5 simple ways you can improve your work environment
As Vicente del Bosque says “a good player wins a match, but a good team wins five.” This phrase applies perfectly to the business world. The work environment, so often overlooked, is one of the most important factors within a company.
Here are 5 tips to improve the work environment in your company for better productivity and employee satisfaction.
The decor is the first thing employees see when they walk into an office. As we all know, first impressions of people and spaces do count. As such, you want the impression of your company to be the best possible, whether you’re currently recruiting or not. Try to illuminate spaces with natural light to increase performance, try to minimize closed-off spaces, and allow employees to personalize the space themselves. You’ll notice employees will be in a better mood and work more efficiently.
A common denominator for companies with the best working environments is flexible work time. Studies say that each person has a different cycle of activity. This means that not everyone will have the same peak of concentration and productivity at the same time of day. Offer flexible schedules so that everyone is at their best in the office. If you add the opportunity to work from home a few days in the week, you’ll see how your employees’ attitudes towards work change.
Another thing that really affects the work environment is the daily routines. You can organize simple things like ping pong tournaments and small outings after work to improve team bonding. You can also promote environmental and social responsibility focused projects to bring everyone together. Let employees pick a cause and manage a project themselves. Have everyone on the same level and working together.
Set aside a room in your office to use as a living room. Lunch time is one of the most important times for bonding and fostering a good working environment. Employees can use it to connect and share ideas. Create areas in which employees can eat together without having to go to a restaurant. Buy a coffee machine so they can have coffee there and implement features for a collaborative conversation, like a bulletin board or suggestion box.
See what you can change and listen to your employees — both their suggestions and complaints. They know better than anyone else. Remember that it usually doesn’t take a big change to improve the working environment. Feeling heard is one of the most important things for team members. Create a simple communication channel with upper management so that employees feel heard and you can communicate with them in an effective and direct way.
Any small improvement in the working environment can have a very positive influence on the productivity and efficiency of the company. Apply these tips to your company today and notice the difference.
Thanks for reading and we hope these tips help you and your team get more done!
-The Hibox Team
Originally published at www.hibox.co on February 20, 2017.
