Since the office is where all your employees will most likely be spending most of their day, the environment should be comfortable and should foster creativity, productivity, and promote their well-being. Everyone is happier when they’re comfortable, and having an office space they like is one way to make everyone comfortable.
Make your office open-concept
While there are rumblings that open-concept offices are easily distracting, cubicles can make employees feel isolated and closed-off. You want to avoid those feelings, especially in creative offices, because that isn’t conducive to good work and out-of-the-box thinking.
Have desks situated in big, open rooms and give employees enough space to customise and personalise their work area. If you want to make it feel more like a personal workspace, you can put dividers up between desks, but make sure they aren’t blocking out any natural light or cutting employees off from each other completely. This way, your employees can work together and collaborate easier, and the entire office has a more cohesive feeling.
Have ‘fun’ areas
Having spaces at work where employees can take a break, kick back, and have room to think are essential to having happy and productive workers. It’s pretty trendy these days to have some sort of recreational activity in the office, like a ping pong table, but you can explore other ideas, like fun decor, pops of vibrant colour, interesting furniture like bean bag chairs and pillows, and of course, a fully stocked mini-fridge full of snacks and beverages.
It’s tempting to think employees will waste a lot of time playing games or hanging out and chatting, but a person who’s given space often feels compelled to do better work, especially if their brains are rested and they feel relaxed.
Have a family-style kitchen
If you have space, having a kitchen that’s a more open concept with a lot of seating areas can really change the dynamic of the whole office. Encouraging breaking for lunch improves employee productivity as well, giving them a chance to detach for a bit and unwind from the stresses of the workday so they can get back after lunch feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the afternoon.
Stock up on some appliances like a coffee maker or French press, a blender, and a toaster oven to encourage employees to eat healthily or bring their own lunch that they can cook at work, as opposed to eating takeout every day. Have some water coolers spread throughout the office as well, so employees can get up and get a drink, stretch their legs, and maybe chat for a few minutes with their colleagues.
Have quality seating
Whether it’s the desk chairs, the break room loungers, or the kitchen chairs around the table, you want to get comfortable and quality seating. Everyone will be sitting at their desks for most of the workday, so having ergonomic seating can really make a difference. Not to mention having trendy looking furniture makes employees feel like they’re being taken care of and their needs aren’t being overlooked, which boring, drab office furniture can do.
