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Designing a Corporate Office that Inspires Client Productivity
Courtesy of www.businessnewsdaily.com Where clients work matters: An office can impact employees’ performance, mood and efficiency. If your client’s employees are cramped in a plain room with hard chairs and fluorescent lights, they probably won’t be as motivated as they would be in an open space with large windows and private cubicles.
“Creating different workspace environments within one office adds great flexibility,” said Warren Bricknell, managing director at Dale Office Interiors and co-owner of Scaletronic. “Having quiet areas, collaboration areas and sometimes even game areas can really help employees to perform at their best. It’s about having choice to work in a way that best suits the task on hand.”
Here are five ways to create a workplace for your client that’s designed for employee productivity.
Delegate a space for relaxation.
Providing a place to escape office stressors is crucial to get the most from a client’s employees. These spaces can serve many purposes, like lunch spots and informal meeting rooms. They can also be used to relieve eyestrain from staring at a screen or neck and back tension from sitting in one place.
“Today, people really want space to relax at work,” said Bricknell. “These spaces can come in all shapes and sizes but allow employees to feel more comfortable, express themselves and collaborate better with their peers at work.”
Offer quiet spaces for private work.
Just as employees need a place to relax, they also need somewhere secluded to get work done.
“Everyone seems to be struggling with workplace privacy,” said Meg O’Neil, design manager of applications marketing at office furniture retailer Steelcase. “It’s affecting engagement, performance and job satisfaction.”
Some employees handle disruptions better than others, but being in the middle of a hectic office can hinder performance and make employees feel more stressed. If a worker needs to focus on an assignment or even just take a personal call, they should have somewhere to go to do so.
“In any office, having a variety of workspaces that are suited to different work styles and tasks is the key to ensuring that every employee can do his or her best work,” O’Neil said. She added that, since individually owned workspaces are getting smaller with fewer boundaries, it’s crucial to make a series of interdependent spaces in an office ecosystem.
Invest in better technology or create better efficiency.
Even the simplest of advancements or changes in technology, like faster Wi-Fi or touchscreen tablets, are increasing demand for a more agile workplace.
Since people can work anywhere, it’s smart to provide a space that employees are happy coming to, said Morris Levy, co-founder of co-working space The Yard. Clients will want to offer the best technology their company can afford to retain talent.
“The tough thing is finding the right balance,” said Bricknell. “Each business is different, so it’s the job of the management to decide on what changes need to be made to the workspace to keep up with trend yet still meet the requirements of employees.”
Creating better and more efficient ways of getting this done can also contribute to this. This could mean creating a tech-savvy desk that makes it easier for a client’s employees to have a printer, scanner or drawing tablet connected to their computer or laptop. Creating one desk that allows for easy conversations and discussions between chains of command also results in more efficient work flow. Salvocorp Staron can be moulded to create a funky desk design that is both efficient and creative, inspiring productivity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Provide access to natural light.
Employees spend a lot of time indoors. There’s a reason people tend to be happier when it’s bright and sunny rather than dreary and grey. If your client’s office is a dull place with limited natural light, their workers might be snoozing by lunchtime.
According to a study by Cornell University’s Professor Alan Hedge, access to natural light increases alertness. In fact, workers in offices with smart glass reported a 56 percent decrease in drowsiness.
“Lack of daylight and access to views decreases the ability for the eye to relax and recover from fatigue,” said Dr. Brandon Tinianov, chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s advisory council and vice president of industry strategy at View, in the press release. “Despite their best intentions, companies are unwittingly detracting from their employees’ health and performance by limiting their access to natural light.”
The report found that employees with optimized daylight exposure experienced a 2 percent increase in productivity. To break it down, that is equivalent to an additional $100,000 [ +-R1300 ] per year for every 100 workers. Creating a large window seat using Staron can provide both a place of quiet and increase natural light. Employees can use this space to work for a short while and get fresh light, or just to enjoy their lunch break. Either way, the natural light and the relaxing window seat will allow employees to recharge and get those productivity levels up.
Add artwork
Adding personality to a workspace can inspire and motivate employees. Whether it’s a photo of their family or a poster of the company’s favourite quote, any aesthetically pleasing art is good for the mind.
“It’s proven that working in a space surrounded by artwork leads to an increase in creativity,” said Jenna Berman, marketing and communications specialist at Nations Photo Lab. “Not to mention, if you’re meeting with clients, it makes your space feel more welcoming and professional.”
Berman recommended experimenting with pen and notepad organizers, peel-and-stick wallpaper for your desk, and even personalized mugs. Encourage your client to enforce this with employees to do the same with their individual workspaces.
Creating interesting art pieces with materials that are typically used for countertops or floors, may also inspire creativity in employees. Salvocorp’s range of products, including FunderMax to create artistic walls, and Staron that can be moulded to any shape or design art piece, will help you create a work space for your client that will not only look great, but will also reignite their employees. Visit www.salvocorp.com for more information.
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