re feeling physically uncomfortable, either because they are too hot or cold, or their chair is hurting their back or neck, they do no work as efficiently.
Not only this, but they are also more prone to take sick leave, which is obviously costly for your company. So, while the cost of air conditioning or heating might seem like an annoyance, consider the alternative cost of sick pay, or even having to train new staff to replace people who have moved on.
Allow for different types of worker
Everyone works slightly differently, so having a homogenous office, filled with identical desks and identical workspaces, isn’t going to make the most of people’s individuality. For example, introverts can find working in large, open plan offices to be anxiety-inducing, especially if they’re noisy, and extroverts can find working on their own in small, silent offices to have the same effect.
Offering a flexible range of workspaces allows people to find the space that works best for them, and enables them to work more effectively, but also far more happily.
Make sure cleanliness is a top priority
It can be easy to let standards of cleanliness slip in the office, until you end up working in an environment which is both unsafe and not very nice. Employing a contract cleaning service to keep on top of the cleanliness of the office can make it a far nicer place to work, but it also helps to keep health and safety concerns at bay.
If you don’t currently have a cleaner service factored into your office costs, do it today – your staff will thank you.
Ensure everything is up to date
There is nothing worse than working in a dingy, outdated, old-fashioned office, and it certainly takes its toll on motivation and staff morale. An office should be energising, and it should inspire staff to work with the company’s best interests in mind, and achieve the peak of their potential.
If your office is dull and uninspiring, it could be time to consider a refit. Creating a space people wants to work in means creating an environment which reflects the ethos of your business, and chances are, that isn’t dull, grey, and outdated. Use bright walls, branded artwork, and interesting screens to break up the space to create somewhere that people actually want to work in.
Making an office in which everyone wants to work is about creating an environment which is clean, comfortable, safe, and most importantly, inspiring.
