Understanding How Office Design Affects Morale

If your workers are lacking motivation and productivity has decreased, it could be that your office design is to blame. Did you know that the physical environment of the workplace can have a significant impact on your staff members’ happiness and overall job satisfaction? When bearing in mind that many workers spend more of their waking hours at work than they do at home, it’s important to make sure that they feel as comfortable and content as possible. The good news is that there are plenty of simple changes and updates you can make to your office to put a smile back on your workers’ faces and create a more positive company culture. If you want to find out more about how office design affects morale, this simple guide should provide you with some useful information. Space Space plays an important role in employee mood. Workers who don’t have enough room to perform their tasks efficiently can easily become frustrated and stressed. Working in a cramped space can make people feel claustrophobic and hemmed in, which can soon begin to have a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. Not only is this bad news for performance and engagement, but it can also lead to low job satisfaction and increased absenteeism. To ensure that your workforce have enough space to work comfortably, remember to keep space in mind when designing your office. Desks should have plenty of work surface and storage capacity so that employees can carry out their tasks in an organised and clutter-free environment. If your office is lacking square footage, take advantage of natural light and avoid using partitions to help create the illusion of additional space. Space-saving furniture solutions such as corner desks and under-desk pedestals can also help you to create a more practical and efficient workspace. Layout When it comes to keeping your workers happy and motivated, you’ll also need to think carefully about the layout of your office. Open plan workspaces can be a great way to encourage collaboration, promote a sense of camaraderie among co-workers and improve worker relationships. However, the noise levels and constant distractions that come with shared workspaces can be stressful and frustrating and make it difficult for employees to focus on individual tasks. Meanwhile, private offices and cubicles can be useful for promoting concentration, but they can also hinder integration, communication and team bonding. If you want your personnel to feel engaged and function to the best of their ability, you’ll need to give them a choice in how they work. To do this, it’s a good idea to provide a combination of both open and private spaces. Using office screens and room partitions is a quick and easy way to create private work zones in open plan spaces, allowing employees to have the option of their own personal space while still being able to interact with others when they want. By giving your staff this added flexibility and the freedom to choose how and where they work, you stand to improve morale and raise job satisfaction. Lighting The importance of lighting is often overlooked in workplace design, which can prove to be a costly mistake. As well as making it easier to work, a well lit room can help towards creating a more positive atmosphere. It’s well known that exposure to natural light can improve mood and enhance productivity. Poor lighting, on the other hand, can lead to increased stress levels, fatigue, headaches and even depression. With that in mind, it’s essential to try and utilise as much sunlight as possible. Ideally, workers’ desks should be positioned next to windows or in view of a window. When it comes to artificial light, opt for bulbs that replicate natural light rather than using fluorescent lights. To prevent headaches and eyestrain, you should also make sure there is no glare on computer screens caused by exterior or interior light. Storage Another crucial element of a well designed office is storage. A workspace that is cluttered and disorganised can be extremely frustrating and reduce overall efficiency. Not only can it make employees take less pride in their work, but it can also suggest that you don’t care about providing them with a pleasant working environment, which can have a damaging effect on morale. If you want to keep your workers’ spirits high and maintain a clean and tidy office space, invest in plenty of storage solutions. This could include shelving systems, under desk drawers, coat rails and filing systems. However, it is also worth making sure that your workers keep their own personal workspaces organised at all times and ensuring that everything has been put away in its proper place at the end of each day. Décor The way you choose to decorate your workplace can also have a significant impact on morale. Let’s face it, there is nothing more demotivating and uninspiring than working in a dull, bland office space. For employees to feel engaged with their roles and produce a high standard of work, their surroundings need to be personalised, stimulating and pleasing to the eye. There have been plenty of studies to show that different shades can influence mood and energy levels - which is worth bearing in mind when you come to choose your colour scheme. Calming hues like blues and greens are thought to stimulate creativity and productivity, while bright colours can bolster energy and alertness. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to overhaul your entire décor scheme. Start by looking for opportunities to inject subtle hints of colour into the space, such as with wall art, furniture or even plants. It is also a good idea to let employees have some say over the way their office looks. Allowing them to add personal touches to their workspace can help to instil a sense of pride and make them feel more connected to the company. These are just a few examples of the ways in which you can use the office environment to improve worker mood and morale. For more ideas on how to create an inspiring workspace, why not take a look around our site and browse our selection of high-quality office furniture today?

September 12, 2016 | View: 487 | Categories: ROOT