Corporations are looking for ways to make employees more comfortable and productive while in the office. So what creates that happiness and what is the role of design to aid in creating happiness at work?
r.o.i. Design has seen their customers provide a variety of spaces and amenities to their offices to assist with making a multi-generational workforce glad to be at the office.
While break rooms are important, so are the other pit stops and opportunities for refreshment:
- A small counter with a beverage fridge and a Keurig reminds folks to keep hydrated.
- Some lounge furniture by a window with a view. Doesn’t have to be an enclosed office, just a spot for a moment of contemplation and enjoyment.
- If your office is filled with cubicles, converting a small office to a shared space so a couple of folks can work privately can be very productive.
- On the stressful days, the old fashioned “tea cart” being pushed around with snacks at least makes them smile.
And then there is the opportunity to communicate to staff through messaging:
- Monitors that run changing images and texts are great for keeping staff “in the know”.
- Imagine if, after the boring quarterly meeting, a monitor in the office had funny photos from the meeting with some bullet points to repeat the key points of the meeting, but also to remind folks that they appreciate them coming to the meeting!
- Recognize staff for a job well done or celebrate with those crazy birthday announcements
- Or just maybe having the company Facebook page up on the screen.
- One office we visited had staff DISC profiles looped on a video.
And if your office doesn’t have a ton of space to create “other spaces”, or a budget for art or technology, consider adding plants and greenery to soften the interior.
No matter how a company expresses their care for their employees, any effort to recognize staff efforts and dedication is appreciated.
