Keeping employees happy and engaged in their job is vital. It can be very costly to a business to fail to retain their people. You won’t get all that much done with unproductive people, either. Your methods of doing business and managing people are important. But so is the environment you’re all working in. An office space can make people as miserable as a bad boss can. So here’s how you avoid that.
Don’t treat them like sardines
If you haven’t got the memo yet, the cubicle crush doesn’t work for anyone. A bit of privacy is great for getting on with your work. However, cramped spaces and little opportunity for connecting with colleagues isn’t just miserable. It increases real stress and anxiety in the workplace. People need the space to breathe and form relationships with their colleagues. So, don’t fit them all in like sardines in a can, no matter how cost effective it seems.
Have some pride of place
No matter how much space it has, a dismal looking office isn’t going to be inspiring anyone. You want your employees to be happy about the business they’re a part of. So, they need to be happy with the physical manifestation of that business. Avoid grey walls, using colour and even a bit of branding to spice it up. Make sure you’re using things like professional office cleaning services. It’s important to teach them to look after their own workspaces, but you can’t expect them to clean the whole place regularly.
Create a healthier environment
A clean business isn’t just a nicer one to work in. It’s a lot healthier. A trip or a slip can cost you dearly. So can ignoring other important elements of their health and safety. For instance, do your employees spend the day looking at screens? Then they need plenty of natural light as well as desk lamps to keep their eyes in good condition. If they’re sitting, then they need proper furniture that supports their back, not cheap mass production models.
Let them add a little of their lives
Compliance with the business is important to a lot of owners. But you have to allow your people a little room for some individuality. In their personal office space, they should be able to personalise it to their heart’s content. So long as they follow work appropriate rules, it makes everyone feel a little more at home when they’re at work.
Have a break room
This is vital. Your team should not be eating lunch at their desks. Not only is it unhygienic and potentially bad for their health. It’s also a very isolating experience. The break room gives them more than a space to eat lunch. It gives them a separate space to unwind fully, as well as a place to socialize with their co-workers. Which is important for team cohesion.
People need a little more respect put into the place they’re working. From presentation to simple concern for their health. Make sure you’re treating the workplace with the respect it needs.
