As a business owner, there are many ways in which you can set your company up for success. However, one of the most important steps is ensuring that you create the perfect work environment.
After all, the optimal working environment will allow both productivity and efficiency to thrive while also ensuring your team feels both supported and inspired. Not only will this ensure that you reach your targets, but it could also help you to improve your employee retention rates, too. This boils down to the fact that passion is the driving force behind job satisfaction.
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to create the perfect working environment!
Create a sense of community.
One of the easiest ways to create a working environment that is both productive and welcoming is to create a sense of community among your employees.
Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can achieve this goal.
For example, choosing a uniform for your employees, complete with an
open ended lanyard, is a great place to start. This is because they serve as a visual reminder that everyone is working for the same team and toward the same goals. As such, the right uniform can serve as the building block for strong employee relationships.
Invest in employee development.
In order to maintain a productive work environment, you need to ensure that your employees remain engaged. This can be achieved by investing in employee development so that they have plenty of space to grow within the company. For example, you may want to curate on-site training and development plans that make it easier for your team to progress both within their company and their careers. By having a clear target to work towards, employees will work harder and more productively.
This will also help you to establish a sense of loyalty between yourself and your employees, as you are both investing time and energy into supporting each other.
In addition to on-site training, you may wish to subsidise the cost of any external training they wish to take on. Remember, the more qualifications your team has under their belt, the more skilled they become. This means that they may be able to work more efficiently or bring new ideas to the table. As such, it is a worthwhile financial investment that you will quickly see the benefits of.
You should also ensure that you invest heavily in employee wellbeing. This is particularly important when you consider the fact that “86% of employees are more likely to leave a job if it does not support their wellbeing.” One way in which you can achieve this goal is by setting up a wellbeing scheme that provides your employees with access to some of the following:
- Mental health resources and support
- Discounted gym membership or exercise class passes
- Flexible working schedules/rotas, per the employee’s individual needs
- Financial support
- Recognition and rewards for high-achieving candidates
Design the perfect office space.
Working to create the perfect work environment may also require you to update your office space. For example, many studies have found that employees are more productive (and positive) when the office layout allows them to work collaboratively with others. This means that it may be time to ditch traditional cubicles for co-working spaces, hot desks, and more. If you are unsure of where to begin when changing the layout of your office, consider asking your employees for their insight.
You can also improve your workspaces by ensuring that your office is well-lit, relying on natural light as much as possible. This is because working in an environment that is bathed in natural light not only heightens our ability to focus but can also work wonders for our mental health. This is because it increases your body’s production of mood-boosting endorphins. As a result, this can be a great way to help ensure your team is happy at work! Furthermore, industrial lighting can make your workspace feel clinical and uninviting.
Furthermore, you may also want to change your office’s colour scheme, too. For example, one study found that colours, such as blue and green, can improve productivity and efficiency levels in the workspace. This is because “low wavelength colours promote restfulness and calm, and they improve efficiency and focus.” However, other colours can have similarly positive effects on your employee’s mindset. For example, yellow is said to be a mood-elevating colour!
Create a hybrid working schedule.
Promoting a healthy work-life balance among your employees can also help you to create the perfect working environment. This can be achieved by allowing your team to work remotely a few days a week. While many may prefer to do this full-time, a hybrid model is “the best of both worlds.” It allows employees to meet face-to-face when necessary while also spending more time at home.
This can work wonders for productivity within the workplace. It often means that your team is less stressed, which heightens their focus and efficiency levels. They’re also less prone to burnout and other mental-health-related struggles. In fact, one study found that “the launch of a hybrid work model helped businesses increase performance by 22%.”
When implementing a hybrid working schedule, be sure to clearly outline your expectations as an employer. For example, you may wish for your employees to come into the office two days a week or to bank a certain number of hours each month. Either way, laying out the rules ahead of time will ensure that your hybrid working model is a successful one.
You should also ensure that employees remain productive when working at home through regular check-ins and by providing them with access to all of the necessary tools and equipment to get the job done right.
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Focus on collaboration, not competition.
While some industries are naturally competitive, it is important that you encourage your team to work collaboratively. After all, when working for the same company, you are working toward the same goals, which means you must work together, not against each other.
Failing to establish this sense of comradery among your employees could mean that you are fostering a toxic workplace culture. Not only could this impact workplace productivity, but it could also wreak havoc on your employee retention rates.
Ask your employees for feedback.
If you are serious about making a real, positive change to your working environment, then you need to start by asking those who will benefit most from these changes what they need from you.
By asking your employees for feedback, you are also showing them that you care about their thoughts and opinions. This means they will feel more valued in the workplace and will likely work harder as a result. It also means that you can make necessary changes sooner rather than later without relying on guesswork or your own assumptions.
While it is always best to ask for feedback and input face-to-face, you may also want to give employees the chance to give their opinions anonymously. After all, if they are discussing something that needs to be changed, they may find having this conversation in person uncomfortable.
Final Thoughts.
In short, there are many ways in which you can work to create the perfect working environment for yourself and your team. This will allow you to achieve your long-term business goals, whether you are focusing on scaling your company or simply want to boost employee productivity levels.
By implementing these changes now, you’ll begin to see the benefits of your efforts before Q2 begins.
