How to Design a More Productive Office

Improving worker productivity can save small businesses thousands of dollars per month. When employees become more productive, you don’t have to keep as many people on the payroll. Instead of hiring 10 people, you can get the same effort from nine or fewer employees. Luckily, you don’t have to spend much money on helping your employees accomplish more. Many companies find that they increase productivity by taking these four approaches to office design.

Use Plants as Decorations

Researchers find that decorating an office with plants can increase the productivity of workers by about 15 percent. A small investment, therefore, could give you a huge boost in your business’s output.

Plants can also make people feel happier. Many people who live in cities rarely have contact with nature. Placing plants around your office can help people feel more connected to the natural world, which makes them happier, more productive, and healthier.

Improve the Indoor Air Quality

Certain plants can improve your office’s indoor air quality. To see a significant improvement in productivity, though, you need an HVAC system that will remove pollutants and allergens from the air.

When you purify the air, you make it possible for people with allergies to focus on their work instead of worrying about their sore throats and runny noses. Clean air can also prevent long-term health problems that force people to spend time at home recovering from their illnesses.

Other tips to improve indoor air quality include the following:

  • Changing the HVAC filter monthly
  • Cleaning the office daily to remove dust and other allergens
  • Telling employees that they cannot burn candles, incense, or other products in the office
  • Opening windows to clear away stale air

Arrange Workspaces in Clusters

Most people prefer working in private offices because they get to focus without any distractions. Giving everyone in your business an office, however, might cost too much money. If you can’t afford this option, then you should arrange workspaces in clusters instead of dividing employees into cubicles.

Desk clusters make it easier for employees to collaborate with each other. Clusters also foster conversations that can lead to policy and production benefits. When employees spend their days facing the same direction, they won’t interact very often. Pull down the cubicle walls and face them toward each other to make your teams more productive.

Let Employees Decorate Their Desks

Some studies show that employees become more productive when they get to decorate their work environments. Even something as simple as the presence of a family photo can make workers feel happier and more relaxed while at the office.

As long as employees don’t use decorations that distract other people, you should let them customize their desks, offices, and other work areas. It could make them more productive, and it won’t cost you any money.

People respond differently to their environments, so you may need to experiment with a few ideas before you find one that makes your employees more productive. The good news is that none of these design ideas costs much money, so you face little risk by trying different concepts.

Source: smallbusinesscan.com