Competition to employ the best talent in companies has become fiercer than ever, keeping your employees motivated, happy and healthy is your top priority in the war against decreased employee productivity. Your first line of defence starts right in your office.
Give them food and they\’ll give you the world
Remember that saying “The key to a man\’s heart is through his stomach?”, well the same applies to employees. Keeping them fed and not worrying about their hunger pains is a great employee productivity technique, don\’t believe me? Google\’s Chicago\’s office is fully stocked with an abundance of food. “We want to be the best place in the world to work,” says Jim Lecinski, the VP of Sales and Service at Google. “At Google, as well as at any company, culture can and should be a competitive advantage.” In terms of incorporating food into the work dynamic,Lecinski says, “The part of our space that gets the most comment from visitors is the café.”
Think about what your kitchen looks like, could it do with a few improvements to make your employees feel more comfortable? Every now and again treat your employees to a lunch, a burger, doughnuts, sweets and pretty much any type of food you can think of. This small gesture will be appreciated and will motivate them.
Boost productivity by limiting, but not eliminating distractions
“All workers have trouble with distractions in the workplace to some degree. The key is to limit those distractions as much as possible.” says Andy Teach author of From Graduation to Corporation. The occasional distraction is actually healthy. We all need to take our minds off work for a few moments, but the key is to maintain a balance and not create instances where there are too many distractions.
Having colleagues move around you can prove annoying, to minimise distraction consider setting up glass partitions covered with window decals, which still allow plenty of light and a feeling of airiness, but allow for increased privacy. But don\’t get stuck in your cubicle, take regular breaks by going to the canteen or converse at the coffee machine to rest your eyes and your mind.
Rise up against an open-plan layout
Research shows that an open plan office layout is the cause of much employee stress and should be considered an employee productivity no no. Most employees claim that noise is to blame for their lack of concentration. A team of researchers at Stockholm University\’s Stress Research Institute found that women in particular are at a higher risk of taking more sick leave due to this. This is a scenario any manager would want to avoid.
According to the researcher\’s hypothesis, the reason for this is the “lower potential to exert control” and the lack of privacy and freedom. Employees feel exposed and are constantly acting a certain way they believe to be office appropriate, instead of being able to let their hair down from time-to-time and relax their minds. Employee productivity can increase simply by putting glass dividers around the office.
The correct lighting can brighten your day
From an employee\’s perspective poor lighting in the workplace could cause health problems such as eye-strain, headaches and stress, leaving your employees more prone to making mistakes because of their discomfort.
You can reduce this by placing frosted window film on your windows, which eliminates glare without blocking natural light from entering your office. Research shows that too much artificial light could be detrimental to employee productivity, but with window film you can maintain the ideal balance of light.
Read more about how frosted window film can improve your office experience.
Image Credit: https://blog.getkisi.com
