It’s easy to lose track of the various innovations that have taken hold in workplace design over the last two decades. In the early 2000s, cubicle farms were increasingly jettisoned in favor of open-plan spaces, while the 2010s led more companies to set up the likes of ping pong tables.
As a business owner, you know your workers better than anyone else; therefore, you also probably know what especially soothes them. Still, you can’t go far wrong with these workplace elements…
Air filtration systems
You probably already have a fair few workplace policies, such as banning smoking and keeping spaces free of clutter, that bode well for the air quality in your office. However, you could go even further by installing air filtration systems, as Forbes contributor Alan Kohll suggests.
The World Green Building Council has conducted research indicating that productivity can rise by 11% at a workstation with an improved supply of fresh air. Therefore, don’t be afraid to open a few windows and decorate the office with some plants, too.
Improved lighting options
You have a strong interest in making sure your office is well-illuminated. When employees are exposed to a larger amount of natural lighting, they become happier and more energetic, with positive implications for their focus and productivity.
All the same, almost half of office workers reportedly lack natural lighting in their workplace, according to one survey mentioned by Business News Daily. Therefore, think about fitting skylights in your office and preventing bulky furniture from blocking windows through which light can enter.
Many different areas in which to work
If you currently require each member of your staff to approach and sit down at the same workstation every day, boredom could too easily set in. Therefore, you should give your staff a choice of where exactly to work – and when – in your office.
Make workstations inviting by providing comfortable seating and allowing staff to choose whether to sit or stand at the desk. You could also allow each staffer to customize their work area.
On-site spa amenities
Naturally, you want to attract the most talented candidates to your company, and introducing an array of employee perks could help you to do that. Forbes contributor Brock Blake suggests 21 of these perks, including on-site spa services, which employees could use as and when to relieve stress.
With an in-house masseuse at close hand in a dedicated spa room, your workers can more easily lower their stress levels and so cut out mistakes.
On-site gym
You shouldn’t underestimate the importance of making it easier for your recruits to improve their physical, rather than simply mental, health on-site. Working out can increase both happiness and motivation in your employees, who could also come up with great ideas while in the gym.
Naturally, you would need to set aside some room for that gym – but, by approaching office design experts, you can more easily free up the space required without necessarily compromising how well people can work outside of the gym.
