When you see some of the workplaces out there, it can be easy to feel envious. I mean, look at these photos from the offices of Facebook! Sometimes it’s a wonder that people can go to offices like that and still call it work. When people think office jobs, they don’t usually think of a place with much personality. They think of uncomfortable chairs, horrible fluorescent lighting, bland carpeting, suits, ties, polished shoes.
Why are there offices out there that look more like playgrounds of luxury than professional places of work? There are two main reasons for it. One is that it makes people who don’t work there want to work there. It helps foster this rock star image for its employees, so people become envious of them, and thus want to become one of them. Facebook aren’t deluged with job applications just because they’re such a big company. It’s also because their offices are so cool!
Another reason is that it increases the happiness and comfort levels of the employees. The type of employees who come to Facebook are usually programmers and creative types. These guys are going to feel suffocated in an office such as I described in the first paragraph! Having a fun office fits more with their personality, reducing stress and increasing productivity.
Here are some of the things you can do to give your workplace a more luxurious feel!
Throw in a little decoration
This is probably the easiest the thing to do. A lot of office walls are a bare, sterile white. Not very inspiring, is it? If you already have an active office filled with employees, the first thing you should try is some decoration. I don’t necessarily mean flowers and vases here, though I’m sure some of your employees would find them very pretty. (Some may be allergic to certain types of flowers, though!)
Your decoration should be more original and personal. Ideally, it would have something to do with your workplace specifically. Some paintings would definitely work a treat. If any of your employees paint, why not see if they’re willing to have their work on display? Even if you don’t work in a creative industry, you’ll be surprised how many creative employees you have!
If your office landlord is okay with it, consider getting some murals painted directly onto the wall. You could hire a freelance painter to create and apply unique pieces for you.Facebook famously did this back in 2003 and paid the painter in shares. (Those shares become worth $200 million when the company went public!) You can also have mural painted on the walls outside…
Considering the office exterior
The outside of your offices are the first thing an employee or a potential employee are going to see. It’s what will make people walking across the street look over at your building and think “I want to hand in my job application there!” Sometimes, however, you can be quite limited in what you can do. If you have a business in the heart of the city, then it’s likely you’re renting a floor of office space. In this situation, the best thing you can do is possibly have fun things visible from your windows. If you have any cardboard cutout characters, stick them next to the windows! If you own an entire building, then you have more freedom.
If you’re lucky enough to own offices where you have control over the exterior grounds, then you have the most freedom of all! There is a lot of potential in the grounds surrounding a work building. If you have a garden, even better. A garden can be seen as both a blessing and a curse for a company. It’s a blessing because it’s nice to have an outside area where employees can go to relax. But some see it as a curse because you have to maintain it! Maintaining is very important, though, so don’t be tempted to skimp on it. Having a beautifully designed garden will give employees the feeling that their job doesn’t take them far away from nature. It’s probably too much for you to do yourself, though! If you’re considering commercial garden maintenance, discover more at Atkins Inc.
Rooms for relaxation or fun activities
One of the problems with modern offices is that people often stay in that office during their lunchtime. Many eat their lunch at their desk because it seems like too much of a hassle to do anything else. If you have rooms dedicated to eating lunch or for play, that creates a much more stress-relieving atmosphere.
Many modern offices have a lounge room. This is a room with seating and a television, often coupled with some video game consoles. Giving employees an opportunity to play video games against each other is a great way of letting them blow off some steam. It’s also a great way of getting a community feel. Even people who aren’t playing the games love to watch and commentate! If you don’t think video games are right, you can also consider getting some old-school foosball tables.
Workstations with character
Telling employees they need to keep their desk clear of anything except company property is a little stiff. That’s a blunt way of putting it, but not an inaccurate one. You should allow employees to personalise their workstations! People tend to be more productive when their desk is covered with more familiar, less corporate things. They feel more relaxed and more at home.
This, to an extent, also includes a bit of desk messiness. Yes, it can be an eyesore if you’ve got clients coming to visit. But the fact is that when people are working hard or brainstorming, they pay less attention to their neatness. Just let it happen! You should really only intervene if they’re leaving uneaten food around on their desk, or if their mess is starting to spread onto other desks.
All of this is great, but…
At the end of the day, none of the above means much if you don’t have a great work environment. All the decorations, art and games in the world won’t make a difference if employees don’t enjoy their job. And what helps people enjoy their job the most is a genuine, friendly culture.
