For today’s employees, an office space is more than simply a place to show up for 8 hours per day to do a job and then go home. People have learned that for a place that you spend such a large portion of your waking hours, you need to want to go there, enjoy being there, and feel comfortable when you are at work. For employees who feel this way, they will be happier and more productive which is good for the business and it’s customers.
So how do you achieve this utopia? It depends upon the type of business that you have and what type of work that your employees do. Consider options such as
- Open floor plan
- Natural light
- Collaborative areas for people to congregate and work
- Escape rooms for people to get some down time
- An area for employees to blow off some steam like a game room
There is a lot of discussion around the benefits or detriments of an open floor plan. If you decide go this way, be sure people have enough places to escape when employees need to. Also, use sound controlling technology t help reduce any audible interference with their focus and concentration.
You should also consider “branding” your new office. You can use the colors from your brand’s color palette to paint the walls and differentiate conference rooms. You should decorate with things that are core to your business success such as your corporate core values. Overall, make sure that your new office space is unique to your organization and it makes your employees feel “at home”.
Michael Giuffrida from Southington CT has been operating businesses since 1997. He is an experienced entrepreneur in business management, profitable growth, business valuation, mergers and acquisitions, and information technology managed services.
I like a home feel to my work surroundings. Another thing for consideration, something I have been seeing a lot of popping up, is the convertible desk that offers a standing position as well as sitting. This improves circulation of the legs, etc. which is especially appealing to those like myself who have that issue.
Color is important to me, for me a color can be the difference between a new refreshing start to every day or a droll boring beginning that makes every day feel like a Monday. Haha.
Thanks Mike.
I like the open concept offices however it’s much easier for employees to become distracted. I think it’s important to have areas where an employee can close a door or minimize distractions when they are working on tasks that need their entire focus.
I have never been a fan of the open concept. Too much distraction and lack of privacy.But the more I hear of them, the more I am apt to work in that atmosphere. However, there must be plenty of space for privacy that employees can use as they need. When working on a special project, quiet and privacy are most important. Plus we all have bad days and peace and quiet are most essential to be productive.
Having a comfortable, nice place to work makes really does make a difference when we spend such a significant amount of our day at work. We put a ton of time into our homes, we should invest in our office space to make it comfortable and conducive to productivity and general well-being. It’s certainly not encouraging to go to work in a somber environment every day. The small things really do make a difference!