How to Make Office Décor Boost Your Team’s Productivity
If you have set up the company office inside a damp basement, then you can’t expect your staff to perform to their best. There is an undeniable link between office décor and productivity that business owners have to pay attention to.
From ergonomic furniture to introducing plant life inside the office, here are the 10 best ways to make office décor boost your team’s productivity.
The furniture: It’s important where you sit
The average day at the office lasts 8 hours and most of this time workers spend sitting down. If you get just any chairs and desks for the office, people will soon start experiencing back pain and neck pain. Namely, all the furniture has to be ergonomic in design, i.e. it should be comfortable.
For example, office chairs should come equipped with headrests, the keyboard should be slightly elevated, and the desks should ideally be adjustable in terms of height. These improvements might seem small but they mean a world of difference to your staff.
Ergonomics should expand into the kitchen and the lounge as well. From sofas to stool, every piece of furniture should be comfortable. This way, workers won’t be distracted or complain all the time about how uncomfortable their chair or desk is.
Feeding the masses
The issue of meals at work isn’t a small thing and is intrinsically related to the topic of office décor. Namely, if you have decided not to force folks to leave the company to grab something to eat, then the kitchen needs to be furnished accordingly.
We are referring to throwing in a large fridge where people can store drinks and meals they have brought from home. Speaking of the latter, you will also need a stove or a microwave where workers can make everything from coffee to lunch.
The best solution in terms of food and drinks is to provide your own. Workers will still have the possibility to bring or make their own food but the fridge and cupboards will be stacked with ready-made meals and snacks. You can even through in a coffee machine with complimentary ground coffee.
Brief but frequent breaks
In order to drink a cup of coffee or eat their lunch, workers need a break from work. However, the policy of one or two longer breaks during the workday is not very smart. It is far wiser to allow workers to often take short breaks whenever they like.
For example, cigarette breaks are common but inside office buildings, workers often lack the proper space to light up. If there is a balcony outside the office, open it up or designate a smokers’ area inside the office. These décor changes might seem insignificant but they are vital for nicotine addicts on your team.
Team building at work
Every good HR expert will tell you that team-building activities are ideal for bonding and raising productivity in the long run. However, the timing and the location of team building is often problematic,
Namely, most people have families, so they cannot afford to leave their home for two days to go on a camping trip. The alternative is to hold team-building activities at work during office hours.
You should know this in advance and prepare a separate room for the party, workshop, trivia quiz, and all other fun activates. In most cases, this room is going to be the lounge.
A room for unwinding
Speaking of the lounge, this room is important for productivity level precisely because workers don’t do anything productive inside it. If you work in the creative industry, then you know that overworking your team won’t yield any result.
Quite the contrary, a team of creative people who are expected to produce ideals will be emotionally drained after brainstorming all day long. What they need is a room where they can rest in all ways imaginable.
Some folks like playing video games in their spare time, while others prefer to recline in a massage chair and let their worries vibrate away. The exact list of amenities that the lounge area should have depends on workers’ individual preferences when it comes to having fun and relaxing.
Let creativity thrive in the office
If you thought that expensive art pieces is what your office needs, then you are mistaken. The solution to decorating the walls in the office is right in front of you: use your workers’ skills. If you take the time to enquire, you will discover that there are poets, painters, and photographers, among your team.
Since you want to promote creativity in the office, establish a décor that will allow workers to artistically express themselves. For instance, a notice board can be converted into an oversized canvas for workers’ drawings, photos, and paintings.
Also, your team should have the freedom to decorate their office, cubicle, or desk any way they like. When it comes to the rest of the office, people should have a saying about the interior design of the space they spend 8 hours a day. Run a poll to see whether they like the new color you picked for the walls.
A green décor
We have mentioned earlier that the office balcony can be used by smokes but it should first be decorated. Since you work on the 5th floor or higher, greenery is scarce. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot introduce plant life on the balcony and inside the office as well.
Apart from looking after your eyesight (the color green) and breathing in oxygen, plant life is suitable for boosting productivity. Namely, workers can pick up trowels and water cans to nurture plants, helping them unwind in the most soothing way possible, surrounded by nature.
Brighten up the mood
Speaking of plants, they require two main ingredients to thrive, water and sunlight. The latter factor is important for human mood as well, so pay attention to the brightness level inside the office. As mentioned in the introduction, never rent office spaces that are situated below ground where there is little natural light.
In tall office buildings, the problem is the opposite scenario: there is too much light. Even if the insulation is impeccable, the AC needs to be cranked up, so use blinds whenever possible. Once you are able to master lighting levels, the mood in the office will brighten up, even on a dreary day.
The quiet zone
Modern offices can be hectic and more importantly, loud as heck. Office design has to take this information into account, so business owners have to plan for a quiet zone inside the office. In most cases, this is going to be the kitchen or the lounge but you can build a special room for relaxation.
In Japan, for instance, there are nap rooms in the office where workers can doze off. This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “sleeping on the job” but the quiet room should be a dormitory but rather boast a library-like atmosphere.
Interior design and brainstorming
Finally, office décor should harbor brainstorming in the best way possible. In most cases, this means that all the meeting rooms are soundproofed. However, you can go one step further and throw in one of the massage chairs we spoke about earlier inside the meeting room.
Lazy bags and bubble balls are also great seating options. The whole idea is for interior design to make workers feel as relaxed as possible, so they can be productive intellectually.
Boosting your team’s productivity is a precarious task because there are many factors at play. Office décor is definitely one of them, especially in creative industries. Being able to rest well translates into improved productivity once the workers return to his or her desk.
Author Bio:
Mike is an Australian business consulting specialist. He’s working with companies that outsource their IT maintenance. He often writes about technology, business and marketing and is a regular contributor on several websites.