Do you know what Youtube, Google, Redbull and Facebook have in common; creative offices that elicit employee productivity. No matter what industry you’re in, it can be tough to find the right people and keep them engaged in your brand. Whether it’s staring at a computer for ten hours a day, greeting customers over and over again, or counting money, every industry is faced with this counter-productivity problem. You want your employees to be a part of your brand, a part of the brand experience, offering creative ideas and getting involved in the entire process. A great way to encourage employee productivity is to provide a little something different in terms of office space.
Stimulating Productivity
If you want your employees to be engaged in their work, creative in their ideas, and productive on all levels, they need to feel like they’re not at work. Whether you’re running a 5 star hotel or a local medical practice, when your employees are happy, your guests and clients are happy.
The proof to the theory that creative office spaces lead to productivity came just a few months ago, in January of 1012, when a research found that “giving employees input into the design of their workspace can improve productivity by as much as 32 percent. Any positive changes can improve productivity by up to 17 percent,” according to Business2Community.com.
Many business owners still cling to the old adage that distractions are no good for productivity. I mean, why would Google have a slide, bean bags, an aquarium room and flashy colors all over the place if it did nothing but create distractions from work and create unproductive employees. Google is one of the most power companies in the world, and it’s employees are some of the happiest because of these distractions.
Some of the most successful businesses of the past few years such as Google, Pixar, Apple, Facebook and Redbull are well known for having highly creative and unique work environments.
As a small business, there are things that you can do to increase productivity through creative spaces. For example, ask your employees what they think of their office space. Ask them about everything, from the color of the carpet to the lighting and art on the walls. The smallest details can make the biggest difference.
Consider the following ideas for creating a more productive work space for your employees:
• Adding color – Have an expert out to talk about color choices and the moods that they elicit.
• Adding furniture – Think unique furniture, modern and bright.
• Adding ‘zones’ – Old school thinking might consider zones to be the ‘conference room’ or the ‘front desk.’ But in a creative, unique work space that generates productivity, these zones would be idea-generating hubs where light-heartedness and fun rule.
• Notice the Details – Everything, from the pens and pencils that you use, to the binders and staplers matter. Everyone has the boring, black staplers. Why not do something different?
Don’t forget about the white boards! In any environment or industry, whiteboards are your greatest asset. Use them, encourage your employees to use them. Have fun with them. Having a fun, creative, unique work space for you employees truly can make your business more successful.