A recent study from Zipdo shows that, around the globe, 85% of people aren’t satisfied with their jobs. The area they work in could directly affect this. Not focusing on this can prevent you from meeting employee satisfaction.
While these employees enjoy their activities and want to grow their careers, day-to-day functions could be limited by office design or company culture.
So, what can CEOs and Human Resources managers do to improve or upgrade their modern office designs to keep employees happy and productive?
Improving Employee Satisfaction
Here are a few ideas on how to upgrade a commercial or corporate environment with smart design and contemporary office furniture:
Look at the desk differently.
It is a place of open discussion, engagement, brainstorming, and collaboration. It’s just one more small way you can help improve employee satisfaction. Whether you are the CEO or the last hired, your desk should fit you, not everyone else in the office. Now, more than ever, it’s easy to streamline a beautiful office that is cohesive to your brand without sacrificing customization (adjustable height desks, anyone?).
Upgrade to comfortable chairs.
Studies show that sitting for long hours at your workspace is worse than smoking. We suggest working for 90 minutes, then stretching to take an active break, or get a standing desk. Breakthrough moments often happen in the office chair. Shouldn’t you feel comfortable and foster that environment? Employees and management put in the hours at their desks. Make sure they have ergonomic chairs that fit their functions and reflect their style. For the C-suite, invest in several luxury-grade executive office chairs. When it comes to employee satisfaction, they’re worth every penny.
Forget about conference rooms.
Why use a conference room when you can snag a touchdown space instead? By using smart technology and adding acoustic furniture, you can create collaborative work spaces that are perfect for everything from one-on-one stakeholder meetings to commute workers, and hot desking to project manager conferences.
Foster inclusiveness.
Check in with your unconscious bias. Are you keeping young employees from learning and taking notes by observing older management on the top floor? Is there a gender gap in the C-suite? What about minorities? Start by taking an audit of each department, and don’t physically separate them, either! By mixing and matching teams, you increase inclusiveness and challenge the status quo by strengthening your company culture.
Light it up.
Good lighting can make or break employee morale, and be detrimental to employee satisfaction. Depending on your industry, try switching out florescent lights for touch lamps, dimmer switches, chandeliers, or individual desk lamps. Natural light has been proven to have a major effect on productivity and well-being. If you’re a computer-loving office and can’t take the screen glare, try solar shades…or at least position the employee lounge and cafeteria to receive the most natural light.
