How to create an office space loved by the employees
Well, if you thought taking your team out for parties, organising offsites twice a year, offering them bonuses and incentives and ensuring that they work well was being a good leader, then you are wrong. Just all of this is not enough. You need to give them what they really need – A good working environment.
Working at a startup involves facing challenges, taking risks and working under immense pressure. A startup is a place where there is constant pressure to meet deadlines and team members are expected to multitask and even work extra hours. Employers, thus, need to make sure that they institute a culture that inspires trust, peace and a sound work ethic among employees and one that keeps their team feeling energetic day-in and day-out.
Designing a workspace your employees will love calls for a lot of consideration and creativity. While new entrepreneurs understand the significance of having a balanced work environment well, there are many who are still struggling to find the right methods to keep their employees happy and motivated.
Here are a few tips that will help you design an office space, as well as a culture, that will ensure minimum employee turnover.
Create a fully-functional office space
One of the most common problems encountered in startups are inefficient or outdated work equipment and unorganised workspaces. Your employees come to work to deliver what’s expected of them, and may be even more, but dysfunctional equipment and futile processes can significantly hamper their overall productivity. The last thing they want is to deal with is inutile and inefficient working practices. Make sure you hire a good administration team that can ensure timely availability of reliable work equipment to your team. A functional workspace not only helps your employees perform better but also keeps them focused and stress-free.
Design a comfortable workspace
Given the fact that your employees spend about 50 per cent of their day in the office, it pays to notice that they will be much happier and satisfied if they get to work in a comfortable office environment. Many startups operate on cost-cutting tactics, and the workspace is usually one of the primary targets of such an undertaking. Well, this seemingly insignificant cost-cutting can cost you some significant employees and eventually add to the company cost in the long run.
As an entrepreneur, you need to ensure that the workspace maintains an even temperature all-round the year and has ergonomic chairs and adequate lighting for creating an atmosphere that is conducive to working. You may also indulge in creating non-productive areas, where your employees can simply unwind, relax and recharge themselves to deliver their best as soon as they return to their workstation.
Encourage training and development
People choose startup careers over corporate ones for a good reason. The vast pool of opportunities that a startup offers helps them learn and grow as professionals. It is said that a year spent in a startup is equivalent to 6 years of learning in a corporate office. As an entrepreneur, you need to make constant efforts to feed the intellectual needs of your employees. Like most large corporations, even small workplaces have started adopting the university metaphor to encourage their employees to learn more.
In addition to business-related subjects, this training can also include non-work agendas such as self-defence, technological advancement classes, public-speaking, soft skills and much more. Such efforts don’t just enable your employees to grow in their respective fields but also overall as professionals. Remember that your current team will be handling and managing your future teams as and when the company grows.
Follow these tips and create an office space that offers congeniality and growth to your employees. Your employees are the backbone of your organisation. Their efforts and sincerity will ensure success, and thus, it is important to provide them the apt space that helps them perform better.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)
