The work environment has a significant impact on how productive your team is. Better working conditions gives your employees a lively atmosphere they need. A positive environment indeed starts with the people you employ. What can you, as an employer, do to keep it that way? We discuss a couple of ways you can improve the working conditions and boost productivity. Here are five easy ways to create a better environment for employees;
Is your office a well-lit environment? Natural lighting has a way of impacting the mood of your employees. Allow some sunshine into the office every morning. The lighting will boost overall morale. What makes natural lighting better than artificial lighting is how it affects your employees' emotional state. Artificial lights are great, but they can make you feel a little stuffy and trapped. A little ray of sunshine has terrific results. Nothing can match the blissful feeling you get when sunshine's warmth hits your skin. Your employees mood is more likely to be positive if they have natural lighting during the day. You can take a step further and get a plant or two, mainly fresh flowers, into the office. You can also open windows to get the fantastic fresh air in.
New and updated technology in the workspace will ensure that everyone is more efficient in the office. But this doesn't have to be in big corporations only. Even a small business can integrate the use of technology into the day-to-day work at the office. Investing in updated technology allows you and your employees to reduce the anxiety and stress associated with slow working equipment. Look into investing in software that makes life easier for your employees. There are a variety of resources that will make things run smoother in the office. From making a room reservation for your meetings to online group scheduling to keep everyone organized. Incorporating these types of tools allows your employees to get work done with minimal problems.
Communication is essential to create a rapport with your employees. Be sure that you are asking for everyone’s input every so often. That way, if they feel that a specific working condition is just not right, they won’t hesitate to talk to you about it. And it will boost their confidence and make them know their voices are heard. You can also ask for their feedback when you want to make a change to the office. A good example is office design and layout. Before making changes, ask them what they would like for the system. Be democratic about it. You don't want them to feel like they are under the rule of a tyrant. It’s also vital to promote communication between employees. If they work in harmony, you can worry less about a toxic work environment.
One thing employers tend to get wrong is over supervision. If employees always feel you’re watching them, their productivity and creativity drastically lower. Privacy is the key to move from a toxic environment to a more positive workspace. Try giving them a little more privacy while still encouraging them to be transparent with their work. Allow them to nature good working habits without you around. That way, they will use their working hours to the fullest, and you don't have to worry about how and when they do that.
Breaks are a great way to boost productivity. Think of it as a way to refresh both your mind and that of the employees. Working without enough breaks can cause extra stress which will only hurt their quality of work. From health-related issues like stress, depression, and musculoskeletal disorders to plain out absenteeism and sick days, your employees suffer. Overall office productivity and morale can decrease as well. It can just be a bathroom break followed by coffee and doughnuts. Or your employees can even go outside the office building for walks in the park. Whichever kind of leave they take, ensure it's a real regular break.
Creating the right working environment is crucial to get your team back on board with your company's vision. For that to happen, there are a couple of changes you have to make. These can be in the environment and office space, like making the office way more comfortable and providing snacks. It can also extend beyond the familiar backdrop to how you relate to them. Either way, if you incorporate these simple changes, there’s no saying how amazing you will feel when you have your most productive year yet.
Rayanne Morriss is currently working towards her BA from Oregon State University. She loves to write, read, travel, and paint. She enjoys finding new coffee shops with friends and expanding her cooking skills with her husband.