If you’ve noticed recently that your office is struggling to be productive, it may be time to redesign and change the office culture.
After all, employees are more productive in an environment they enjoy working in.
But what are the factors that create a more productive office environment?

Change your office culture

There are many ways to create a productive office by changing the corporate culture, as many employers have the knee-jerk reaction to micromanage their employees and their time.
Even if they do this to ensure their employees are productive, it can have the opposite effect.
Employees can’t be more effective in an environment that feels confining and burdensome.

Create a more hybrid workplace

By giving your employees the freedom to choose when and where they work, you ensure that they work during their most productive hours.
As long as they complete their tasks on time, what’s the harm?
One way to facilitate communication is to set certain hours when everyone is at work, and let employees choose the rest of their working hours.

You might think that creating a more hybrid workplace is counter-productive to productivity levels, but in fact, hybrid workplaces ensure that your employees are satisfied with their working arrangements.
And studies show that when employees are happy with their working conditions, they are more productive.

Avoid scheduling meetings that waste people’s time

Many employers, especially start-ups, schedule company-wide meetings that do nothing for some of their departments.
Often, these meetings could have been as simple as an e-mail.
The people who attend feel they’re wasting their time, and feel bored and tired when the meeting’s over.
Unless you have an important strategy to discuss that would affect all your departments, avoid scheduling these meetings.

Encourage collaboration

A recent trend is moving away from clustered individual workstations, separated only by partitions, towards large, open spaces that encourage employees to communicate and work together.
According to an article published by Slack, “highly collaborative work environments are more likely to improve ROI and increase productivity, as they encourage employee engagement and promote shared goals.”
So, instead of thinking your employees are “slacking off” by spending their days chatting amongst themselves, trust them to work collaboratively and watch your productivity levels soar.

Change your office design

Many people tend to think that office design doesn’t play an important role in a person’s psyche.
They’re not wrong.
In fact, the way an office is configured plays a huge role in your employees’ mood and productivity levels.

Use natural light

Studies show that productivity levels increase when employees are exposed to natural light and nature.
Daylight can also help your employees sleep better at night.
If they’re well rested, they’re more likely to be productive.
So, if your office space has windows, the last thing you want to do is obscure them.
This is especially true if your office windows overlook a lot of greenery.
If there are no windows in your workspace, consider investing in ceiling lamps that mimic natural light and decorate the space with plants.

Modernize your office space

How can you expect your office to be productive if your employees have to deal with old, slow technology to get their work done?
Hint: you can’t.
One of the most important and beneficial things you can do for your office is to modernize the technology.
More and more tasks are carried out using the Internet and applications.
So, to guarantee productivity, get technology that can keep up with the speed at which your employees work.

Declutter

If your employees work in a cluttered space, they’re less likely to be productive.
Studies show that decluttering the work environment improves concentration and productivity.
You may think that your brain can compartmentalize and focus on a specific task.
In reality, every time you’re confronted with different objects or app notifications, these objects and notifications compete for attentional space.
The more objects you have competing for space in your mind, the more distracted you are and the less productive you are.
That is, unless you’re doing creative work.

Rearrange your space

Office furniture plays a considerable role in employee productivity.
After all, workers who are in constant pain throughout the day are unlikely to think about their tasks.
And even if they do, their attention will be diverted throughout the day – leading to poor results.
To keep your employees comfortable and their bodies fully supported throughout the day, invest in ergonomic furniture.
Everyone is made differently, so you can’t expect a standard-sized chair to fit a small person as well as a large one.
Because ergonomic furniture can be adapted to different body types, it’s like one-size-fits-all furniture – except that it really does fit everyone.

When you invest in ergonomic furniture, you’re investing in your employees.
You’re telling them that their physical health and mental well-being are important to you.
The more your employees feel valued, the happier they will be.
And the happier they are, the more productive they’ll be.
There are many types of ergonomic furniture.
Sit-stand desks are becoming increasingly popular, as people realize that they need to move around more during the day.
Given that sitting for long periods of time puts your health at risk, sit-stand desks have been designed with the sole aim of combating them.
Ergonomic chairs, on the other hand, are fully adjustable and offer excellent lumbar support.
They also ensure that you adopt correct posture to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular disease.