How can you make your employees feel good about coming into the office every day? One way is by cultivating a healthy and collaborative environment. Unfortunately, several issues can create an unhealthy environment and discourage employees from wanting to come in. This article will focus on some common office environment mistakes. Fortunately, you can rectify these mistakes with relative ease.
Office Environment Mistakes That Can Cost Employee Engagement
These nine mistakes can decrease worker morale, cause burnout, and even create tension among peers. Read on to find out if you commit any of these mistakes and how you can rectify them.
Poor Lighting
Poor lighting can create an oppressive environment and make employees feel lethargic. It can cause headaches, strained vision, and brain fog. Fluorescent light bulbs and LED lights are some of the worst offenders, but so is a lack of natural light.
Solution: Invest in lightbulbs that radiate a more natural light, such as incandescent light bulbs. Another solution is taking “light breaks” during the day by turning off the overhead lights and adding low-intensity decorative lights. You can also encourage your employees to go out and get natural sunlight for a few minutes a day.
Lack of Ergonomic Furniture
Bad furniture can hurt backs, knees, and joints throughout the body. They can also hurt morale. If your office has unadjustable chairs, your employees will feel unaccommodated. In turn, they’ll be uncomfortable and unhappy.
Solution: Invest in furniture that is comfortable, functional, and long-lasting. It’s not just seats you have to focus on. You can also invest in standing desks or exercise balls if your employees want them.
Ignorance of Storage Needs
Lacking office supplies can chip away at office morale. If your printer doesn’t have enough ink, paper, or reads off error messages, frustration will follow. Being out of everyday items like paper clips or staples can cause unnecessary tension. Sometimes, it can even result in conflict among your staff.
Solution: Having a simple inventory tracking system is a small investment that will pay off in the long run. You can invest in software, or you can opt for an analog solution. Whichever option you choose, the best way to avoid this issue is to be on top of your inventory needs and know how important they are to sustaining a positive company culture.
Lack of Creative Design
There’s a reason why so many movies present offices as stale, sterile, and soul-crushing environments. Unfortunately, some designs have made the modern office bland and bleak. This can make employees feel like they’re in an inescapable office space.
Solution: First and foremost, your office should reflect your brand’s personality and values. People will associate things like colours and logo designs with your brand. These may also serve as reminders for why they’re with your company. Having your graphics displayed throughout the office can also uplift attitudes. Having your logo or motivational quotes plastered on your wall with the help of custom wall decals can brighten the mood.
Lack of Privacy
Although open spaces are more in vogue than office cubicles, they come with their own sets of problems. Employees might get a feeling of surveillance and a lack of autonomy. Whatever your office style is, your employees are entitled to some privacy.
Solution: Make employees feel like they have a space to carve out and call their own. Create an environment that values transparency. On a more practical level, you can do this by offering physical spaces that can be both transparent and private.
Lack of Personal Touches
Offices that lack a personal touch can also add to making workers dread coming into work. If spaces are bare or lack items that put a smile on people’s faces, they will feel like the space isn’t theirs to enjoy. Impersonal spaces also contribute to the previously mentioned issue of privacy.
Solution: Encourage your employees to bring in plants, posters, framed photos, trinkets, and any items of theirs that bring joy. This simple act can lead to awesome results. Indeed, one study revealed that a more personalized workspace leads to lower levels of emotional exhaustion.
Not Enough Collaboration Spaces
Do you have separate rooms for meetings or social spaces during lunch and breaks? If not, then your employees might feel stuck and wish to spend as little time as possible in the office. Although looking to expand your office space might be an expensive or even impossible task, there are ways to get creative with what you already have.
Solution: Investing in spaces or repurposing empty storage spaces for your employees can make them feel both refreshed and inspired. They can serve as spaces for meetings, team building exercises, meditation/relaxation, or playing games.
Off-colour Schemes
Colour schemes can have a big psychological effect on office workers. If colours are improperly combined, they can produce negative emotions among your staff without them even knowing why.
Solution: Understand the psychology behind colour schemes and how specific colours can evoke specific emotions. For example, blue and green can often evoke feelings of calm, while red and white can make people feel anxious or tired.
Ignorance of Wellbeing
When it comes to your employees experiencing burnout, it’s not enough to simply encourage your employees to take micro breaks and practice self-care. You need to get to the root of the problem and find out why your employees feel like they are burned at both ends.
Solution: Encourage company outings, practice transparency, and properly and responsibly delegate tasks. The good thing is, if you adhere to our suggestions, like understanding your specific office needs, having an inventory checklist, and encouraging your workers to socialize, you can properly address the well-being of your employees.
Final Thoughts
A healthy work environment consists of several factors, and while the environment itself is crucial, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Analyze these issues and focus on where you can make improvements in your workplace. You don’t need to tackle them all at once. Indeed, if you start with addressing just one of these mistakes, then you’re already off to a good start.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information intended only for informational purposes. CanadianSME Small Business Magazine does not endorse or guarantee any products or services mentioned. Readers are advised to conduct their research and due diligence before making business decisions.
