Based on statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American worker spends nine hours per day on the job, but only seven hours sleeping. Needless to say, this can have an impact on employee productivity in the office. However, as more and more employers become aware of this, many companies are beginning to implement numerous strategies that can make employees not only more productive, but also happier people. Whether it’s changing the layout of the office, having a game day, hiring the services of a life coach or plenty of other options, the good news for employers and employees is that there are many great ways to make the workday both productive and fun.
Office Decor and Layout
While many offices still use cubicles to give employees their own space, a number of companies are doing away with them and instead focusing on office layouts that are open and able to let in plenty of natural light. To accomplish this, additions such as interior sliding doors, and modern barn doors are being implemented to give their offices an upscale look that will impress both employees and clients. Along with this, having additional amounts of natural light have been shown to improve the moods of employees, giving them more energy to complete their daily tasks. So while changing the layout of the office to include interior sliding doors, modern barn doors, and sliding glass doors may cost a bit of money initially, the improvement you’ll see in employee productivity will make the dollars you spend well worth the effort.
Corporate Coaching
When it comes to the workplace, the many diverse personalities that make up most offices may have conflicts from time to time. To help employees learn to better communicate with each other, work together to reach common goals while bringing more personal meaning to their career, many companies are turning to life coaches to bring about positive change. By working with employees individually or in groups, life coaches can help them embrace the challenges faced in the workplace with a positive attitude. Along with this, coaches also act as motivational speakers not only with employees, but also management. Since corporate coaching entails helping an organization change from the top levels on down, it is the job of these coaches to not only help employees become happier, but also to do what they can to let employees see just how important their contributions are to the ultimate success of the company. Some coaches even offer specialized niche areas; for example a female CEO of a large corporation may turn to a life coach working with executive women as a specialty, as opposed to a general career coach. Corporate coaching helps busy professionals set a healthy work life balance, define their true career goals and devise a map to reach them, and enhance productivity as well as assisting in a number of other areas that need a greater sense of focus.
Game Day
Like they say, all work and no play makes for some very unhappy employees. To keep this from happening in your workplace, it’s likely your manager is planning a monthly game day that will provide an hour or two of fun in numerous ways. For starters, you’ll be able to look forward to plenty of free food such as pizza or burgers, which will ensure everyone, can have lots of fun on a full stomach. After you’re done eating, get ready to win some prizes such as gift cards while answering trivia questions and playing other games related to their jobs. Along with having plenty of fun playing these games, employees also get the chance to work together in teams to claim their prizes, and in many cases are paired up with people they may not know very well or have a chance to work with much while on the job. This allows for the establishment of not only better working relationships, but may also lead to friendships that will extend beyond the workplace.
Buy the Best Equipment
Along with making sure the daily tasks at work get done, ensuring your employees have the latest and greatest equipment to do their jobs can go far in creating a productive office. Whether it’s getting new computers for everyone to have on their desks, buying a copy machine to replace the one that’s always breaking, or going all out and purchasing new tablets or other mobile devices for employees who spend much of their day in the field, your popularity as a manager will grow by leaps and bounds once you show your employees you care enough to make sure they have a well-equipped and up-to-date office environment.
By having an office full of productive employees, a company can guarantee it will be on the fast track to success. Whether it’s having employees happy because their copier no longer breaks down, winning gift cards for knowing the answer to a little-known fact about your company, or feeling more optimistic about your job thanks to a corporate life coach, it’s clear these methods are very effective in creating happy employees and productive offices. So if you’re looking to take your company to the next level, these methods are sure to put you over the top.