09 Aug 2016

5 quick wins to improve your office environment

You might be the kind of employer who takes your employees on team-bonding trips. You might even give them free fruit to support their health and wellbeing and help keep their energy levels up. But if their daily working environment isn’t the most inspiring of places, it could be dragging them down.

Workers in the UK are the least satisfied with their office ambience, according to new research by workplace solutions provider Steelcase.

The way offices are designed can have a big impact on performance and, when done right, they’ll help you get the best out of your workforce. We’ve looked at some quick (and cheap) wins that can help you make your office space more appealing.

1) Work some design magic – create a chill-out space

Everyone needs to unwind and it’s important to take regular screen breaks. Provide somewhere for your staff to relax and interact with colleagues without disturbing those who are still working.

Chill-out spaces are not only good for alleviating stress; they might just spark an unscheduled brainstorming session. If you’re short of room, create a makeshift lounge. Place extra, comfier chairs around the office to encourage time away from desks.

2) Make the most of natural light

Flickering fluorescent lights and dark, dingy offices are common gripes among workers. The Steelcase survey shows that 32% of UK workers are unhappy with the light intensity of their office.

Bad lighting can cause headaches, eyestrain and fatigue. Open blinds where possible, as long as light doesn’t reflect on computer screens, and open doors of meeting rooms that are blocking the light. If there really are no options for natural light, encourage staff to take frequent breaks outside and put up pictures of the natural world.

3) Sniff out the right aroma

Believe it or not, the smell of your office can have a significant effect on performance. Research carried out by the Takasago Corporation, Japan's biggest producer of fragrances, found that 54% of typists made fewer errors when they could smell lemon, while 33% made fewer mistakes with jasmine in the air and 20% with lavender.

Consider using air fresheners and diffusers in these scents to help your staff stay focused:

Lemon – promotes concentration
Pine – increases alertness
Lavender – has calming properties
Peppermint – improves mood
Jasmine – produces feelings of confidence, optimism and energy

4) Ditch the clutter with a good spring clean

A cluttered workspace can clutter the mind. If you haven’t gone paperless yet, now’s a good time to start.

Having a clean space is known to improve productivity and organisation. Make sure you have plenty of storage space for files and stationary you do need to keep.

If you do go paperless, put a system in place to organise your computer files and, more importantly, back them up.

5) Understand colour psychology

Being stuck in a boring office all day with only four white walls and fluorescent strip lighting is a killer for stimulation. Try adding some bright soft furnishings or bold artwork to liven the place up a bit.

To make the best use of colour in your office, think about what would benefit your team the most. Blues and greens evoke a calm atmosphere, but too much of them may slow productivity. You might find adding a splash of red, orange or yellow increases the energy flow.

So give some of these a go, or perhaps even check in with your employees and see what might work for them. Offering them the opportunity to make a change to their office space could also help to boost morale and motivation.

This article was provided by Unum.