Hey There, Let’s Decorate!
Do you look around your workplace and think, “Man, this place is drab?” Does your work environment remind you of an uninspired school classroom? Are there faded posters on the walls that have been there since 1972? If the walls of your workspace are tired, your employees might be less than inspired when they walk into work each day.
There’s a special place in my heart for interior design. It goes well with my little fashion obsession, because it’s essentially dressing up your work space! From the lighting, the furniture, the equipment, and how it’s all positioned and arranged- here we look at why interior design is so important to the success of your business.
Impress Clients
Clients are the trickiest part of businesses. You have to be able to please anyone who enters the office. Combining that idea with the popular saying, “first impressions are everything,” it becomes crystal clear how important the reception areas are – just walk into any major company’s office building. Especially when hosting new clients, your office and its design set the tone for your business. Reception areas truly are the place where a company can show visitors who they are. The first glance at a company is crucial and, because of that, the reception area should be a first-class experience.
You want to show people your mission statement right when they walk through the door. The reception area of a Law office should be designed to gain the trust and confidence of their clients. Similarly, a doctor’s office reception area might want to exude professionalism while also providing softer cozier feel of comfort.
Think of the ever so popular line, “dress for success.” If an office is cluttered, outdated, and poorly designed, customers and clients might think the same about your company. On the other hand, an office that is organized, pleasing, and well-thought-out makes clients feel welcome in your company, projects your values, and promotes confidence in your expertise.
Getting Organized
Working in a disorganized environment consisting of stacks of unfiled documents or scattered notes spread across a workspace makes an employee’s workday even more hectic, stressful and difficult than it already is. Such a scene unquestionably affects productivity. As the days go on the piles get higher, and it becomes impossible to find that one document you were asked to fax over ASAP, and more difficult to fill out paperwork due to the lack of free space available on your desk.
It’s important to determine what is actually indispensable in our daily working environment, so we reduce the office to its necessities. Then we can make sure we have the necessary space needed to work, which directly impacts our morale, efficiency, and stress levels. You can cut down on clutter and be more useful of your space by:
• Filing all your documents, using folders which are properly identified.
• Keeping frequently used items close by in drawers or a cupboard.
• Destroying no-longer-needed confidential documents securely using a shredder.
• Grouping notes by priority and, of course, throwing away notes pertaining to completed tasks.
• Label anything that might be helpful to locate it easily and faster in the future.
Staying organized will put customers at ease. Clients want to feel comfortable working with your company. A clean, organized desk helps ease their minds. If customers see that company employees have cluttered workspaces, they might wonder if your employees will handle their business in the same disorganized fashion. Along with that, clients expect your team to complete tasks for them quickly; a clean and organized desk space will contribute to your staff being able to successfully meet that expectation.
Having an organized working environment makes for a happier employee! No one enjoys spending their time in a mess. Having a neat and tidy desk space makes for a less stressful and hectic environment and gives employees an easier start to their work day. With deadlines always around the corner, staff members have enough on their plates that they don’t need the additional stress of scrounging through their piles of paper every time they’re looking for a document. What if a client shows up for an emergency meeting? You employee must know where that file is FAST.
EMPLOYERS: encourage your team to tidy up their space before leaving work each afternoon.
HR Strategy Group now has a Pinterest! Go check it out for fun, clever, and occasionally spunky tips and tricks on how to keep your office space dressed to the tens 🙂
https://www.pinterest.com/hstrategy/pins/
Employee Productivity
In 2006, Gensler conducted a study on the US workplace environment. They found that 86 percent of the respondents said office design was either important or very important. Ninety percent of senior management officials agreed and said office design was essential to worker productivity. With ample evidence showing workplace design plays such a heavy role in employee performance, one has to wonder why so many offices have been rated between fair and poor for design. Employees often spend more time in the office than they do at home. With that in mind, it is crucial to create a space that’s functional, visually appealing, comfortable, and inviting. It makes sense that well-designed offices can increase employee morale, productivity, efficiency, and overall attitude at home. The idea is to make the office a place they want to be, not just a place they have to be. Some minor changes in your office design can stimulate a more productive workforce.
According to the Huffington Post, “Two recent prominent studies have discovered that having a live plant on your desk increases productivity and cognitive attention.” Indications from these studies also showed increased happiness among staff. Plants can add a lot of character to an otherwise drab office environment. They have the potential to improve air quality, add a focal point to your work space, and simply give you a peaceful view in the midst of your hectic work day. Some good minimal maintenance, low light office desk plant options would be:
• Jade plant
• African violet
• Chinese evergreen
• English ivy
• Parlor palm
• Snake plant
The artwork in the office makes an impact on employee productivity, and it’s important to keep that in mind while choosing pieces to place on your bare company walls. Art incorporates a wide variation of media, and affects everyone who sees it in some way. Business owners are beginning to understand that displaying artwork in the workplace does more than make the office more aesthetically pleasing; it can actually increase employee efficiency, productivity, and creativity.
• Art helps connect with clients.
• Art affects the atmosphere of a room.
• Art improves employee experiences.
• Art can be used to promote your brand.
Color has been linked to improved productivity, whether added through wallpaper, murals, scenic art or painted walls. White walls aren’t as effective for inspiring employees as colors. Yellow has been found to be motivating and cozy; blue is calming; and grey is associated with wisdom and brainpower.
So, gaze around you while you are sitting at your desk. Think of your blank, dreary walls as a canvas, waiting for transformation. Then enjoy the countenance of your co-workers as they arrive to a fresh, inviting environment, ready to impress clients and work productively.