Office Requirements Guide
One of the most important, and commonly overlooked, modulators of productivity in the office environment is the environment itself. A well set up office can really boost the work output of your employees, as well as allowing them a chance to be maximally efficient whilst carrying out their designated tasks. As the office is such a dynamic place, it pays to ensure that its overall design works for your employees, and that the finer details of the design are comfortable to them. Some information regarding the most important details to be considered when planning out an office, or indeed modifying an existing one, can be found under the headings below.
Comfortable furniture
Uncomfortable office chairs undoubtedly harm productivity. Making sure that your employees have comfortable and ergonomic furniture will reduce the number of breaks required, and thereby increase useful work output. As well as comfortable chairs, many offices are now beginning to tactically place armchairs and couches in break areas around the office so that staff have somewhere to fully relax during their breaks.
An appropriate desk
A desk which is too small is the bane of any office worker. In a similar way, one which is too large can also be a burden, with employees stretching to reach the essentials and movement around the environment becoming cumbersome as the size of the furniture increases. For this reason, it is important to invest in an appropriately sized desk with plenty of storage space. Corner desks can also vastly increase usable desk and storage space, while partially sealing off a section of space which employees can make entirely their own.
Streamlined common workstations
Not all office equipment can be made available to each employee individually. Making the most of easy-to-use common workstations, consisting of printers, scanners, and other essential devices, is of the utmost importance. Integrating convenient items, such as coffee machines and microwaves, into shared workstations can also boost employee morale, helping them to work in a more comfortable environment and make the most of the working day. If well designed, these workstations can be incredibly convenient. However, when designed poorly, workstations such as these can result in a severe bottleneck of productivity stemming from numerous employees being forced to queue to use the devices located at these workstations. Pull print services and centrally located consoles are one way to achieve this flow and maximise employee productivity at common locations.
Calming colours
Harsh colour schemes are often distracting to employees who wish to concentrate on work. Pastel colours and shades of white are often the best way to maximise productivity from your employees, as these colours will both brighten up the workspace and provide a clear and calming environment for distraction free work.
A safe environment
Office floors are frequently covered in a meshwork of cables connecting various workstations and terminals. Sinking covered cable wells into the floors and walls of the office make it look much tidier and provide a safer environment for office workers moving throughout the space. Ensuring cables run safely in their own channels also prevents frustrating situations whereby data is lost as a result of a co-worker tripping over a power or network cable. The clean and safe environment fostered by a cable-free floor will help your employees to be more positive, more productive, and less weary of painful accidents.
Appropriate lighting
If office lighting is too dim, simple tasks such as looking at paperwork or a computer monitor can become a strain. Additionally, dim lighting can encourage accidents when combined with an unsafe office environment, resulting in the potential for employees to trip over objects strewn on the floor. On the other hand, overly bright lighting makes gazing at white paperwork an uncomfortable experience, leading to headaches brought on by squinting at documents all day. Furthermore, multiple sources of bright light can cast distracting shadows across the office. To ensure employee comfort, it is vital to carefully choose the optimal lighting system for your office space.
By giving careful thought to the layout of your office, employees will be encouraged to work more safely, efficiently, and cooperatively. Employees working in a complimentary environment are much more likely to work enthusiastically and give their best to a company which endeavours to make their hours at work as comfortable as possible.