It is no secret that a happy workforce leads to a more efficient workforce and therefore a more profitable business. Massive global companies, such as Google, Amazon and Expedia have been in the news frequently recently because of the benefits offered by their companies to their employees.
Incredible on-site facilities, such as heated swimming pools, dry cleaning services, volleyball courts and even movie theaters can all be found at the Google headquarters in California and are more than enough to entice people from around the world to come work there.
However, the reality is that very few companies have the money and access to the resources Google does that would allow them to design and develop those type of unique, jaw-dropping workspaces. But good office design has to be much more than just a company afterthought
The Importance of Good Office Design
To emphasize how important good office design is for boosting company culture consider these facts. A 2003 survey by Management Today Magazine found that 97% of respondents regarded their place of work as a symbol of whether or not their employer valued them. Furthermore, over 30% of the same group said that they felt embarrassed to bring clients back to their current office.
A more recent survey showed that nine in every ten employees feel as though they work a lot better in cleaner conditions. So how do you design an office that is going to inspire your employee’s without breaking the bank?
Improve Visibility – Not only will improving visibility within the office remove clutter and a claustrophobic feeling, but it will also promote efficiency with increased communication. If employees find it easier to communicate, there will be less confusion on tasks as well as a removal of the wall between management and employees.
Make Work Feel Like Home – Employees have to feel comfortable in a work place because it is the place they spend most of their lives; in truth, we spend more time awake at work than in our homes. For this reason, steps should be taken to make employees feel comfortable in order for them to work harder.
This can be done by improving the team morale via achievements going up on the wall as well as pictures of work outings. Other ways to bring a more homey feeling to the office include introducing comfy couches, living walls and keeping a healthy supply of snacks on hand.
Bring Your Office To Life – What better way to keep your employees motivated than to bring the office to life? This doesn’t mean that you should adopt an office pet, but something simple like some flowers or plants can have a huge affect; a 2010 study showed that workers were 17% more efficient with the addition of plants and life in the office compared to an office without. An office with life will remove any dreary feeling and will brighten the whole place up.
Brand Your Space – The final step is to be proud of who you are; be proud of the company values, what the company represents, who the main clients are, etc.; this is easily shown with posters, charts, brand logos, and more. If all these details are hanging in the office, employees will feel proud of who they work for and will strive to achieve even more in the future. Potential employees and clients will also be impressed and will immediately understand the core values of the business.
