5 Ways To Boost Productivity In the Office
With many people slowly returning to the office, many companies are looking to hit the ground running and ride on the positive momentum that the economy will likely face once lockdown restrictions are lifted and businesses begin to operate and generate revenue once again.
Addressing the long-term productivity of your employees will be one of the most effective ways to take advantage of the change in direction and to avoid the disarray that businesses have encountered during these tumultuous times.
Having productivity at an all time high whilst being able to utilise this positive momentum will likely have a multiplier effect on the revenue and efficiency of your business, and so it should be a priority to boost the productivity of your employees in whatever way possible.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, the UK has suffered essentially a negligible growth in productivity, and in 2016 the output per hour of the UK was 16.3% less than the other G7 countries.
So, what is the solution?
The Office Is The Key
It’s no secret that the office and work environment is a key contributor to productivity, with reports suggesting that since the global economy has switched to be more working-from-home centric, there has been a productivity loss of 7.2% by those measuring it.
So how can we boost productivity once we fully return back to the office, one might ask. We’ve put together a list of 5 easy things you can do to make your office more efficient and boost productivity amongst your employees.
1. Temperature
Here in the UK, our weather is quite unique in the swings that it can bring. One day may feel like you’re sitting on the beaches of Miami, the very next day could have you feeling like you’ve stepped into an Igloo.
The temperature of the office is one of the biggest factors as it affects everyone and is a constant affect on comfort.
Temperatures are wildly fluctuating however they are easily controlled in the office. By having an effective air-conditioning unit as well as heaters, you can ensure that your office is always at the optimal temperature for your employees to achieve maximum comfort and minimise distractions that would otherwise take away from productivity.
2. Nature
Many offices are dull and have a single monotone colour that can stress employees out, however having the colour green present in the office has been shown to boost productivity and creativity, likely due to our evolutionary biology signalling that we’re in a nature rich environment and there are resources available for us to harvest.
Try adding some plants, green colouring and a touch of nature to the office and see if you can detect a measurable change in productivity.
3. Collaboration
Having a separate dedicated space with the right tools to collaborate, such as a desk with a large monitor/TV on the wall that multiple people can see at the same time can really set the tone for a meeting and allow employees to accomplish a goal.
It switches the mindset from “we’re having a discussion with no end goal” to “we’re in a different place until we achieve the goal of the meeting”. This switch in mentality can mean that set amounts of time can be used to discuss an idea and the tools required to properly communicate and get ideas across will be heavily facilitated.
4. Talk To Your Employees
It is often the case that employees feel that the office isn’t moldable to their needs, and they may not spend time thinking about what would make their lives easier, what would make them more comfortable and what would boost their productivity.
It is likely the case that your employees are bursting with ideas for the office and how that’d directly correlate with their productivity, perhaps they need more space for larger meetings, or more places for smaller intimate meetings, or more chillout space. Whatever it may be, chances are your employees already know.
5. Talk to Office Options
At Office Options, we spend a large portion of our time talking to business owners about their issues, what solutions they have found and how they’ve found their office to influence their employee’s productivity.
If you’re looking to renovate your office with a particular focus on office productivity, we have 18 years of designing, creating and managing office fitouts in order to boost productivity, so get in touch.
To find out more about improving your office atmosphere, read some of the following blogs: