At a business, human beings are your most valuable resource. A skilled employee is the most difficult piece of your puzzle to replace. You have to try to find someone who fits the needed job skills, fits in with the office culture, plans to stick around for a while, and can work for what you are offering. It’s incredibly difficult, because there’s no way of knowing any of that for sure. As circumstances change, employees might turn out to not be a great fit for your workplace culture, or might not actually have the needed skills. Because hiring great people is so difficult, you should make sure that you are retaining the great people you need. Also, research has shown that employees who have been at a job longer tend to do more work and do it more efficiently. They’re more skilled and they have more invested in the business. So how do you keep your employees around?
You’ve got to keep them comfortable and happy, and you’ve got to offer something that the competition doesn’t offer. That could be perks, benefits, more pay, or a different kind of workplace. Employees spend large chunks of their lives at their places of employment. Shouldn’t those places be comfortable, exciting, and inviting? That’s why so many businesses are moving towards professional office refurbishments & fit outs. A professional fit out or relocation is also a great way to save some money. There are many different innovative ideas that have come about to create happier employees. Some of them are no-brainers, and some of them are actually a little counterintuitive. Here is the first one, and it’s not what you’d expect.
Standing Up
Research has shown that employees who stand up regularly are actually happier, more energetic, and more productive than workers who sit for extended periods of time. Research has shown that sitting down for extended periods of time leads to nerve pain, blood flow issues, and various other health problems. In fact, it is so damaging that certain researchers call extended sitting ‘the new smoking’ because of how deadly it can be. The remedy, luckily, is just standing for a little while throughout the day.
To create healthier and more productive employees, all you need to do is get them to stand up. Many people who have hired professional fit out experts have chosen to go with standing desks to encourage their employees to stand up. These typically come in two varieties: adjustable and non-adjustable. Adjustable desks tend to be those in people’s offices, which they can raise and lower as they want. Non-adjustable desks tend to be things like meeting tables, copier room desks, and so on. They’re usually in communal spaces where people are only there for a few minutes.
Green Energy
Creating a greener workspace is actually another way that you can improve your relationships with customers as well as your employees. Remember, healthy and happy employees are the goal. A greener workspace pushes your business forward as a business that is on the cutting edge of new technologies and new concerns. Working towards a safer and healthier ecosystem is a common goal that can help create some unity with your employees. Also, green initiatives and policies tend to require a communal effort from the business and the employees, so it creates some solidarity. Click here for more information about making your workplace a little more eco-friendly.
An eco-friendly workplace is one that uses as few natural resources as possible and reduces the amount of net carbon it is releasing into the world. Much of that simply means you need to recycle as much as possible, and turn the lights off when no one is in the room. There’s more to it than that, though. If you hire professionals to help you refurbish your office or relocate you to a new office, they can help.
You have to hire a full-service group to help you if you want the most efficient refurbishment. These refurbishments involve small changes like recycling bins and more efficient light bulbs. They can also involve energy efficient HVAC systems, tint on windows, and even solar panels. You have to have a talented team of professionals to make sure they can make all of these changes for you and make them efficiently.
Comfort
Your employees probably care more than you think about how comfortable their furniture is. Most of them want a comfortable chair, but there are other concerns. For example, your employees might be working at computers with desks that are too low. If their desks are too low, they have to lean their heads forward and put undue strain on their necks. If their desks are too high, it puts a strain on the neck and shoulders. Professionals who specialise in creating great office spaces can really help you find a level of comfort that makes your employees more efficient. They’ll also have years of experience in the field, so they’ll probably think of things you never would have.
Amount of Light
Research has shown that the amount of light and the quality of light are very important for how your office works. You need a team of specialists to help you create the best possible lighting in your office. That same research has shown that employees tend to be most comfortable and productive with natural light from outside. An office fit out that maximises the amount of natural light would be best. There are also several different kinds of light bulbs and qualities of light bulbs that can mimic the softness of natural light. Fit out specialists are experts in different qualities of light.
Changing the way your office works and optimising your productivity can be accomplished through several different means. The physical features of your office such as the windows, furniture, and office spaces are actually incredibly important to the productivity in a workplace. That kind of workplace makes your employees more productive and happier, so they stay for longer and do better work.