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Optimize Your Office to Improve Your Employee’s Comfort
(This is a contributed post)
What do you need to make an office? Bright lights, desks, chairs, computers. These are the very basics. But is this really enough for an up and coming business? Surely this could be improved upon?
Creating a space that your employees can relax in might not sound like a good investment but the reality is that people tend to be much more creative and focused when they are comfortable and relaxed. This doesn’t mean that you should turn your office into a soft play area, it just means that there are a few things you should consider adding to your space.
Create Different Seating Areas
When you go into coffee shops, there are usually a few different zones. The purpose of this is to cater for different types of clients according to why they are there. You can steal this trick for your office and create different zones for different types of work.
Adding a softer seating area is ideal for breaks and casual meetings. Putting standing desks around can help with posture and investing in a few types of chair can help there too. The comfort of a saddle stool is something you should really try for yourself!
Make Sure It’s Clean
Cleanliness is really important. It’s genuinely difficult to relax when you are worried about your surroundings or avoiding problem areas. Cleanliness is much more welcoming for employees and guests and will also create a much healthier environment, reducing the likelihood of employees become sick.
Getting cleaners in regularly to do bigger jobs like vacuuming and cleaning desks and communal areas is a good idea but you should also get all your employees involved too. It should be part of everyone’s responsibility to keep the space clean from washing up mugs to tidying desks. Imposing a rota is one way to go but it might be a better idea to give everyone 5 minutes at the end of the day to help tidy up together – the faster they do it the sooner they can leave!
Add Some Plants and Color
Nature has been proven to have a calming effect on people and even introducing a few indoor plants to your office can make a big difference. Plants can lower stress and improve the quality of the air inside too – an essential if you can’t open the windows and you’re reliant on an air-con system.
Adding color to your office is also a good way to improve the environment. While plain white walls are fine, adding a splash of color is a good way to create intrigue and a greater dynamic in the space. Using your branding colors is a good idea as this will reinforce your brand identity when your clients come in.
Any business office space should be a reflection of the company and its values but all too often, employee’s comfort comes last on the agenda. Giving your employees a space they enjoy coming to each day is one of the best things you can do to motivate your team and reduce their stress levels. And it’s an easy change to make.
