We are now approaching spring which is always the perfect time to re-think your workplace and make a few adjustments. There is never any harm in changing things around and bringing in new ideas that could enhance productivity, sustainability and maybe even workplace morale. These changes don’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, either, as there are many easy ways to improve your workplace and make long-term changes. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are 6 improvements that you can make to your workplace today.
Team building exercises
The best workplaces all have one thing in common: great team collaboration. A strong team doesn’t just appear from thin air, though, and if you want to noticeably improve teamwork in the workplace, then team-building exercises are a really good way to go. These exercises will help staff to bond with each other and understand more about the people they are working with. Not only will this improve how your employees work together but it will make the workplace a much friendlier and welcoming environment to everyone that works there. Team building exercises are fairly easy to carry out and could be done monthly or even weekly to continuously boost team collaboration. These exercises can be anything from solving puzzles, ‘speed dating’ or even trusts exercises. Hartleys Events offer a range of virtual cookery classes that would be a great way to learn something new as a team. These are always fun and will bring your team closer together.
Workplace competition
Nothing brings out hard work like some friendly competition. To motivate your employees to work hard and make the workplace more fun, you could introduce a friendly workplace competition that all of your staff can get involved with. Competitions are a great opportunity to introduce new workplace behaviours or schemes that could benefit your company in the long run. For example, many workplaces hold green competitions in which employees are encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible or to increase their recycling habits in a certain time frame. It may be a good idea to invest in some new office recycling equipment to get staff motivated. QCR Recycling Equipment offer free trials to workplaces that are looking to upgrade their recycling game. Recycling competitions could help you to increase morale and your building’s sustainability at the same time! Workplace competitions always go down well with members of staff and make the working day more fun.
Rewards
A good way to encourage the best efforts from your employees is to recognise and reward their hard work. Every now and then, you should make sure to reward those who have performed well and thank them for their good work. This will motivate staff to try their best and will help them to feel valued by the company. Rewards don’t have to be large, even a simple email of gratitude will go a long way. Recognition reminds people that their efforts are appreciated, and this will keep staff working hard and even raise their self-esteem.
Social areas
Staff socialisation is an important part of good team collaboration, although with the recent lockdown restrictions, it has been near impossible to make time for work socials. If your building doesn’t have nice spaces for staff to socialise, they may be tempted to spend their breaks at their desks or even in their cars. A close-knit staff team is a team that will respect each other and work well together so, it is important that you encourage employees to socialise on their breaks instead of eating alone. To do this, you could create comfortable social areas for staff to sit in together (at a safe distance). Many buildings now have couches, bean bags and even football tables for staff to use together during breaktimes. According to Social Spaces, soft seating helps to create a relaxed working environment for employees, as it offers somewhere “people can go for some time away from their desk, meet and collaborate away from the distractions of phones and colleagues.”
These social areas should be welcoming to everyone and have lots of space for staff to sit together. This will encourage employees to spend more time with their team.
Regular feedback
The best way to know what improvements should be made to your workplace is to ask for regular feedback from staff. Staff may not always feel comfortable giving their honest opinion face-to-face so, you should set up an anonymous feedback scheme. You could ask all employees to fill out feedback forms every couple of months. This will give you a clearer idea of what is and isn’t working. Anonymous staff feedback may open your eyes to big improvements that need to be made. Feedback initiatives also give employees a voice which will make the workplace seem more welcoming, as it shows that you appreciate their opinions.
Personalised workspaces
To make employees feel more comfortable in the workplace, you should allow them to bring personal touches to their desks and work areas. Turnstone suggests that personalised workspaces help employees to feel a stronger sense of identity and a greater connection to the company. Family photos, funny posters or even desk plants help to give people a boost during the day and will allow staff members to feel personally valued by the company. Personalising their workspaces may also make employees feel closer as a team, as personal items will give a lot of information about the employee. This all goes towards improving staff morale.