The goal of every business owner is optimal efficiency for a multitude of reasons. From higher profits to an increased rate of growth, optimal efficiency is, well, optimal. An important aspect in achieving optimal efficiency is the layout of your office space. 46 percent of professionals indicate their workspace impacts their productivity. While there are pros and cons for every office design, we’ve compiled a few tips and tricks to utilize your space to increase productivity.
Let’s start with the basics – the floor plan. A lot of business owners assume that an open-concept office is best. While this floorplan does encourage collaboration among employees, it offers little to no privacy and can cause higher levels of stress and fatigue and lower employee satisfaction and productivity. On the other hand, cubicles and closed off offices can make employees feel isolated and can decrease office morale, especially if employees are unable to see how their work is bettering the company. A good middle ground is a variety floor plan. A variety floor plan is also perfect to customize the space for what your business needs. For example, you can have spaces for employee personalization, conference rooms for social interaction and collaboration, and private areas for employees to relax and rest their minds.
Movement around the office will increase blood flow and allow employees to take a brief break from their current task. As a business owner, you can encourage movement around the office by putting your printer or other necessary technology in a separate room or away from the employee’s desks. You can also have the employees near water, like the break room or water machine, and the bathroom further away. The saying “stretching your legs” may just be your company’s key to increased efficiency.
Good lighting is essential for productivity. Simply put, employees must be able to see well to work well. Poor lighting can cause stress, strain, and headaches. The best form of lighting is natural light, especially since it can also increase your employee’s moods. Keep this in mind when designing your layout. Windows can be very helpful in this scenario. If natural lighting is not an option, indirect lighting, which helps prevent eye strain from too much light, will be your best bet.
Moving away from the structural aspect of your office. The color that your employee’s are surrounded by has a lot of influence over their moods and work ethic. We’ll get more into the interesting psychology around this in a later blog post. For now, the most important thing to know is white walls are possibly the worst color to paint your office.
OSHA estimates that poor air quality can cost employers $15 billion in worker inefficiencies and sick leave. Besides routinely changing out air filters, business owners mindfully place windows around the office so employees can have access to fresh air throughout the work day. If windows aren’t a possibility, plants can filter the air and provide clean, purified oxygen.
Noise is the most common office complaint. This distraction can cause lower productivity and job satisfaction and increased stress and illnesses. In short, nothing good is caused by too much office noise. Business owners can combat this problem with soothing noise throughout the office that helps to drown out unwanted distractions while keeping employees in a positive mood. When designing your office space, think about implementing a surround sound system that would allow you to play relaxing sounds to help increase employee productivity.
As mentioned before, no business is going to need the exact same thing as another, and what works for one company may not be right for yours. The team at Magellan Construction is always here to help you plan and create your dream office space! Contact us today for your consultation.