People spend a significant amount of time at work. It stands to reason, then, that your work environment should be not only functional, but inviting. Often, your office space will not only have to accommodate employees but will have to welcome clients as well. One big way to cover both of those bases is through decorating and design choices. Here are three hacks for making your office more friendly.
Add Some Life
Nothing makes an office more inviting than bringing a little life into the space. The easiest, most sensible way to accomplish this is by adding plants. Plants can help to purify the air. They also have a calming effect by making the place feel less stressful. Finally, the right plant can create a focal point for your design or can provide a screen for something you would prefer to keep covered. Your best bet is to bring in something low maintenance and make sure you know who is in charge of keeping each plant watered or even allow employees to bring in their own plants.
Communications Center
Having a fun bulletin board makes office communications a lot more interesting. Sure, you can send information via email, but putting announcements and social activities in a place where everyone can see them at the same time can help to generate discussion. And you may be surprised at the great ideas that are produced by discussions around the bulletin board. Aside from a bulletin board, having stands for pamphlets on things like company policies and employee health plans allow employees to find information quickly without having to bother a manager or someone from human resources for simple questions. Clipboards and brochure holders can be ordered from manufacturers like Productive Plastics.
Open Concept
For a while, cubicles were the big deal in office space design. It was a way to give each employee his or her own “office” without the expense of having to build actual walls. In more recent times, the cubical walls have been coming down in favor of open office spaces and even long desks that serve more than one employee. Some places have even included standing desks for employees so that they do not have to spend quite so much time sitting. The idea behind the open concept office is that, like the bulletin board, it promotes collaboration among employees thus encouraging the creation of great ideas.
Often office environments are considered cold and sterile. It does not have to be that way. Creating an open, friendlier office space can promote social interaction and increase productivity. Using these three hacks can be the way to begin.
