In the modern business world, not caring for the setting that your employees are working in will instantly translate into the thought that you don’t care enough about them, or your business. Working in a dull, outdated office space is certainly going to break your employee’s spirit and their enthusiasm to stay in the workspace any longer than they are required to. With this in mind, it’s essential that your workspace design is up to date and set up to be the best possible working environment it can be—to make your employees comfortable, satisfied, and productive. So, if you’re interested in knowing what your business might be missing out on by having an old office space, this blog is for you.
What you lose by having an old office space
Imagine providing millennials a working space from the 1970s. They just aren’t designed for today’s work practice. Not only will it harm their productivity, but their non-ergonomic design can, among other problems, even hurt your staff physically. Carpal tunnel cases and back problems are going to put a strain on the healthcare plan your company is providing and thus turn into a financial burden on the business. Not only that, but outdated workspaces usually have old heating and cooling systems which will again put a strain on the staff. So before reading on, take a minute to think about your office space design and how it makes your employees feel.
Do you think it gets them excited and energized, or the opposite?
Employee engagement
We all are familiar with the concept of customer experience and how it can define a business’s image and boost its growth. But over the past few years, we’ve started to notice the rise of employee experience: which is now something that many HR—Human Resources— managers and business owners around the world are focusing on. Like the consumer experience, the employee experience can influence the commitment and level of investment in the work each employee is doing. Workers who like and enjoy the working environment they are a part of will be more engaged, productive, healthy, and happy.
Employee Performance
In the knowledge of today’s business world, employees are the engine that keeps companies improving, innovating, adapting, and growing. So, it comes as no surprise that thoughtful workplace design can be a powerful tool for improving employee performance, and a collateral advantage is that what typically supports productivity also benefits employee wellness and health, and business growth – it’s all interrelated. Modern-day offices, therefore, have multiple areas for whatever is needed for employees to be successful, old-style offices do not. Today’s business owners must be thoughtful about how their workspace design promotes the behaviors they want to reinforce and the culture they want to create.
To sum up
Decades ago, all the power was in the hands of employers. So, none of them really cared about the employee’s comfort and experience. They just needed to list a job and provide workers with a space to do that job. Nobody at the time talked about how workspaces generate inspiration, empowerment, engagement, or the like. But things have luckily changed, and all these ideas have just lately become mainstream topics of discussion. So, in this new world, what can companies do to make sure that employees want to show up? You guessed it, focus on the design! Providing employees with a new workspace design might seem like a fancy perk, but it’s one of the most strategic business initiatives one can make. By upgrading your outdated office design, you will surely improve your employee’s efficiency and productivity. Now that money is no longer the only motivating factor for employees to perform better, focusing on the quality of their work environment might be the most promising thing to do for companies to grow and prosper.
Outdated workspace design can be harmful to your business, so if you’re considering updating your office, manufacturing, or industrial space to a more employee-friendly and productive atmosphere, you can contact Truspace to solve all your designing issues!