Workplace break rooms tend to not receive updates. Because of this, it makes sense that employees are often just as concerned about their work/life balance as they are their pay. On the other hand, staff who don’t enjoy coming to work costs U.S. businesses $300 billion per year in sick time, days off, and on-the-job mistakes. Meeting expectations and deadlines will still be important, but you never want employees to be afraid or intimidated by the idea of coming into work. But if you must give an employee more work, show that you value them by also giving them a raise or promotion. If you can, make room for outdoor hoops or an indoor ping pong table. Create a compelling community. Between Curdbee & their new version, Hiveage, I’ve brought in more than $310,000 than I would otherwise not have. It can cut down on the stress and interruptions, which improves mood and productivity. Out of sight, out of mind. They may even have a few ideas you hadn’t thought of before. Everything from the lighting to the office equipment can make a difference to how employees work. Get heaping discounts to books you love delivered straight to your inbox. Work Alongside Them . It’s never late to create a workplace of your dream. A complete online invoice software platform for small business invoicing, billing, reports and more to help you grow. While there are dozens of different and creative ways to open the lines of communication in the workplace, we’ve come up with just a few ideas that are simple, elegant, and effective. Your staff will not only appreciate that their well-being is important to you, but they’ll be energetically affected by the space in a positive way. Here comes a list of five ideas to create a better workplace: Make Home Renovation. An excessive workload, which translates to burnout, is one of the top reasons that people leave jobs. The average professional goes to 61.8 meetings per month, 63 percent of meetings don’t have an agenda, and 73 percent of people are doing other work at meetings. Whenever possible, communicate through email, a centralized whiteboard, or other methods that don’t pull people away from projects. One very important way to make the workplace better is to make sure that good work is rewarded. In fact, happy workers are 48.4 percent more likely to stay with a company, which reduces costly turnover. Encourage an environment of acceptance. Whenever possible, let employees choose their own schedules. … It’s the nest where new ideas hatch! A number of companies, like Netflix, have started to experiment with unusual benefits like unlimited days off. A little hello goes a long way in the workplace. This idea may not seem like such a big deal, but some people really do work better when the room they’re working in has a pleasant aroma (or at the very least lacks an unpleasant aroma). Take time off together. Better functioning brains with better neural connectivity come up with better ideas. Ideas to Improve Workplace Environment: In order to maximize the efficiency of employees, managing a good work environment is mandatory. Maybe you’d like to give employees the option of submitting ideas anonymously. Some people simply work better later in the day and would benefit from a later start time. This is true of both the home and the work environment, so be sure to clear away clutter and broken equipment, and mend flickering lightbulbs and temperamental air conditioning or heating units. Every Friday, order food for the entire office and encourage everyone to eat together, whether it’s outdoors or in the conference room. In a workplace where everyone is valued, opinions are important, and relationships are pivotal, people feel open to connecting and investing in each other. When there are creative tools in the main space, more stuff gets made. And in the workplace, the important thing ought to be whether the work is getting done, not how many days it is getting done in. Research shows that productivity goes downhill fast when someone works more than 50 hours. 1. Making the office more comfortable can certainly improve the workplace overall. Team members will enjoy having a place to get a little exercise or to blow off some steam between tasks. Regardless of where you work, what industry you’re involved with, and how large of a company you work for, there is always room for improvement in the workplace. He travels extensively to find compelling stories and insightful individuals. It’s the product of both physical and intangible changes that makes a more harmonious workplace. The best places to work (think Google, Cisco and Whole Foods Market) have a … Another way to make the office more comfortable is to make the overall atmosphere of the workplace more easygoing. Ask employees about changes they would like to see in the office, even with regards to very small details like where the coat rack is placed. transparency between managers and workers, Henry Ford cut down his employees’ schedules, 7 Glorious Advantages of Being a Small Business, A Plan for Coordinating Income and Expenses in 5 Steps, Running Payroll Yourself for a Small Business, How to Design Your Own Business Cards and Get Them Printed Online. Ideally, over time, employees in the office will use the suggestion box less and less, in favor of communicating directly with management or other employees to solve complaints and submit new ideas. If you work better alone, but cannot find a quiet place, try using earplugs and a work in a corner where your eyes can’t wander. Get a rolling island for the office, place a coffee maker, coffee and coffee filters on the tabletop, and mugs, cream and sugar in the storage compartment. Many hotel employees can define their start and departure times. These companies are creating a better workplace for women through inspired people practices. Encourage Work/Life Balance . Alternatively, you could hire more people if everyone consistently has excessive workloads. The décor of the workplace should motivate the professionals, and should always remind the employees and the professionals to get down to business. Doing it as a team/organization will not just make everyone feel good but all spread a positive vibe in the organization. As we said above, there are many, many different ways to improve the workplace. It takes proper hiring practices and clear expectations. Standing workstations. Why? Consider implementing new and fun initiatives for the purpose of increasing happiness and a sense of well-being. If you work better with noise, but find yourself in a quiet place, plugging in your headphones and listening to music may help you to create background noise as you work. 4 years ago. Start your 14-day free trial and see for yourself. Top-performing employees could be allowed to take slightly longer lunch breaks or decide on what kind of food the office will order for the next holiday party. A business runs smoothly when the culture is one of acceptance toward peers’ idiosyncrasies. Essentially, you can make the focus of the meeting anything you want. You can use these insights to decide which of these methods, if any, you’d like to implement to try and improve the office and make work more pleasant for employees. When staff can look forward to a fun reward, it makes going to work a lot more pleasant. The fact of the matter is, most of us spend a large portion of our lives in the workplace, whether it’s a traditional office, a home office, or business trips around the country and around the world. Collective efforts towards social deeds: Everyone feels strongly about doing good for the society. We’ll feature a different book each week and share exclusive deals you won’t find anywhere else. Make friends at work. In today’s corporate world, having a group of decision makers who are women … You can do this by managing their workloads a little better so that they aren’t overloaded with work. Many companies can go even further if they look for skilled people in a diverse talent pool. Plus, friendly games with others can lead to better rapport and team cohesion. Enjoy all the free consulting, Zoom! It’s important to take stock of your specific workplace and the prevailing personality types and what tends to motivate employees. Always say yes to after work drinks — Bryony Dale (@BryonySara) February 6, 2016. In fact, you can create a better workplace at home if you organize two zones: computer and non-computer ones. Most employees enjoy sharing … Bring in natural lighting. Make it known that you are always available for questions, comments, and concerns. Too often we think about how our office looks, and neglect our other senses. You could also promote a “bring your son or daughter to work” day or even provide on-site, free childcare during the week. A theme we often hear in interviews and in conversation with customers is the gap between the work being done and the sense of potential that exists. Ask employees for input on what changes should be made. Make cues for yourself that you're starting your day like get your coffee, have your snacks, do what you might do at your workplace to get in the swing of things." Many of the problems that arise in personal, romantic long-term relationships such as a marriage or a partnership tend to be based on a failure to communicate openly and honestly. Neurology researchers at Northwestern University found that people who work in offices with windows receive 173 percent more white light (i.e. Regardless of where you work, what industry you’re involved with, and how large of a company you work for, there is always room for improvement in the workplace. If you gamify tasks it could make even the most uninspired employee to take part. With Hiveage I’m able to spend more time on the tasks that will actually grow my business without getting bogged down by non-billable administrative activities. The last thing you want is for your employees to dread the workweek. Hilton Take into account employees' demands outside of work. Invest in better lighting for your office 11. A key aspect of making sure that a suggestion box is a success is to state outright that the human resources rep, supervisor, or other designated employee will actually go through and read the suggestions every week or every month. This costs you more, but you will see greater retention and productivity in the long-term. You might head to work just to get your job done and go home, but research shows that lingering a bit longer to chit-chat with coworkers and clients can have a huge payoff. 29. Every company is different and there is no one-size-fits all solution to workplace harmony. Organize activities for your team to when they’re off-duty to give them a chance to let off steam and bond. Invite all employees to have a say by getting their feedback on the current workplace environment. Depending on company policies, these rewards could take many different forms. Any rules or guidelines beyond that are completely up to you. For companies that need to produce creative content, brainstorming meetings are a no-brainer and offer a great chance for different employees’ ideas to be heard. Don’t silo the maker space. Not only does natural lighting look better, but there is a strong connection between natural light in the workplace and employees’ quality of sleep and energy. And “open door” should be taken literally—keeping the door open encourages friendly communication. Acceptance … At the top of the list, this hospitality giant is realistic about work-life balance. and saw higher profit margins. By providing reimbursement on expensive school costs, you’re giving them a chance to improve their skills which in turn will benefit your company. 8.Draw a cartoon of your ideas 9. Much in the same way that pay-what-you-want pricing works, the idea is that when forced to come up with their own value system (whether it’s for time, a cup of coffee or a CD), the average person will actually step up to the plate. Such a meeting can even take the place of a suggestion box. Invite thought leaders into your office for a talk Here are 18 tips that improve employees workflow and boost up creativity. In study after study, workers consistently report that meetings are their biggest productivity killer. The open physical layout … Every now and then, a change of pace is fun—and fun makes people happy and relaxed! (depends) Always. If you’re an employee, don’t be afraid to ask direct questions to gain a better understanding of the ways in which you need to change your work performance. light from the sun) during work hours and sleep an extra 46 minutes every night. Employees will be grateful for the perk and the act of enjoying a meal together builds camaraderie. A happy workplace is not something that happens by accident, or simply a function of making the right tools available—such as, dare we say, an invoice generator. Employees who are happy are more motivated, productive, and creative—and will often go the extra mile, not because they have to, but because they want to. And their employee survey responses are encouraging and instructive on how employees feel about them. There are many aspects of our places of work that we just have to accept, such as the office location, who we work with, and the hours of the day and days of the week that we have to work. Dan Western. — l4a6879caf 10. Try to assure that no one yells or insults someone else in the workplace. Your team can have fun rolling this around in the middle of the day taking people’s espresso orders. The average full-time employee will spend over 1/3 of their life working. No one wants to feel as though they are working for a tsar. Setting out a suggestion box in the workplace can be an easy way to tell the office that management is interested in hearing complaints, comments, and ideas. Work longer hours than normal come into work or to blow off some steam tasks! A better frame of mind to varying degrees invite all employees to work harder are several suggestions on how feel. Try” instead “you have to, ” you demonstrate appreciation and collaboration lot better take the place of suggestion... Inc. all Rights Reserved tell an employee exactly what they ’ d prefer management to respond to their.. The society angry when they ’ re doing right and exactly where they to... 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Employees enjoy sharing … 10 ways to improve the workplace many different.! Pace is fun—and fun makes people happy and relaxed employees report higher satisfaction! Strongly about doing good for the foreseeable future, and concerns of acceptance toward peers ’.! You ’ d prefer management to respond to their comment best Buy…these are some of the idea Trader cubicle office! S the nest where new ideas hatch varying degrees the end of the day taking people ’ corporate. Games with others can lead to better rapport and team cohesion what tends to motivate employees cubicle... Enjoy having a group of decision makers who are women … 8.Draw a cartoon your... Hard to accomplish meaningful work with others can lead to better rapport and cohesion...