Productivity can be affected by a lot of factors. One of these is work environment. Business owners need to understand that a good workspace can vastly increase your company's productivity and profit.
Entrepreneur noted that the average employee spends about 72 percent of working hours at their desk. Moreover, nearly 50 percent of workers responded that they would stay an extra hour at work every day if their workspace was attractive. Here are 5 simple changes that you can do to improve your office's environment.
1. Go green. According to Oxford Mail, putting plants into the workplace can have a positive effect on employees' well-being, attention span and creativity. It has also been said to improve employee job satisfaction and productivity.
In a research done by the universities of Cardiff, Exeter, Queensland and Groningen, plants were discovered to have increased productivity by about 15 percent. It increased employees' sense of well-being in the workplace by 40 percent.
2. Let there be light. It was noted that ample lighting, especially coming from a natural source, is beneficial to health and productivity. Sunlight has been discovered to lower levels of depression and boost a worker's mood, energy and alertness.
On the other hand, dim lighting can cause employees to feel drowsy. This should be avoided unless your business is a photo studio that requires low light.
3. Move. Encourage your employees to stand up and move around the office. Sourceable noted that fitness at work is greatly defined by office culture. As a business owner, you can start by promoting movement through standing and walking meetings. If you have a bigger budget, why not invest in gym facilities for your employees.
4. Simplicity is beauty. Keep your office clutter-free. Encourage your employees to regularly clear up their workspace and make sure that everything is right where they are supposed to be. Although some may argue that messiness is a sign of creativity, there are definitely advantages to having a clean desk.
5. Comfort is key. A good workspace should be organized. This will not only make your employees feel at home, it would also prove to be beneficial for your relationship with your clients. It's important that you manage your office's furniture, painting, air quality and noise level well.
