In any workplace, focusing on business essentials is vital. No doubt you spend hours on building up your brand awareness and developing new services and products for your valued customers, but one thing that often goes overlooked is the way in which the workplace environments affects employees.
The environment around us has a major impact on how we feel and nowhere is this more important than in the workplace. When employees feel that their office is welcoming, they have better morale and become more productive. If you’re keen to make your workspace a more energised and productive environment, here are six expert tips to point you in the right direction.
Increase Natural Light
Humans need natural light to increase vitamin D. This guards against a host of diseases and disorders, including depression. Evidence has shown that employees working with lots of natural light feel more energetic and have higher productivity compared with those who work in artificial lighting. It also helps to guard against poor eyesight and, as an added advantage, you can save on energy bills!
Regulating Temperatures
Getting the temperature right for your office can be a challenge, with some staff preferring it cool and others wanting it warmer. The human brain is only capable of tolerating small temperature changes before the body kicks in and counteracts that change by gaining or losing heat. When this happens, we experience mood changes and our concentration levels decrease. You should try to keep your temperature to between 24-25 degrees Celsius during the summer months and around 17-19 degrees Celsius during the winter. Trying to maintain fresh air flow through the office is also helpful.
Music Boosts Productivity
If you allow music in your office, you should make sure that the songs that you select boost productivity. There are many playlists available on Apple Music and Spotify for this purpose. Also, ensure the office is properly double glazed so unwanted outside noise is blocked out.
Consider Colour
Colours impact on mood in several ways. This means that if you get the colour scheme right in your office you can increase productivity. Some of the best colours to choose include:
- Orange for creativity
- Yellow for intellect
- Red for energy
- Blue for calming
- Green for healing
Ergonomics
Offices with good ergonomics design reduce incidences of musculoskeletal problems and also boost productivity and performance levels. Choosing the right furniture to benefit staff is always a good idea, with stand/sit desks, adjustable chairs and ergonomic wrist-rests are just some of the ways in which you can improve this element of your workspace.
Keeping It Clean
Cleanliness is key to productivity in the workplace. An office which is unhygienic will result in illnesses among the staff which lowers productivity, and a cluttered workspace is distracting which, again, reduces performance levels. Keeping the office as clean and tidy as possible is therefore essential and the best way to ensure this is to hire a reliable cleaning company. North Kent Cleaning is here to make sure your workplace is spotless at all times.