Welp MagazineYour work environment has an impact on your employees’ motivation, performance, and mood. If the members of your team work in a dreary office setting, they will likely feel unhappy and unproductive. That’s why improving the work environment is vital to your company’s success.
Here are 6 tips that will help you create a positive work environment and boost employee morale.
Make the Office Space Comfortable
A clean and relaxing workspace can have a big influence on employee productivity and motivation. So, think about what you can do to make the office more comfortable and attractive.
Try to improve the atmosphere with comfy furniture and relaxing seating areas. According to a survey, employees who think their work furniture is bad are 3x more likely to consider their work environment less motivating and oftentimes depressing.
Consider allowing everyone to work wherever they are comfortable or letting them choose whether they want to sit or stand at their desks. Another thing you can do is provide simple and cheap stuff such as plants and exercise balls. If possible, give everyone a budget to customize their own working area and allow them to take breaks as they deem necessary.
Hire the Right People
Successful companies are well aware that a positive work environment begins with hiring the right people. No matter how beautiful your office looks, it will mean little if your employees aren’t professional and team players. When people work with toxic coworkers, they’re likely to become toxic themselves, turning your entire company into a toxic work environment, which will definitely be felt by your customers as well.
So, take your time when hiring new employees, making to evaluate their character, not just their talent. You can also check up on the applicant’s references to see what they were like in their previous job.
Finally, don’t be afraid to let bad employees go. The rest of your team members will thank you.
Make Sure Your Employees are Properly Equipped
Make sure your employees have the right tools to best perform their job. While inventive team-building games and inspirational morning briefs can work, they are only effective if you have already covered the basics.
Giving your employees the tools they need to do their job is about more than just ensuring that they have desk space and a working computer. It’s about making sure that they have every relevant tool and resource their job position requires.
For instance, while many companies can get by with a standard printer for printing out documents, if your marketing department needs to print out posters, flyers, and promotional materials, large format printing is what they need in order to ensure they are able to produce amazing results at large sizes.
Make Time for Fun
Be sure to reward your staff members for hitting important milestones or achieving crucial goals. Celebrate each successful project completion and big win with an office party or a virtual party if your team members work remotely. This shows that you recognize your employees’ efforts and are willing to do anything to keep them happy, motivated, and satisfied.
Don’t forget about the holidays. There are tons of awesome virtual holiday party ideas online that can help include those that work from home, build a positive employee experience, boost motivation, and foster a sense of connection among all your workers.
Improve Communication
Make sure to pay special attention to how your upper management communicates with your employees. Consider offering each team member regular feedback on how their work contributes to the broader company objectives. Don’t forget to show gratitude for their hard work too. Employees feel valued and motivated when their efforts are recognized. Sometimes, even a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way.
In addition, try to involve your employees in decision-making and ask for their opinion. Involving staff in decision-making can make your business stronger. Not only will your team members supply new ideas but will also feel appreciated.
Improve the Lighting
Last but not the least, focus on the lighting. Studies have shown that lighting plays a crucial role in employee attitude and performance and 80% of office workers said that having good lighting in their workspace is important to them. Exposure to natural light boosts energy, improves mood, and has a positive impact on mental health, productivity, and focus.
Natural light is one of the things you should take advantage of. However, if this isn’t doable, there are other options. Blue-enriched light bulbs are proven to reduce tiredness and boost performance. In break and meeting rooms, warmer lighting will promote relaxation and calmness, whereas, middle tones will make employees feel welcome while keeping them alert in conference rooms.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right employees is hard enough as it is. Once you have managed to do that, you will want to ensure that they’re motivated. If the work environment is toxic, it is going to make it difficult for the members of your team to be productive, regardless of how qualified and experienced they might be. Fortunately, these 6 tips can help you improve the workplace environment to keep your employees motivated and happy.
