Keeping your employees happy is just about the most important thing you can do as a business leader. The majority of the value of modern firms rests in its people (not its equipment). So getting them on-side is vital.
Modifying the office is one of the best ways to do this. The more you can integrate the features that your staff wants, the happier it will be – at least for a while.
In this post, we look at some of the office features your employees wish you had.
Places to Relax
The office should be a place of work. But nobody can sit at a desk for ten hours, tapping away at their keyboards. It’s not realistic. And also not desirable. Places of work should treat their people with basic dignity.
Therefore, employees are crying out for places to relax – areas in your building they can go for a quick game of Angry Birds before having to get back to the grind.
These spaces can be more comfortable and colorful than the rest of your office. And they can even include other amenities to help workers take their minds off things, like TVs.
Do-Not-Disturb Spaces
Believe it or not, many of your employees just want to get on with their work. But in the modern office environment, doing that can be a challenge. Open offices are the worst. People are shouting across each other all the time, and there’s always a terrible din. Nobody can concentrate on what they’re doing, and the quality of their output starts to suffer.
Do-not-disturb spaces, therefore, are becoming increasingly popular. Many of your colleagues don’t want other staff members interrupting them to ask them about their day. They need time and space to get on with the task at hand and complete it to a high standard. They want to get into the flow of their work.
Integrated, Flexible Systems
Sitting in a pod all day long is no fun and alienates workers from the rest of the office. Most want structured cabling solutions and integrated audio & video systems that allow them to work anywhere they like.
Offices, therefore, should install modular systems that permit flexibility. What you want is a situation where anyone can set up their computer anywhere and just get on with their work.
Another system your employees would definitely appreciate is software that will remind them of any appointments and meetings. Sometimes life gets busier than usual, which can easily lead to things falling through the cracks. With unlimited appointment reminders, your employees will be reminded of meetings, ensuring minimal no-shows. This system can also help you as the employer to manage meetings in a way that will enable you to know who will be able to attend. You can also send bulk emails, reminders or messages all at the same time without any hassle to communicate with your employees in a fast and efficient way.
Natural Light
How many offices have you worked in throughout your career that lacked natural light? Probably a lot. And it was never a pleasant experience, was it? You always felt tired and lacked energy – not ideal.
Your colleagues feel pretty much the same way. They’d love to have plenty of natural light. But they can’t get close to the windows.
There are two ways to tackle this problem. The first and cheapest is to rearrange all your desks so that people are closer to sources of daylight. And the second is to move to a different office or install new windows at the existing one. Remember, the investment is often worth it. Exposure to natural light increases productivity by an astonishing 15 percent.
