Simple Office Improvements to Keep Your Employees Happy

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Employees are the backbone of success in any small to medium business or company. This is because much of the business operations rely on their productivity and efficiency. However, your team may not be productive if they’re not happy about the workplace in the first place. The good thing is that aside from recognizing good performance, offering rewards and promising promotion, there are a few things you can do to turn your employees into a jovial lot in beast mode when it comes to productivity. These include changing things around at the office in a bid to create a more conducive and inspiring environment.

Here are a few simple office improvements to keep your employees happy and fulfilled while at work.

Invest in The Right Furniture

A lot of office work involves sitting for long hours. Well, this is a common cause of workplace injuries like back pain, neck strain, and general body fatigue. In most cases, these are posture-related and occur when sitting on workstations that aren’t comfortable and ergonomic. The first thing you’ll want to do to keep your employees happy is to ensure your office furniture is ergonomic, especially chairs. The best chairs for modern-day offices should be adjustable to the individual’s body and their own preferences such as height and inclination. For taller people, you’d also need well-padded chairs with taller backrests and adjustable seat height as well as sturdy construction. This spares your employees from office-related injuries that otherwise affect happiness and productivity. You may also want to consider introducing standing desks to limit the amount of time some of your employees sit in the office.

Ensure Air Quality

Without a constant supply of quality air in the office, your employees could suffer from the Sick Building Syndrome, which is often associated with symptoms like fatigue, headache, and coughing. Poor ventilation can be a huge cause of low employee morale, productivity, and performance. To keep your team happy about their workplace, you’ll want to keep an eye on your office ventilation, changing air filters regularly and introducing air purifiers if need be. This also prevents indoor air pollution.

Add Some Live Office Plants

Nothing has a stronger therapeutic effect than nature. According to studies, adding some green plants into your office can effectively improve your team’s happiness level. They get to feel better about their jobs and their work environment.

Take Care of Lighting

Light also has a huge effect on our happiness levels. In workplaces that are too dark, employees tend to feel sleepier and lazier. A few studies have shown that natural light can actually improve productivity in an office setting. If you’re a bit short on natural light from outside, you may want to have plant light bulbs, full-spectrum bulbs, or lighting fixtures that resemble natural light installed strategically throughout your office.

Add Some Color

Colors are also important as far as a person’s happiness level and mood in a room are concerned. In this case, you’ll want to work closely with an interior designer since the best color for your office will depend on the kind of work your employees do. However, shades of green and blue tend to have a calming effect and can be great for offices where focus and concentration are most required.

Add an Inspiration Wall

This one is an age-old trick that always works to boost morale in workplaces. It involves choosing one of the walls in your office and hanging idol images or quotes from some of the greatest achievers in your industry. Your staff members will definitely get a spike of motivation whenever they look at the wall, even without their knowledge.

Office Kitchen

Working from 9 to 5 can be overly exhausting to the mind and body. Your employees will need a snack or two at various times of the day to boost their energy levels. And as they say, a hungry man is an angry man! Having a dedicated kitchen in your office for your employees to make tea, coffee or warm their snacks can go a long way in boosting their satisfaction and happiness levels in the office. It’s one of the best ways to improve employee productivity. The kitchen can also serve as a break room where your employees can take short breaks in between tasks during the day to recharge and relax.

Soundproofing

Noise distractions can be a huge blow to employee productivity. As a matter of fact, very few people would feel happy working in a noisy environment. Soundproofing can be a great way to introduce calm and reduce outside noise in the office. Alternatively, you could get noise-canceling headphones for your employees in case your budget doesn’t allow you to soundproof the entire office.

And there you have it! These are just a few improvements you could do around the office without necessarily having to spend so much. While some will cost a significant amount of money, this is an investment that will pay itself back before you know it. Therefore, go ahead and make your employees happier with the few tips above.