Many business leaders don’t think about their offices as a morale booster. However, studies have shown that the environment a person works in can affect his or her productivity. Today, many companies are now realizing this connection, and thus, the race to attract the best talent is on. So how can you make sure that your office is conducive to productivity? Here are some of the most important parts of your office to focus on in order to help boost mood and productivity.
If there is one thing that office administrators tend to overlook is the furniture. Incorporating ergonomic office furniture can prevent overexertion injuries as well as help your employees be more productive. After all, if you are not comfortable or in pain throughout your day, producing high-quality work may be the last thing on your mind. In addition to adding ergonomic office furniture, you may also consider adding standing desks to your office. These can allow employees to be able to stand up and continue their work instead of going for a walk around the office.
Lighting has a large effect on the mood of an employee. This is because humans tend to react differently to various types of lighting. In fact, many therapeutic treatments are actually done with mood lighting. Thus, it only makes sense to implement this knowledge into your office. So what are a few ways light can affect the mood? Too much light, such as that emitted by fluorescent lighting, can be too stressful for a person. Too little light can cause people to feel sleepy or simply unmotivated. The best way to approach this is to use as much natural light as possible in your office with only minimal artificial light.
Freezing hands may not be the best of situations to find yourself in when you need to type out that long report. Thus, it is important to make sure that your office isn’t too cold to the point that your employees need a jacket just to work comfortably. On the other end of the spectrum is heat. A large fan can produce some cool airflow around your office without having to spend too much money to keep your A/C unit running constantly. How people feel in regard to temperature is subjective, and thus, it is recommended to ask your employees about their preferences.
As a business leader, it is your job to not only to keep the company afloat, but also to keep your employees comfortable. Adhere to the list above to begin auditing the current mood in your office and begin to fix it with the right approach.