Create a Great Place to Work – Advice from 32 Space Experts
We asked our team of workspace experts to provide some ways they’ve seen organizations successfully create great places to work. Hopefully you will find these ideas inspirational and applicable for your organization.
If possible, design a space with plenty of views of the outdoors. Create a welcoming environment through colors, textures and furnishings. Create a comfortable space addressing the needs of your team, such as HVAC, lighting and acoustic.
Focus on your organization’s culture with leadership leading the way and clearly understanding the needs of all employees to create the best work environment. Culture is the bloodline of a company. If it’s not healthy, the company isn’t healthy and cant thrive. Consider wellness programs and focus on creating an agile work environment.
Open exposure to light. Open communication about happenings within the organization. Consideration of ideas from all generations within the office as to what can be improved.
Create an employee engagement team. Integrate technology. Feature employees in both your physical and digital spaces. Invest in your employees with products that promote wellness, comfort and quality aesthetics.
Limit organizational hierarchy. Listen to the concerns of your employees. Provide a healthy and fun work environment.
Try to make your workspace atmosphere feel relaxed… not in a sloppy relaxed, but in a relaxed way of having your employees to feel comfortable with their coworkers and superiors, the office space, and the resources that are available to them. Consider asking your employees what they want. Allow them to share the ideas and input. They’ll feel valued, which in turn, makes for a better employee. They’ll feel like they’re working for something more than their daily to-do lists. And actually listen to what they have to say. If their requests are feasible , show efforts in making them happen. Have an open door policy. It’s easier and so much better to work for a company when you know who the executives are and can feel comfortable going up to them. More importantly, employees can better understand and see the company’s visions and goals when executives are more visible and open with their employees.
Understand the vision & goals of both the company and the human needs of the people who make the company run.
Provide attractive furniture. Allow employees to have a choice of work style. Implement the use of height-adjustable tables.
People work longer and more connected days than they did in the past. With our phones we are now more connected than ever and an employer should provide break away places for their staff to take the much needed “unplugged” breaks which should include wellness rooms, prayer & meditation rooms, nourish/cafe spaces that are pleasant and comfortable (not table and chairs), outdoor spaces, etc.
Listen to the employees. Adapt to their desires… they change. Give the employees a break in fun creative ways.
Open communication – share changes with everyone, ask for opinions, initiate team building. Show appreciation to employees, peers & management. Make the “place to work” a great environment.
Add plenty of soft seating and ancillary collaboration areas to provide a more comfortable work environment that encourages employees to feel at home in the office. Coordinate team-building activities, both during and outside of work. And most importantly, invest in good coffee :)
Understand the functions of each job and create a flexible environment to enhance. Spaces that inspire creativity are often home to successful and happy teams.
Take an in-depth look at your culture, understand the generations in your workforce, and actively promote/enable employee engagement.
A lot of the companies we work with are providing fun, new environments with collaborative areas, game rooms, etc. These areas help create a better place to work, however, employees need to feel that they can use these spaces when needed and be trusted that they will not abuse. If employees feel the spaces are “just for show”, they will not feel comfortable using these areas.
Work environment – create a workplace where there are multiple ways to work so that everyone can be comfortable with how they work. Doing things together as a company (volunteering, fun outings, company events like barbecues, etc). Promote collaboration – encourage employees to meet regularly as teams, to meet vs always email; that helps to build camaraderie
Open workspace, game rooms and private meeting spaces.
Technology and work environments that work with the worker.
Communication, work/life balance and advancement opportunities.
My favorite is Summer Hours! Leaving early on Friday might mean I do more Monday-Thursday, but feeling like I have a Three-day weekend is amazing. Giving your employees an opportunity to redesign a space. Offering your employees additional partnerships with vendors or customers to offer perks to employees.
Natural Light!
Listen to what the workers want/need. Encourage creativity and new ideas. Create goals & expectations.
Listen to the employees, encourage collaboration and provide quiet/focus areas.
Provide social gatherings, encourage personal interaction, offer functional workspaces.
Listen to employees, offer creative spaces, and create flexible and interactive spaces.
Allow for comfortable break out areas where employees can come together and collaborate. Don’t cram your team into spaces that are too small. Allow a little more room if possible so you can have happier employees. Provide a good ergonomic task chair for your employees. Just like your mattress at home, you spend a lot of time in your chair. If you invest in a good one, your employees will have less back and health-related absences.
Provide health and wellness programs for your employees. Look into ergonomic products such as good quality chairs, height-adjustable surfaces and monitor arms as a great place to start. Offer recognition programs for your employees internally. Hiring the right people can bring great energy and high productivity to your team.
Encourage company parties/events. Allow for comfortable air control (not too hot or too cold). Provide adequate technology for teams to be effective in the modern world.
Make sure that leadership really listens to employees and genuinely tries to address any concerns. Send out anonymous surveys so see how truly happy employees are. Always strive to improve all forms of communication.
Privacy between users. Adequate work space . Amenities to engage employees to want to come to work.
