How an office workplace environment is designed and fitted out can have a big impact on the productivity of employees. If you’re noticing that the performance of your employees isn’t as strong as it could be and workers are lacking motivation, it may be time to overhaul the office. After all, the workplace is where employees spend most of their time, so it’s important for the environment to be pleasant to work in. Here are five tips to help you overhaul your office and improve your workplace environment.
Go Back to Square One
Square one is how your office was before you introduced the items it currently has now. Over time, you will have likely collected a large amount of files, documents, letters and books that may not be needed anymore. Identify the items that you must keep by emptying all desks and drawers. Cleaning out the workplace and getting rid of clutter and unnecessary fixtures can make room for more important things that may come your way in the future. Removing clutter can also minimise distraction and boost productivity.
Have a Plan
It’s important to plan out exactly what your commercial office fitouts will involve before you begin. Buying random items without a plan can lead to doubling up on certain items, or buying pieces that aren’t suitable for your space. It’s therefore essential to research furniture that will suit the space. A mood board is a great way to experiment with styles before you start buying items, as you can easily edit and refine the board as your ideas develop and grow.
Assign Activity Areas
When you’re overhauling your office, it’s a good idea to allocate areas for different activities. For example, if your office often holds meetings with clients, you should have a specific space in your office for meeting rooms. Your office should also have break rooms and relaxation spaces where employees can go to unwind and relax on their breaks.
Invest in a Bulletin Board
Your office may be the centre of the day-to-day operations of your business, but it’s essential to show your employees that having a work life balance is important. To do this, place a bulletin board in a prominent spot in the office, such as the kitchen. On the bulletin board, place pictures of inspirational quotes along with business performance statistics. You can also put up details of events and activities that employees can participate in, such as fundraising events and team building days. This can help improve staff morale by making employees feel more like part of a team.
Make Use of Wall Space
An overhaul of existing commercial office fitouts can also involve maximising the space you have available by using any blank walls. The more you’re able to utilise wall space, the more space you’ll have to move around in the office. For example, you can choose to install floating shelves to hold books and documents, or hang pegboards to store office supplies.