Tip of the Week: 4 Ways to Maximize Your Office Space for Productivity

It’s a stereotype well known in popular culture; the drab office filled with countless employees pecking away at their computers, perpetual frowns on their grayscale faces. Fortunately for the modern worker and, by extension, the business that employs them, statistics have shown that the environment in which one works can have direct and significant repercussions upon the amount and quality of completed tasks.

What follows are four handy guidelines to implement in your office to increase productivity and worker satisfaction.

Rethink the Open Floor Plan
Fashionable startups and other “hip” businesses have sworn up and down that the spacious, open floor plan is the way to function, citing lessened costs as well as an increase in both employee accountability and camaraderie. The benefits have been lauded to the point that 70 percent of offices now utilize an open plan in some shape or form. However, you shouldn’t be so quick to change your own office layout to match. There have also been reports of increased employee distraction as well as outright employee absences. In other words, the open floor plan may not be a viable option for all businesses.

Windows Everywhere!
Not necessarily in reference to the operating system, windows in an office have been shown to boost productivity by as much as 16 percent. It would seem that a view of outside does have a positive effect, and that window seats should be coveted.

Use Temperature to Get Employees Cooking
While offices used to be cold by necessity to keep the employees arriving in three-piece suits from keeling over from heatstroke, the more casual office spaces of today will find that too-low temperatures will reduce productivity. However, increase the temperature by too much, and business will suffer the same effect in oppressive heat. For a comfortable environment, aim to maintain a temperature of between 69 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep it Quiet, But Not too Quiet
While excessive noise is an obvious distraction in any workplace, the opposite can be just as problematic. In an environment of complete silence, the slightest noise can become a deafening interruption, interfering with workflow and employee focus. To manage the amount of sound in the office, allow employees to wear headphones to block out distracting noises, and don’t promote a policy of silence at work.

Lastly, it is important to remember that every employee is different and may not fit exactly into these guidelines. Try to promote communication with your employees by giving them a platform to voice their concerns, especially in regard to office distractions.

What are some ways that your office layout promotes productivity? Let us know in the comments.