When you own a business, one of the main things you need to consider is whether or not your employees will work from home, work from the office, or if you’ll take a more hybrid approach. While the pandemic saw more people than ever work from home, many have now returned to the office at least part time. Consider the benefits of your employees working from the office and what you can do to incentivize and encourage them to want to come and work in the office. From getting a commercial ac contractor in to sort your AC and make the office as comfortable as possible, to focusing on employees’ mental wellbeing, there is so much you can do. In this article we take a look at some top tips that can help make this a more viable option and how you can make your office a good place to work. Keep on reading to find out more.
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Why is it so important to make your office a good place to work?
There are many reasons why you want to create a positive and supportive office environment for your employees to come to work in. When you do this, you’ll find not only does it lead to the success of your employees, but also the company as a whole. Some reasons it’s so important includes:
It can boost your employee productivity
Employee productivity is everything as a business. The better your employees work, the more productive the company is as a whole and the more money you can bring in. When you make your office a good place to work, they will want to come in, want to do their best and are much more likely to be a success. Remember your employees happiness should be at the heart of what you do and they will reward this focus with their own dedication and commitment to your company.
It can increase your employee retention
It’s not rocket science that if you treat your employees well, they will not want to leave. When employees are happy and feel well taken care of, they’re not going to want to leave to be somewhere else where they might not be so well looked after. Employee retention is so important as you want to build a dedicated and cohesive team that works well together and will get results. If you’re constantly having to hire new people you can find there’s no team morale, people don’t know what they’re doing and it’s a lot less productive overall.
It can attract the top tier talent
When you run a company, you want to attract the top talent to come and work for you. This means you will get those that are more specialized and equipped to work in the industry you’re running, who can produce better results and bring in fresh ideas. When you have a good place to work on offer, word will get out and those that are top tier talent will be much more likely to want to come and work for you. The better the opportunities they feel they have, the more likely they are to come and the better it is all round.
It can improve the mental and physical wellbeing of your employees
When it comes to taking care of your employees, their physical and mental wellbeing needs to be a priority. A good office with ergonomic desk setups, plenty of natural light and things like wellness programs can not only be a fantastic morale boost, but they can also help to reduce burnout and illness. This means they will be in the office more and get more done. By being supportive in management and offering a better work-life balance, they will also feel less stressed and happier to complete the tasks at hand and need fewer sick days than they might otherwise.
It can encourage collaboration
Collaboration is everything when it comes to work and when you foster a positive working environment, it can help to encourage people to work together. Workplaces that are open, inclusive and friendly invite people to work together, encourages teamwork and makes for much more successful problem solving. Employees will feel much more confident sharing ideas between each other, offering feedback and covering for each other when they’re off, leading to better innovation and more streamlined work being completed.
It can enhance your customer satisfaction
The better your employees are working, the more your customers are going to be happy. The happier your customers are, the more sales you will make, the greater number of referrals you will receive and the better chance you have of succeeding.
What are some top ways you can make your office a good place to work?
There are many ways you can make your office a good place to work. This includes:
Prioritize the wellbeing of your employees
As mentioned above, you want your employees to feel safe and happy in their working environment. There are a few ways you can prioritize their wellbeing,including offering ergonomic furniture such as adjustable chairs, standing desks and screen filters to help prevent strain. You could also look into providing mental health support such as counselling and stress management workshops. Encourage regular breaks, discourage overtime and check in with your employees often to find out how they are doing.
Create comfortable work spaces
The work space your employees have to conduct their tasks is so important. You want a space that is inspiring to work in, so think about things like ensuring they have plenty of natural light (or good lighting if this is unavailable for any reason), proper ventilation and windows if you can. Add things like greenery, inspiring posters on the wall and design different collaborative or quiet zones so people can work in a way that works for them. This can help encourage people to work in the way they do best.
Foster a positive company culture
As a business you should define and promote your core values, ensuring all employees know what they are. Transparency, inclusivity and collaboration are all fine examples and you need to make sure you don’t just state these are your values, but show examples of why this is. Recognize the achievements of your staff in ways such as awards, bonuses and shouting them out in bonuses so they feel recognized and special. You could also consider organizing things like team-building activities that can help everyone to build a rapport.
Promote work life balance
Work-life balance is super important. No longer are people happy with leaving the house at the crack of dawn every day and getting home when it’s dark and late. Instead, try and promote a good work-life balance, offering things like reflexible schedules or remote/ hybrid work options where people can choose if they want to be in the office full time or part time. Respect people’s boundaries too, so don’t email out of hours unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. You should also consider giving generous PTO and making sure your employees use the days off that are given to them.
Recognize and reward your employees
If you are working for someone, put your all into a project but get absolutely nothing back, not only are you going to be unwilling to ever do that again, but you are also more likely to bad mouth the company to those you know and start to look for another role where you will be recognized. To stop this from being an issue, make sure you always recognize when your employees do well and reward them for this. It can go a long way!
Offer office perks and good amenities
As well as having a good workspace for people to enjoy, you should also consider the office perks and amenities. Do you have a coffee machine for example? A hot water tap? You could consider adding in free snacks for workers, coffee or perhaps catered lunches. If your building is big enough and there is enough of you, why not add onsite gym access or wellness programs? You could also look into things such as being pet-friendly, or helping out your employees with getting support for their childcare. Some companies add a creche to help those that work with them be able to do so once they have a baby.
These are just a few things that show you not only just why having a positive workplace is important, but also what you can do to improve it. When you run a business, the physical and mental wellbeing of your employees is key and you want to make sure you do what you can to help them feel positive and want to work. What are some top tips you have for making your office a good place to work? Whether offering a fully hybrid or full-time environment for people to work in, the focus needs to be the same. Let us know your tips in the comments below.
