Employee retention is a factor that many employers are struggling with across the globe. There are several suggestions on how to recruit and maintain the best employees. The ideas range from developing an organizational culture that enables employees to achieve work life balance to pizza meetings and kayaking outings. However, the most important thing for employees that makes them love the office is to have a suitable office in terms of policies and amenities. Below are some of the tips that employers can utilize to motivate workers.
While it is important to manage cost per square feet of the office space by removing wasted spaces, the office should provide enough workspace that enables neatness and organization. A small office space can be a source of chaos and delays in performance of duties. For example, when the employees work stations, or the shared office spaces are too squeezed, it becomes difficult to properly arrange work tools such as conference binders, business cards, and marketing copies. Employees get demoralized when they work in an office that is cluttered and disorganized a fact that can lead to low productivity. The Squarespace offices located in New York city, for instance, have a “no doors” office layout which enables employees to work comfortably, build strong relationships and network freely. Providing enough workspace alone does not guarantee employees the desired comfort at work. Instead, an employer should consider other factors such as the provision of good ventilation, quality lighting and, efficient cooling and heating system.
A look at the office plans presented by the Executive Offices of Downtown Manhattan New York indicates that private office spaces can accommodate one or more people to provide adequate office spaces for the specific number of employees in an organization. It is therefore important for an employer to conduct research and identify the most appropriate office space for the number of staff he/she has and also to suit the kind of business the company does.
The office’s worker walk into every day has changed with time, but the changes cannot be compared to the transformations that the tools of work have undergone. Today, every employer must incorporate digital tools into the physical office space to keep up with the modern trends of doing business. Apart from incorporating digital communication to physical office space, an employer can choose to operate a virtual office. Such business locations only exist in cyberspace and enable the employees to work from anywhere around the world. What employees need is phones, laptops, and access to reliable internet. Business owners can adopt the use of office suites fit for the kind of business they are engaged. Many companies are already using the Office 365 which enhances collaboration and communication and also eliminates barriers created by physical distance and time zones. Adoption of virtual offices is one way of cutting costs and improving work flexibility compared to renting the physical office space. Moreover, there are virtual office plans that provide business owners with professional mail handling services, reception, and call forwarding. Some virtual plans also include occasional conference room rental and temporary workspace rental for professionals who are home-based.
Almost all business owners know that choosing the location for a business is crucial in determining the growth of that business. The site of a business determines the sales that are made, the operation costs and the way it operates. It is advisable to have offices at a central location where all employees and customers have easy access. For example, having a business located near the NYC Penn Station is likely to attract more customers because of the ease with which the clients can have access to the services/goods offered by that particular business.
Different Spaces for Different Activities
Office space flexibility is a crucial employee motivation factor. Balancing the private rooms with more open spaces is important. For instance, a manager can have differently sized meeting rooms for different kinds of meetings. Employee meeting spaces should not be similar to meeting rooms allocated for clients. The meeting space where employees sit with their customers can, for instance, be designed to showcase the company brand and values. That way, the employees have confidence speaking to current and prospective clients in an environment that depict their professionalism.
Besides, Including private work booths and open areas for shared activities plus free open zones where employees socialize and collaborate can have a positive impact on the business productivity. For an organization to come up with the most appropriate office spaces, employees should be asked to say what they want the spaces to be like. Employees will often ask for working spaces that adapt to their needs and in the end contribute to increased performance. It is also important to create clear boundaries between the office areas by using different colors or well visible labels to avoid distractions and confusion.
Colors can also be used to demarcate different sections of the office. For instance, areas with high activity can be painted using high wavelength colors such as red and yellow to bring out the energy aspect. Blue and green colors which are considered to be of small wavelength can be used for the meeting rooms and conference space to indicate concentration and feelings of focus.
Whether an entrepreneur decides to rent a furnished or empty corporate office space, the most important factor to consider is getting the best furniture. Employees, good health is crucial for the productivity of an organization and discomforts emanating from back, neck and shoulder pains, can hinder real productivity. That is why an employer has to ensure that he/she rents an office space with high-quality chairs and computer desks which reduce the employee’s chances of experiencing painful discomfort while working. Rooms with furniture’s that have flexible elements make it easier for employees to flex around while performing different tasks.
Company Policies that Make Employees Stay.
Companies that follow the employee engagement policy are ranked among the best firms to work for in New York City. When employees are involved in making strategic decisions for the company, they feel part of the company, and their performance improves. Apart from that, employees feel like they are playing on an even field when they are asked to contribute to the decision making of the company. There are several ways of involving employees in the decision making including rotational participation in the council for decision making and conducting surveys regarding proposed actions in the organization. For instance, when a company is about to undertake an organizational change like merging with another firm, the management can pick one employee from each department to front their propositions on the best way to approach the change.
Employees love to be acknowledged and appreciated. Recognition makes them feel valued, and that feeling causes their performance at work to improve. Companies have many options to choose from regarding means of recognizing employees hard work and dedication. An organization can choose to recognize employees for the period they have served, for their innovation, professional excellence and leadership through many ways. The NewsCred company based in NYC has one of the most excellent methods of employee recognition. NewsCred encourages for the peer-to-peer recognition in which the employees showcase their work and the management makes recognition announcements and leads celebration for the employees who have performed excellently. The peer-to-peer recognition enhances open communication between team members and management.
The company policies should not restrict socialization or overly focus on formal communication and work alone. A good employer keeps a thin line between personal and professional relationships. The manager’s workspace should be designed in a way that it encourages employees to talk about things that are not necessarily work related so that they also view the director as a peer and not as the boss all the time. Moreover, trusting employees with responsibilities helps to develop the personal relationship and also challenges the employees to perform well. Trust and socialization can be established by embracing open communication structure whereby employees who have free time can feel comfortable to lend a hand to their colleagues who have heavy duties.