Business owners and managers keep themselves awake at night thinking about how they can generate more productivity out of the employees that they oversee. After all, a more efficient employee generates greater outputs and ultimately helps the business grow. That said, no one has a magic wand that they can wave to instantly improve productivity. Instead, they must put in the hard work of determining which factors have the biggest impact on employee productivity and morale.
Everything from lighting (something that 80% of employees say is important to them) to encouraging employees to take regular breaks must be factored into the equation. With so many variables at play, it is important to take a comprehensive look at what employers can do to improve work environment conditions for employees and see improved outputs as a result.
The Role of Physical Space in Productivity
Let’s start with the aspect of the workplace environment that everyone can see with their own eyes. The physical space of a workplace environment is among the most important factors for improving employee satisfaction. With that in mind, it is important to consider what kinds of efforts have been made in the past to alter the physical landscape of offices. Rzero.com reminds us of one effort that took the corporate world by storm before ultimately being discarded in the dustbin of workplace history:
The original “cubicle farm” layout of the past century sought to increase productivity by segregating employees into individual workspaces to cut down on distractions like extended conversations or background noise. However, issues like isolation from face-to-face contact, impeding lighting and airflow, and diminished oversight are all long-established drawbacks of this design.
On the surface, the “cubicle farm” concept seemed like a wise one. The issue of employees being distracted by one another seemed to be a paramount concern. However, addressing this by separating employees into individual cubes led to larger issues of dissatisfaction and isolation. In the end, those became bigger concerns than the original problem. This is an important reminder to carefully think through any changes that one might want to make to the workplace environment.
So, what are some changes that a business owner or manager can make to positively impact the physical office space? A few ideas include:
- Inject Some Color into the Office – There are positive aspects to including various colors in the workplace environment. For example, adding blue to the workspace has been shown to improve productivity and relaxation. The human brain is wired to associate certain colors with the time of day outside, and shades of blue remind us of calming things such as clear blue skies or the beautiful waters of the ocean. Therefore, throwing around the color blue in various office settings is a great way to alter the physical landscape.
- Address the Lighting Situation – Something as small and seemingly unimportant as a broken lightbulb can have a dramatic impact on the productivity of employees. A dimly lit office can lead to clerical errors and eye strain for employees. Thus, it is imperative that you take care of the lighting situation before these negative impacts take hold.
- Remove Cluttered Spaces – Cluttered spaces are not only an eyesore for anyone who happens to pass by them, but they can also zap any productivity that employees might have had when they entered the space. Try to keep visual clutter at bay and keep a clean and tidy space for all employees to engage in their work activities.
- Add Some Character and Personality to the Space – There is nothing wrong with adding a little personal flair to the office space. It is a fun way to show employees that you are thinking of them. It can also be helpful in that it reminds them about the values of the team that they are working on.
These are some approaches that can improve the physical office space and provide a more comfortable and engaging environment for all employees to get things done.
Psychological and Cultural Elements of a Workplace
Once you are assured that employees have a physically safe and comfortable place to work you should turn your attention to the cultural and environmental elements of the workplace as well.
You might have heard of the term “workplace culture“. This refers to the specific atmosphere that employees find themselves thrust into when they enter the workplace. It can be a positive or negative thing depending on the efforts of leadership figures within the business. Since you always want your workplace culture to be positive, you should focus on how you can impact certain psychological and cultural elements within the workplace to make this happen.
A Focus on Leadership Styles
Among the effects of a work environment on employees is how leadership engages with employees. Various leadership styles have a direct impact on how the hierarchy of an office environment works. The Economic Times offers an overview of some of the most common leadership styles and how they impact office culture:
- Autocratic Leadership – This style relies on all decisions being made by a single leader. Such a style is common in the early days of a startup when decisions must be made rapidly, and teams are small. However, this style is not typically favored as the company gets larger.
- Democratic Leadership – Many are familiar with this style of leadership because it is how many countries operate. This involves leadership at the top requesting the input of lower-level employees when making decisions so that they can try to find solutions that work for all.
- Transactional Leadership – This involves a system of rewards and punishments depending on the performance of various employees. This system is meant to be equitable in how it treats each employee, but some complain that it is a bit faceless and cold at times.
- Laissez-Faire Leadership – This form of leadership involves allowing lower-level employees to take over their destiny. It is a hands-off approach to leadership that gives employees the autonomy that they need to do their work without much oversight.
The specific form of leadership style that works best in your office depends on the culture that you have established. It is important to review this culture regularly to ensure that your leadership style is still in keeping with what your team has come to expect. If not, then it might be time to take a deep look at your leadership style and change it as necessary.
Work-Life Balance
According to the most recent surveys, workers care deeply about work-life balance. Nearly seven-in-ten (69%) say that it is “very important” to them. That number is even higher among some age groups, with 80% of workers aged 55 or older saying it matters to them. Considering this, it is essential to always keep an eye on the work-life balance that your employees can enjoy.
Does your company encourage workers to take some time off when they feel they need to do so? Are they asked to handle work-related responsibilities when they are no longer on the clock? These are the types of questions that you need to ask yourself.
Ideally, you should set up a space where employees feel like they are encouraged to take regularly scheduled breaks and even take days off when they feel that they need to.
Open Communication
Fostering a positive work environment also means guaranteeing that it is the kind of place where open communication thrives. This means that all employees should feel that they can speak freely about anything that is on their minds related to the work that they do. This allows them to address any concerns that they may have about the workplace culture. It also allows them to offer suggestions about how it can be made better. All of these are positive developments that are worthy of your consideration.
Technology and Tools That Enhance Work Environment
We are fortunate to live in a time and era where there is plenty of technology available to us to bolster our ability to get work done effectively. This is true even if you are working with a remote workforce.
Let’s look at a few of the tools that can improve the work environment and productivity at the same time:
- Time Tracker by eBillity – This is an outstanding time tracking tool that offers both business owners and employees full transparency regarding how employee time is being spent. Time is tracked minute-by-minute, and the tool can be used by businesses of all sizes. It is easy to scale up as your business grows. Track expenses, productivity, and more all in the user-friendly dashboard where everything can be accessed at a glance. This tool has been used to keep budgets contained and ensure the financial health of companies both large and small.
- Slack by Salesforce – An instant messaging tool for remote workers, Slack is a great way for groups of employees to collaborate no matter where they are. This is often used by remote workforces, but it is also highly useful for internal office communications as well. Set meetings, discuss projects, or simply catch up with co-workers on this highly useful platform.
- Asana – Automate workflows and see the progress made on projects when you use Asana. This is a great place to distribute work to those who you know can get it done best. Allocating resources in the most efficient manner possible is the promise of Asana, and it is something you will want to tap into.
These are just a few of the tools that have made workplace flexibility possible. Given the expectations of many workers today that they will have the opportunity to work a flexible schedule if they choose to do so, it is hardly any surprise that more and more business owners are turning to these tools to help them make that concept a reality.
How to Improve Your Work Environment to Boost Productivity
You now have a work environment definition in mind. The question now is what are you going to do to make that bold definition a reality? You will need to follow certain steps to reach your end goal. Take these steps as a roadmap for how to get from where you are today to where you want to be:
Step 1: Create a Safe and Comfortable Work Environment
The first thing you must do is zero in on the physical space that you have offered your employees. That space needs to be safe and comfortable. There is simply no getting around this. It is only once you have created such an environment that you can get the quality of work that you seek from your employees. Work on taking care of things such as updating your lighting and color schemes throughout the office. Make the space warm and inviting while also being a place where productivity thrives.
Step 2: Examine Your Leadership Style
A productive workforce will always look to its leader for guidance. What kind of messages are you sending back down to your workforce? Are there areas where you could improve your approach? If so, then you should take this time to make the changes that you need to make so that everyone knows that you are fighting for them. Learn to communicate with your team in the ways that they feel comfortable with.
Step 3: Provide Tools for Success
Finally, don’t forget to provide your employees with the tools that they need to succeed. From collaborating with co-workers to tracking their time, it is essential to offer employees everything that they need to find success in the work that they are doing.
You can improve their efficiency by using Time Tracker by eBillity. Try it for free for 14 days there is no credit card required. Once you see how big of an improvement in employee efficiency that you can gain from Time Tracker, you won’t want to ever go back. Enjoy the benefits that it has to offer and bask in the success and productivity of your team.