By: Catherine Way-Marketing Manager at Prime Plus Mortgages: Mortgage Notes Investing.
Trends are hard to escape from, whether it is denim jackets or white subway tiles everyone has felt the pressure of trends. Office spaces aren’t immune to trends either. Whether it’s open workspaces or beanbags, In commercial real estate, trendy spaces may cause more harm than good.
While employers continue to hunt for ways and incentives to boost productivity, it might be time to update your workspace. Whether it is revamping your current office, or looking for an office that will attract top talent, these features have been shown to be a favorite with employees.
Here are 3 office features that workers want!
Natural Light
Who knew that lighting could make or break your office productivity? Not only is natural light a top feature that employees want, but also is one of the best ways to boost your productivity.
Natural light is a favorite among employers and employees for good reason. The World Green Building Council reported that employees working near sunlit windows have a 15% higher production rate, and 50% of employees from a study from the Harvard business review reported that 50% of employees would work and feel better with some view of the outdoors.
A high-quality workplace — one with natural light, good ventilation, and comfortable temperatures — can reduce absenteeism up to four days a year. With absenteeism costing companies an estimated $3,600 annually per hourly worker and $2,650 each year for salaried workers, this can have a major impact on your bottom line.
To best incorporate natural light in an office, large and frequent windows are a necessity. Additionally, removing walls that block the flow of light is an easy way to ensure that more employees can see the outdoors.
No matter how you incorporate natural light into an office, improving lighting is a winner for employers and workers alike. With improved productivity, atmosphere, and fewer sick days, can your office afford to skip natural light?
Sound-Proof Spaces
While open workspaces are a great way to incorporate natural light, they can offer one of the highest distractions, sound. Unfiltered sounds of keywords, phones, and more can hurt employee productivity, and cause major distractions.
Research has found workers in open offices experience more uncontrolled interactions, higher levels of stress, and lower levels of concentration and motivation. With employees lacking control over their environment it is hard for them to focus on the tasks at hand. Open Floor Plans can also hurt teamwork.
31% of employees in open offices say they hold back their true thoughts and opinions while on calls in the office because they don’t want co-workers to hear and judge them. Additionally, to better control conversions and seeking privacy, open floor plans lead to an increase in messengers and emails sent.
So while open floor plans can be trendy, soundproof and private working spaces are an office feature your employees want. Thus Cubicles, small meeting rooms, and even privacy booths have made a comeback.
Providing private spaces is a must for current employees. Additionally removing distractions from other employees is a great practice as well. Soundproof spaces, with thick carpets, large plants, and other sound-absorbing materials can help eliminate the distractions of an open floor plan.
Temperature Control
Can the temperature of your office make your employees less productive? Multiple studies show that the wrong temperature can cause office arguments and decreased productivity.
According to a CareerBuilder survey of 4,285 full-time U.S. workers that found 22% claiming a too-hot workplace makes it difficult to concentrate at work. 11% made the same claim about chilly workplaces. The study also showed that those in to cold of workspaces made more errors, by about 10%. Workplace performance also increases with temperatures up to between 69.8 degrees and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees to 22 degrees Celsius), with the highest productivity at around 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a study published July 2006.
You can help improve the temperature in the office in a few ways:
- New Office Windows (better temperature control)
- Smart Office Thermostat
- Improved Ventilation
Employers can also provide the following to employees to mitigate battles over the thermostat:
- Office Heaters
- Desktop Fans
- Work Jackets
While office temperature is a hot topic in the office, this is a top demanded feature from employees. Whether it’s improving your energy efficiencies or making exceptions for others to control their temperature, meet your employees in the middle for better productivity.
Summary:
While office trends range from beanbag chairs to stand desks, these trends can make it hard to get the most out of your workplace.
Is your workspace hurting your productivity? Instead of chasing trends look for or incorporate these top features that employees want for increased productivity.
3 Office Features Workers Want
- Natural Light
- Sound-Proof Spaces
- Temperature Control
What feature do you think is the most important in your office?
About the Author: Catherine Way is the Marketing Manager at Prime Plus Mortgages: Mortgage Notes Investing. She has created content for the following industries: Real Estate, Mortgage, Finance, Business, Real Estate Investing, and many more.
