Your employees are a valuable resource for your company9. They are the ones responsible for completing the endless amount of vital tasks that keep the cogwheels of your corporate machine turning. If their work output begins to suffer, it will adversely affect your entire company from the bottom up. While this may seem obvious, what most people fail to realize is that the environment in which your employees’ work will significantly influence how productive they are in day to day operations. If you really want your employees to be able to work effectively, consider these suggestions for making a productive and workable atmosphere.
Color and Design
The color and design of a room have profound effects on the mental state and overall mood of those who enter the room and work within it. Yellow and blue are colors that will improve both energy levels and mood to help keep your employees happy and working. Varying shades of blues and greys work well for those engaged in quick and repetitive tasks, whereas greens promote more creative thoughts. The patterns these colors in are important, as well, as the wrong one can be distracting and decrease productivity. Soft and ambient transitions in color will create a calming and relaxing environment, whereas wild and curling designs encourage imaginative thought. Stripes can be used, but in great moderation, as they generally draw the eye and therefore the attention of your employees, potentially serving as a distraction. In general, the designs used should be uncluttered, open, and tailored to the mindset required for whatever task is done in that area.
Temperature
It’s difficult for employees to concentrate on their work when their work environment is too cold or too hot. Fingers typing away can become stiff and inflexible if the air is too cold, but the mind becomes hazy and wandering when it’s too hot. These can serve as severe distractions to your employees, whereas correct moderation of your office temperatures can increase productivity. Cooler temperatures, as long as they are not too cold as to require extra bundling, promotes logical and repetitive thoughts and tasks. Warmer, more comfortable environments lend themselves better to those doing creative work, so plan your layout and temperatures accordingly. During transitional seasons, such as spring and fall, is the best time to schedule heating and air conditioning repairs so that your work environment is comfortable for your employees when the weather turns miserable.
Efficient Office Furniture
Working in an office means that your employees will be doing a lot of sitting at a desk and typing on a computer. The types of positions that your employees’ bodies have to sit in for eight or more hours a day can cause serious physical pains and injuries, and even if that doesn’t end in costly time off, but it also serves as a major distraction from the work at hand. Providing your workers with ergonomic office furniture will allow them to sit more comfortably and focus more on their work. Ergonomic office furniture is designed to allow users to sit, move, and work more efficiently and comfortably to increase productivity and mental focus. No one can work productively if they are battling aches and pains throughout their body, so make sure your employees are set up in seating arrangements that are healthy and comfortable.
Types of Office Lighting
The amount of light present in a work environment can positively or negatively affect the productivity levels of your employees. While proper lighting is important to keep your employees awake and energized, many offices make the mistake of going with fluorescent lighting. This is harsh on the eyes and often causes headaches to employees that have to work under it for eight hours a day. Natural lighting is most recommended, as it encourages the production of vitamin D and serotonin in the body. If that isn’t an option, aim for more ambient lighting from multiple sources, with proper shading to ensure that it isn’t too harsh on your eyes. Incorporating screen filtering software can also do a great deal in terms of reducing eye strain for your employees, as staring at a screen all day can be painful and even harmful to their productivity.
Employee morale is more than just a measure of how satisfied your employees are, it also is a measure of how workable their environment is. Employees are happiest when their office workspace is catered to their physical and mental needs for a healthy workday, and their happiness translates to better productivity for your company. Of course, other factors, such as management and the workload itself, can also have major effects on their work satisfaction and productivity, but there’s no need to make the building itself work against you. It’s important to take care of your employees as well as their working environment if you want them to have the capacity to give their all to the success of your company.
