How Office Environments Can Affect Productivity

Every employee requires a suitable place to work, and office environments can impact significantly on overall productivity. Employees who benefit from an appropriate, practical and pleasant workplace tend to get more work done and be more focussed.

There are a number of factors that go into crafting an office environment that is practical and geared towards productivity. These include:

Equipment and Layout

Any worker, from manual labourers to city professionals, will need the right tools for the job. Installing the right equipment in an office is one of the things that most obviously impacts on productivity, and is a vital factor in getting the best performance from a workforce.

The majority of offices will need the bare necessities: a desk, chair and computer with appropriate software. These things are hard enough to overlook, but many offices would benefit from going beyond these simple necessities. For instance, the use of multiple screens can improve employee efficiency in offices by anything from 9-15%, according to a study by Vibe. It minimises the need to move between different windows, speeding up research-based tasks as well as simple activities like cutting and pasting.

Comfort

Employee comfort is important for productivity as well as for the health of your employees. When employees are in pain or discomfort, they will naturally be distracted from their work and less focussed, and this will leave its mark on productivity.

Seating is one of the most important considerations in keeping employees comfortable. Ergonomic seating that provides a healthy, comfortable seating position will reduce discomfort and aid employee focus. There is a huge range of ergonomic office seating solutions available, from classic wooden office chairs to modern mesh models, so there is certainly no availability problem when it comes to ensuring your office workers are all sitting comfortably.

Seating is not the only comfort consideration. Desk layout is another important factor. All important items such as keyboard and mouse should be within easy reach, and if multiple screens are used then employees should be able to see them all without twisting or stretching their neck. Another example is temperature control. Few things are more distracting than a hot-and-stuffy or freezing-cold office, so ensure that offices are well-regulated and well-ventilated throughout the year.

Aesthetics

Aesthetic factors can also play a role in boosting the productivity of your employees. When people have a pleasant working environment in which they feel at their ease, they can better focus on their work.

Lighting is one of the most important aesthetic considerations, but also one of the most difficult to get right. Opinion is divided on whether well-lit offices increase productivity, while others insist they are distracting. One thing is clear though: natural light is better than artificial light. Try to maximise the amount of natural sunlight flowing into the office in order to get the best performance out of employees.

Clutter is another important aesthetic point to consider. Cluttered offices are full of distractions and generally less pleasant to be in, and the result of this is reduced productivity. Ensure that employees have access to drawers or shelving, and that there are plenty of filing cabinets to keep the clutter neatly tidied away.