What business doesn’t want to boost its productivity? Higher productivity means bigger profits, after all, right?
If you’re a company looking to boost your employees’ productivity levels, you might be surprised to hear that one of your biggest assets is your office space. Yes, good office design really can make a huge amount of difference to productivity levels, so without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best office design tricks for businesses who want to boost productivity…
Declutter
A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind – it really is that simple. So, if you have a lot of unnecessary stuff cluttering up your office space, you should. Perhaps, not be surprised to find that your employees are not as effective as they could be or that they end up feeling stressed out, confused, and irritated. Luckily, you can easily solve this problem by calling in an office clearance company to help you get rid of the excess. Once you have more space to work in, you will all start to feel better, and be more productive, in no time at all.
Let there be (natural) light
It might be surprising, but lighting is actually one of the biggest factors when it comes to maintaining motivation levels and boosting productivity in the workplace. Poor lighting can lead to eyestrain, fatigue, and even depression or irritability, so it should be a big no-no for your business.
Natural light has shown the best results in terms of productivity-boosting, so be sure to open all blinds and curtains each day. If you own your office and you can renovate, then putting in more windows to let natural light flood in is a good idea. If that’s not possible, switching to bulbs that mimic natural light, and bringing in more lamps is a good compromise.
Plump for comfortable furniture
Again, this should be really obvious, but so many business owners overlook the comfort factor when trying to improve productivity. This is a big mistake. Think about what happens when you feel uncomfortable; you start to fidget a lot, you struggle to concentrate, you end up with aches and pains – none of these things are good for you so why would they be good for your employees?
If you want your employees to be as efficient as possible, you need them to be comfortable, and that means investing in tables and chairs that are adjustable to each employee’s needs. When employees don’t need to stretch or strain themselves, they can just get on with their work unhindered; they’ll be less likely to take time off and more likely to produce great results. So, as a minimum, ensure each employee has an ergonomic chair and table that fits their body type.
They should also have a computer monitor at just about eye level and a keyboard that can be tilted for their comfort. This might seem like a lot but think of it as an investment because once staff are comfy, your productivity levels will go through the roof.
While it is true that all offices require furniture, it is equally true that all offices need different kinds of furniture. Start selecting desks, chairs, tables, and cabinets here considering factors such as cost, look and feel, and portability.
Color is more important than you might think. The colors that surround us each day have a significant effect on the way we feel and how well our brain is able to function. Clearly, this means that you need to carefully choose the colors that are used in the decoration of your business premises.
For example, blue is known to be a great color for boosting productivity, whereas yellow is a great energizer, so bringing both of these colors into your office, is likely to have a positive effect. If you can’t afford to repaint the whole place, buy a few pieces of artwork in the right colors and scatter them where they are most likely to be seen by your employees most often.
Turn up the heat
A lot of people think that having an office space that is pleasantly cool would be the best for productivity, but several studies have shown that having a workplace that is slightly on the warm side is more likely to boost productivity in the average person. This means you may need to play around with the settings for a while to hit that sweet spot that you and your employees can all cope with, but which is also warm enough that productivity will go through the roof.
Find the right aroma
Our sense of smell has a significant effect on our moods, and our brains, just like color does, which is why you may want to consider pumping certain aromas into the office space.
Scents that are particularly good for improving focus and productivity include pine, cinnamon, and citrus, but if you have the time and inclination, you may want to have a little experiment and see which scents seem to produce the best results for your business. Oh, and don’t pump so much in that it’s overpowering, because even pleasant smells can become unpleasant when you use too much of them. Oh, and also ensure no one in your office space is allergic before you go ahead and start experimenting with new aromas.
Different environments
Some employees prefer to work in open-plan spaces where they can collaborate while others like to work in their own space, which is why, in an ideal situation, you should aim to offer q number of different environments for your employees, that way you can allow each and every one of them to do their best.
Plant power
Plants have been scientifically proven to boost productivity and lower stress levels in the workplace. Air quality has also been shown to do the same, and since many plants can clear the air, it’s a no-brainer that you should fill your office with lots of plants – they’ll make the place look so much nicer too.
Try any of these tricks and you can pretty much guarantee that your employees will start to work more efficiently; implement them all and productivity is sure to go right through the roof.