There is no denying the relationship between employee satisfaction and business productivity. The industry leaders such as Apple, Google, and Facebook, grasped this concept many years ago. Ideas that were dismissed as wacky or off the wall are now accepted as main stream methods in office organization and design.
Two decades ago, offices were constructed around a rigid design and were sterile and austere places to work. Open plan working was in fashion but that left nowhere for private meetings and sensitive conversations. Workers were in each other’s faces throughout the working day and that did not suit everyone.
This design has been replaced by a fusion of collaborative and private working spaces. The buzzword is ‘cross-fertilization’ where employees can feed off each other’s creativity, can network and can collaborate but ways that suit them and which makes them more productive.
Should you move to another office?
Perhaps you have come to the conclusion that you need to move to an entirely new office space to get the office environment that you need. This may have been prompted by an expansion in your business which has resulted in more employees and more visitors that you previously had. Alternatively, perhaps the way in which you operate has changed. Perhaps you now have to accommodate new systems of working and new equipment.
The thought of moving to a new office space can be very daunting. You will be acutely aware of what it can cost you in terms of time and money. Moving to a new office space does not have to be disruptive to your business when you choose a firm of local movers who are experienced in moving commercial organizations. A firm like this will understand that time is money when you are trying to run a business and that every hour that you are not working is costing your business dear. They will do everything they can to get your enterprise back up and running as quickly as possible.
Changing the office that you are in
If you decide to stay in the same office, there is plenty that you can do to make it a more productive place to work. Start with the basics. Make sure that it is airy, well-lit, and supplied with furniture products designed specifically for offices. The aim is to make sure that it is both efficient and aesthetically pleasing.
All of the office furniture must be ergonomically designed so that your employee’s postural health is protected. Aches, pains and days off work with bad backs can seriously damage productivity. Choose chairs that suit your employees. Taller and heavier employees will need a different design to more petit workers.
The key to productive working is flexibility. Surveys amongst business leaders have shown that employees are interested in flexible options for working remotely and collaborating from anywhere in the world. This matters more than what color the office walls are painted.
You will need to install the infrastructure to facilitate this. Don’t assume that you know best! Ask your staff what they want. Perhaps the trend for open plan areas would not work in your business. It may be more appropriate to have private working areas and coffee or meeting stations dotted around the office where networking and collaboration can be encouraged.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Good point re: ergonomics. Also healthy body = healthy mind.