Office Design Ideas that Will Improve Employee Morale

Employee morale is very important because the overall attitude and happiness of your employees has a major effect on their productivity and motivation, and, ultimately, your bottom line. This is why finding ways to improve employee morale is very important to your success.

There are a number of ways that you can create an enjoyable working environment and motivate your employees. One of the major factors that you can effect is the design of the office working environment. Your employees spend all day in your office, so the atmosphere of this place will have a major impact on their mood. An office that is pleasant to work in will result in a more focused and productive team, compared to an office environment that is unenjoyable and draining. Also, if there are any elements in your office design that are distracting or awkward – this can cause performance to suffer.

Here are some tips to keep in mind that will help you to improve your employee morale:

Improve the Lighting

There has been a lot of research that has suggested that natural lighting can help to increase mood, focus, and productivity in the workplace. When people are exposed to natural light, they tend to feel more alert and they will report a greater sense of well-being. The more natural lighting you can allow into the workplace, the happier and more productive your workers will be. Try to keep your curtains and blinds open during the day to let natural sunlight in.

If your employees are working outside of daylight hours or it’s dreary and grey outside, you can also replace your light bulbs with special lights that will offer a full spectrum – simulating the experience of real sunlight.

Offer Refreshments

Providing workplace refreshments will also help to improve employee morale and productivity. After all, it’s difficult to concentrate on your work when you are hungry! A simple way to do this is to install vending machines, which make it easy for staff to grab a drink or a snack whenever they need it without having to leave the workplace. There are many different types of NJ food vending machines to choose from, offering both healthy and indulgent treats for your employees to snack on during the day.

Provide Private Workplaces

The current trend at the moment is for collaborative working and open-plan offices. This can be a great thing, because it allows employees to discuss with each other and brainstorm as a group. However, there are times throughout the day when employees need to be able to concentrate and work in silence – such as when they are completing a project on their own. If employees are trying to complete a solitary task in an open area with many distractions, they could find themselves getting frustrated. If you can, provide private work spaces where employees can wear headphones and shut out all external distractions.

Choose Good Quality Office Furniture

The type of office furniture that your employees are sitting on is very important. A poorly designed chair or desk can cause back, shoulder, and neck strain – which might even turn into a long-term health problem for your employees. When you outfit the office with ergonomic furniture, this will decrease time-off for these problems and make it easier and more comfortable for staff to do their work.

Allow Some Fun Into Your Office Design

Why not think of some way that you can incorporate a little bit of light-hearted fun into your office décor? Let your employees bring in goofy decorations and ornaments for their desks, like stuffed toys, collectables or bobble heads – they can act as great conversation starters as well as something to look at or play with while brainstorming. Also, you can add other fun elements into the design – such as funny posters or a bulletin board filled with great photos of past staff events. You could even add some games into your office design, such as a large chessboard or some board games in the lounge area. When your staff looks around the office, it will put a smile on their face.

These are just a few of the ways that you can use your office design to improve employee morale at your company, so your staff will be happier, healthier and more productive.