Your work environment is a vital part of your business’s overall success. The environment that you share with your team can impact on mood, drive and productivity, making it a key player in determining your business performance. A dreary office with poor communication and unengaged team members is unlikely to lead to the motivation and passion you need to make your business thrive. That’s why you should make the effort to create a work environment that’s both pleasant and productive.
With this in mind, here are five key ways you can improve your working environment, and therefore the engagement of your employees.
Pick the right setting
First things first, make sure you pick the best setting for your office. If your current office doesn’t fit the bill, find somewhere efficient enough to meet all of your business’s demands. Although changing offices can be a big investment, commercial bridging loans can provide the funds you need quickly. Make sure you choose a quality provider like Glenhawk with a trusted track record.
Improve communication
We can’t stress enough how important communication is to the working environment. As an employer, you need to set the bar for the level of communication you expect your team to display. Employees feel valued and motivated when they are given positive feedback and reinforcement from their superiors. This then improves the quality of their work, giving them more drive to work harder.
To achieve this, offer your employees specific feedback on how their personal efforts are benefiting the broader business objective. But make sure you don’t do all the talking. Giving employees the chance to give you their feedback and ideas will make them feel valued, which goes a long way to improving the energy, enthusiasm and overall atmosphere in the office.
Pay attention to lighting
In any space, light is a huge factor to consider and it can also play a vital role in determining workers’ attitude and performance. Exposure to natural light improves both energy and overall mood, which in turn can be beneficial to productivity and focus.
However, studies have found that nearly half of office workers have little to no natural light in their office. If this applies to you, consider other options. Blue-tinged bulbs have been found to reduce fatigue while also increasing happiness.
Prioritise comfort
Make the effort to provide a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere with working equipment, comfy furniture (from office monster or similar companies), and a few amenities which go the extra mile. People who label their work furniture as bad are three times as likely to consider the atmosphere unproductive and twice as likely to label it depressing.
In some offices, employees can choose to work where they are most comfortable, whether that’s sitting at a desk, on a soft seat or standing. Having a cooling or heating system that works right can also go a long way. If your workspace does not have a properly working air conditioner, consider contacting reputed suppliers like HVAC Warehouse where you can find reliable AC units for sale.
Give your employees the chance to personalise their own workspace, so that they feel truly comfortable. This can be something as simple as allowing plants in the office, or something a bit more outside the box, such as exercise balls. Trust your team to manage their time and give them plenty of opportunity to recharge throughout the day.
Hire the right team
A working environment is only as good as the team it consists of. Smart businesses know that the first step to a great working environment is to fill it with the right people. This means hiring employees who are professional team players. One bad attitude can completely change the feel of your working environment, so make sure you hire great team members and don’t be afraid to let the bad ones go if their work and attitude isn’t up to scratch. Additionally, background checks should be a part of every employer’s hiring and recruiting process. The checks can range from consulting with references to checking criminal records. Making a bad choice while hiring can prove costly for your business. It can waste your resources, damage your reputation, and reduce morale in your team. Thus, by conducting a criminal background check of your employees, you can reduce the chances of bringing in a member with a disturbing criminal past. For that, you can take help of national crime check agencies that can provide police history information to support processes evaluating the suitability of prospective employees.
