For a large company, a few employees not feeling happy is not that big of a deal. Granted, productivity from those employees will falter but the company is large enough to take the hit. That’s how some large businesses see it; they can afford to take a dip in productivity for some reason.
For a small business such as yours, that’s simply a no-go. You cannot afford to have a few disgruntled employees. Just 5 unhappy employees could equate to one-quarter of your workforce. Therefore, you need to focus on creating an office that works like a well-oiled machine. Every aspect of your office needs to come under review. The good news is, these changes are small and won’t cost a lot to implement. Yet the rewards you stand to gain will justify the overhauls you make.
Stop the Fuss
It may sound trivial but office temperature is one of the most common reasons for spats to occur among the management and employees. One cannot expect employees to concentrate and work at their best if they are feeling cold or too hot. There should be no reason in this day and age, for employees to have to resort to wearing more layers to regulate their body temperature. Therefore, invest in a great air conditioning unit that can thrust hot air all around the office. The toughest places to get warm are the corners of the room. You can avoid unhappy employees by not placing desks close to corners unless you don’t have the space to keep everyone close to the center.
Good air circulation is just as important as keeping the place warm and comfortable. Although air conditioning units can thrust cool air into your office, you don’t want to have to rely on this alone, as the energy bills will pile up. Instead, focus on opening your windows strategically, so your office has smooth airflow from entering from one side and exiting out the other.
Departmental Equipment Needs
One of the reasons for interdepartmental conflict is because teams don’t have what they need, so they borrow things from other departments. It’s not the fact that departments have their own spaces and things around the office, it’s that there’s an imbalance as a whole. If your marketing team needs to print something as part of their presentation i.e. to show to scale, they shouldn’t have to walk across the office into another department’s space. For one, that department will be using the printers too and if another department slows their work down, this is when frustration builds.
Give every department, everything they need to function without needing to step out of their space. This will also increase productivity and job satisfaction. When you have all the basic tools you need, employees feel closer to their departments. Whatever kind of technology is part and parcel of the particular department, should be provided. The design team shouldn’t need to borrow a 3D printer from the research team, etc.
Ergonomics at Their Desks
Creating an ergonomic office is the latest trend that gives employees solutions to many problems that have plagued the modern professional. Ergonomics is all about making working hours at their desks feel natural. The office chairs should support the spine and promote a healthy upright posture. The number one reason for heads leaning forward and shoulders curving forward is because the monitors are too low. Bringing the computer monitors up to eye level will naturally tilt one’s head back to an upright position. The input devices such as the mouse and keyboard should be at no more or less than a right angle. Too low and the body tends to lean in to shorten the distance and make it less uncomfortable. Too high and the tight elbows and forearms make the chest uncomfortable.
The legs and ankles should not be at right angles, however. A more obtuse angle whereby the feet are placed slightly forward, allows the lumbar spine to be straighter. If the knees were too bent, the hamstrings would pull the pelvis down and bend the spine. It’s very important that chair positioning is taken into account as it will affect everything else. The end result of good ergonomics is, employees sitting down for long periods of time don’t feel as fatigued as incorrect posture would determine.
Moving With the Times
Office appliances and equipment are moving forward at a steady but consistent pace. Printers, scanners, projectors, and computers are all being updated by brands every single year. Employees that can utilize the latest technology have an edge over their rivals. That’s why moving with the times in this area is so key to becoming a well-oiled machine. Firstly, getting rid of old equipment is essential to bring new items in. If you have printers you no longer need, sell them to a used office equipment supplier. Even though printer ink is not toxic, storing the cartridges is not as simple as putting them on a shelf in a pantry. You must keep a window open to equalize the pressure, preventing ink powder from spraying anyone who opens or uses the cartridges. Selling your old and unneeded ink cartridges are quite simple if you look for specialist companies.
Hire an Organizer
Officer design and space specialists can be brought into your workspace to see where you’re going wrong. There are different approaches to the small things that add up, to make or bring the proficiency of an office. The lack of productivity and proper time use may be because the office design is cumbersome. It could also be the fact that employees have too much or too little space for themselves. A minimalist approach to office design could focus minds and decrease distractions. A more maximalist approach might give employees more options and things to work with.
The art of a well-oiled office machine is not something you achieve mastery of overnight. You must implement small incremental changes to slowly increase your employees’ productivity. Task efficiency is highly linked to office technology so remember to keep up with the times and buy modern equipment.
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