Increase Staff Productivity by up to 20% with the Right Office Design
Productivity studies show that the most significant factor in determining an employee’s ability to focus is their physical environment. A well-designed office can increase your productivity about 20%.
To improve employee productivity offices should be designed to meet the following criteria:
- Lighting – Good lighting is important to stay focused and feeling inspired to create, while bad lightening can cause fatigue, eyestrain, headaches and overall irritability.
- Chair and table – Both should be ergonomically designed and correctly fitted to the individual employee’s height and body shape.
- Clutter – Needs to be eliminated as it kills focus and productivity.
- Room colour – Blue colours have been shown to improve productivity.
- Room temperature – 23-25 degrees Celsius has been show as optimum for productivity.
- Room scents – Pine has been shown to increase alertness while lavender helps with relation and reducing stress.
- Noise level – Quietness improves the ability to think and concentrate. Nothing breaks your concentration more than constant telephone ringing.
- Air quality – Fresh air through windows or doors is best but if that’s not possible a good air filter or more office plants are beneficial.
- Different spaces – Shifting between different work spaces energises the brain.
- Food and water – Drinking water to stay hydrated and eating small healthy snacks fuels the brain.
- Framed photos – Photos of loved ones reduce stress.
As employees can be a company’s biggest cost and also its greatest asset, spending a few dollars to improve the office design and increase their productivity 20% is a good investment.
