The truth is, the happier your workforce, the more likely you’re going to see great results. If your employees aren’t content during their working hours, your company could start to suffer. Low spirits can lead to poor performance, which is bad news for your bottom line. If you’re wondering how you can ensure your staff members remain happy while they work, keep reading.
Provide a safe and comfortable environment
This needs to get in the open, out and loud: nobody would like to be a part of a workspace where they do not feel secure. This feeling can be triggered by a number of things — your workspace may have electrical circuits that have a track record of being on fire previously; lack of proper ventilation to the point where workers may feel stuffed; absence of fire exits or smoke detectors; no safety gates or fencing around the premise perimeter to avoid intrusion. All these can essentially make your employees feel worried during their work hours, which is why it is crucial for you to provide your staff with a safe and comfortable environment. One way to accomplish this is by hiring an Office Fit Out company that can create a habitable and productivity-driven work environment. Further, they can make a working space that meets the needs of the business, from ergonomics to acoustics and temperature control. This will ensure that employees have the best environment to be productive and efficient.
Further, there is another way to achieve this, where offices must follow standard electrical compliance and tagging procedures, comply with fire regulations, ensure good indoor air quality, and create physical perimeters around the building. Besides this, you also need to offer them comfortable seating options so that they can completely focus on their work. A stable and fast Internet connection is also required if most of the work is online based. You can create a pleasant work environment by installing a diffuser or scent machine (check out hyscent.com or similar websites to explore various options) in the workplace to provide your staff with a fresh and aromatic place to work in.
The health and safety of your staff members are paramount, so it’s crucial that you take this subject seriously. If you’re seen to be taking the correct precautions, it’s much more likely that your staff will feel at ease while they work. If you feel you’re lacking in the relevant knowledge, you could enroll yourself in a course to bring you up to speed. The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) offers a wide range of programs and courses you can complete. Through NEBOSH training, you will be provided with the information and skills needed to ensure your workspace is safe for your employees.
Offer flexible work options
While a large portion of your workforce will be perfectly content sticking to their normal nine to five office routine, you may find that through offering flexible options, some of your employees might prefer to work elsewhere – and be happier for it. Portable technology devices and WiFi access could mean that some members of your team are able to do their job from virtually anywhere, and providing your workers with the opportunity to complete their tasks outside of the normal office environment could allow them to strike up a much better work-life balance.
While this is good news for your team, it should also enable you to see an improvement in productivity and work performance. Whether you introduce a flexi-time program or propose a compressed working week, it’s likely your staff will jump on board with this idea.
Practice open communication
Having clear, open channels of communication is crucial for any business, and as a leader, it’s vital that you practice this in the workplace. It’s important that your employees feel they can comfortably express their opinions, thoughts and feelings without fear of being judged or putting their job in jeopardy. Effective communication can reduce stress among employees and it can create a more positive working environment.
Through providing a safe workspace, flexible options and open communication, you shouldn’t struggle to keep up your employees’ spirits.
