I know a lot of people toss everything into the “employee disengagement” pile. This causes disengagement. Or that causes disengagement. Reality is, the drivers of employee engagement (or disengagement) are the things that drive work and productivity. A foosball table, while it’s fun and cool, probably doesn’t drive work. Therefore, it’s not a driver of employee engagement.
On the other hand, your office space does impact your productivity and the quality of your work. So, office space could be an engagement driver. Today’s infographic from Cubicle Concepts talks about some things that companies should think out when creating office space.
I particularly liked the focus of this infographic on ergonomics and wellness.
- Lighting, color, and plants can have a positive impact. As someone who once had their office located in the basement, let me tell you that windows can make a huge difference on your outlook. Same with color. Have you ever worked for a company where the employee hallways were brown or beige? A little pop of color can have a huge effect on employee engagement!
- Posture, desk space, and sounds can detract. I’ve spoken before about the importance of good posture. Having a great chair is essential. Equally important is having a proper desk at the right height. I’m also hearing about a growing number of companies issuing headphones to employees so they can tune out noise. Give employees the work space they need to do their best work.
I know some companies are questioning the open office space concept and for good reason. I believe organizations have to decide what works best for them. Whether you have open space or not, employees still need a proper workspace. Organizations are probably not getting their best work from employees when they’re being asked to work in cramped, noisy, ugly work spaces.
[…] know the open office concept is all the rage right now. And I’m not opposed to it. I can see the advantages it brings in terms […]