How to Create an Office Environment Employees Love

It can sometimes be hard working in an office. You spend most of your working hours with people you didn’t choose to be your co-workers, and let’s face it, work isn’t that much fun, even if you do something you love. That’s why it’s important to create an office environment that’s fun and positive, where people can be productive and work well with each other. Here’s how you can create an office environment your employees will love.

Mix work with fun

When you work 9-5, the days can often blend into each other, and it’s nice to do things to mix it up. Try holding some fun activities in your office and do things that break up the work week, such as:

  • Work lunches
  • Friday drinks
  • Lunchtime sports
  • A day off to do volunteer work
  • Having meetings outdoors

This means you make work more enjoyable for people and help them bond, which can make them more productive.

Make sure there are plenty of refreshments

From drinks to snacks, having refreshments around the office will help keep the team more productive. It also saves people from having to walk to the local coffee shop or waste time queuing, so it can be a benefit to productivity too. Install a high quality coffee vending machine and you can offer free or paid-for hot drinks to employees whenever they want them.

Resolve issues quickly

Nothing is worse than having to go into work every day and deal with a co-worker that you don’t get along with. If there are issues in the office between people, it’s best not to ignore them, and to try and come up with some solutions if possible. Mediation can work well, otherwise, you may need to move people around so that they don’t spread bad feeling.

Try hot desking

In a large office, people will often stick to talking to their own team, which is why some companies have switched to part-time hot desking. This means that one day a month, or even a week, employees sit with different people. This avoid the cliquey feeling that some offices have and means people socialise and may make more friends.

Have casual dress code days

Dressing up for work every day gets annoying, and a lot of the time, it’s unnecessary. Many businesses now have a casual Friday, but you might even want to extend the casual dress code to the rest of the week. It creates a more laid-back atmosphere and when people are comfortable, they are often more productive. This can therefore be a great way to make your workplace a better place to be.

Most people spend at least 40 hours a week at work, so spend more time with co-workers than anyone else they know. In the wrong workplace, this can be awful, but if you make it a nice place to work, then people will be happier and more productive. It doesn’t take much to make the workplace somewhere people love to be, and making it more relaxed can make it easier for people to do their jobs.