In the quest to have the most modern and productive office around, there are many factors you need to consider. For instance, what colour scheme are you going for? Are you going for a modern look, or are you going for something a little more retro? What do your staff think?
Creating the perfect office setting for your employees to work in increases productivity in a huge way, and that all adds up to extra profits for you at the end of the month. This isn’t just about choosing the right modular office furniture and hoping for the best, it’s about giving your entire office revamp some serious thought, but also making use of clever and innovative hacks which can give your office a different look, and save you time and money too.
In this article, we’re going to talk about a few useful office hacks you can try in your office, but remember, choosing quality office furniture is vital no matter what type of tricks you opt for! Quality stands the test of time, and whilst it might cost a little at the initial buying point, it will save you having to replace it far too soon. Quality is also much more comfortable, and your staff will be happier at their workstations as a result.
So, let’s check out some useful office hacks to increase productivity, and the overall design of your office space.
Office Desk Hacks
When working in an office, it’s likely that your employees are going to spend a large bulk of their time at their office desk, tapping away at a computer. This means that the desk not only needs to be large enough to hold all their things without it being cluttered, but it also needs to be comfortable in terms of placement.
Height Adjustable Desks
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that height adjustable desks could be a great productivity booster. A sedentary lifestyle (e.g. sitting at office desks for too long) can contribute to all manner of health issues, but it also contributes towards a lack of focus. The ability to be able to stand up periodically, by adjusting the desk to a standing position, allows your employees to have some exercise, stretch their back and legs, and also take advantage of that boost in focus. This of course adds up to extra productivity!
Desk Placement
Be mindful of where you place your office desks throughout the office space. Employees are not going to be productive if they are being blinded on a regular basis by glare from a window or strip light. Equally, they’re not going to be inspired to work harder if they’re simply staring at a wall.
Ensuring that desks are placed away from glare, close to natural air and light, and also decorating the walls with innovative artwork or dotting some plants around, helps to boost the overall feel of the space. If you can carefully place your desks around the room, you’ll allow a focus boost and extra productivity to come your way.
Hot-Desking
Granted, not the ideal choice for every business, but it could be that hot-desking is a good option for your employees. Hot-desking is the process of not having a static desk to call your own, and instead, you choose your desk that day according to where you want to sit, and the type of work you have to do. For instance, allowing staff who need to collaborate to sit close to each other is clearly beneficial. On the other hand, an employee who needs to sit and concentrate on statistics will need a desk in a quieter area.
It’s important to get the right type of desk for hot-desking, so check out office furniture London choices for some inspiration. You could also incorporate zones, e.g. quiet zones, collaboration zones, multi-purpose zones, brainstorming zones, etc.
Office Chair Hacks
A comfortable and supportive office chair can make all the difference between an employee who does the minimum, and an employee who is comfortable, and so goes the extra mile. Ensuring every employee has a supportive and comfortable chair is a vital part of effective staff management, as well as health and wellbeing for your workforce.
Always Ergonomics
Ergonomic chairs are necessary, and this means that whoever is sat in that office chair is able to adjust it to their particular preferences, and therefore support their body throughout the day. Of course, you should also educate your staff in the art of sitting correctly, but an ergonomic, fully adjustable chair will make this much easier overall.
The back height, lumbar support, recline, tilt of the seat itself should be adjustable, and the armrests (if any) should also be adjustable and removable.
Different Chairs For Different Areas
Productivity is about creating different zones within the workspace too, and this encompasses how you furnish them with different office chairs. For instance, you would have ergonomic, adjustable chairs at desks, but you could look into mesh chairs in the conference room, sofas in the reception area, and other types of chairs in breakout areas, which offer staff a different environment in which to refocus and refresh themselves.
Office Storage Hacks
The idea of going paperless really hasn’t happened yet, and no matter how hard we try, there is still going to be a need for storage options within an office. Aim to save space with your storage choices, but also make life easier by having everything within easy reach for your employees.
Make Use of Wall Space
An office, which is cluttered with storage units all over the place, isn’t going to be productive, because clutter in an office also clutters the mind, and staff are going to struggle to find what they want. Why not make use of the walls, saving floor space? This means you can organise books, catalogues, etc, and you can also give staff their own personal shelf if they really need it. This cuts down on the amount of searching for various items and papers, and makes work much more streamlined as a result.
Try Mobile Storage
If you opt for a hot-desking policy, you’re going to need office storage which fits the bill. How about mobile storage? This is a small storage unit, which has wheels, and can be moved around according to where that person is sitting on that day. At the end of the working day, these can all be stored in a ‘storage car park’.
This means everyone has what they need, and it cuts down on the ‘where is this, where is that’ danger of hot-desking.
Have Personal Lockers
Rather than having coats on the backs of chairs and bags all over the place, have a personal locker for each member of staff. This cuts down on security issues, but also creates a less cluttered workspace. We’ve just mentioned that clutter reduces productivity, because mess also creeps its way into the mind and reduces focus. Staff will also be much more reassured that their private belongings are safe, which is a load off the mind.
Reception Area Hacks
The reception area is the top spot for creating a positive first impression, but how can you make it a streamlined and productive office space too? If visitors are waiting around and not kept informed, they’re not going to be impressed with their visit to your workplace, and if they’re uncomfortable, they’re not going to remember the experience in a positive manner.
Make Sure The Area Looks Welcoming
A clean, tidy, and welcoming reception area will make the right first impression, but will also allow the entire space to run more smoothly as a result. Think about reception seating, which is easy to clean, yet comfortable. You can opt for sofas, mesh seating, tub seats, the list goes on. The easier the type of reception seating you choose is to move and clean, the easier it will be to maintain the area too.
Have an Electronic Check-in, Plus Back-up
If your reception area is busy, and a line of people are waiting at the reception desk to announce their presence, you’re not going to be creating the ideal first impression, and the entire process is going to look disorganised.
For that reason, why not consider an electronic check-in process, which visitors can use themselves to ‘check in’. In order to back this up, you should also allow guests to visit the desk and announce themselves verbally. Some visitors might not be able to use the electronic version, or not want to, so running both systems alleviates any ‘missed’ visitors.
What do you think of these office hacks, are they things you could incorporate into your office space? Can you think of any others? Check out our Twitter page and share your ideas. Let’s create a bank of office hack ideas, to help other businesses create the ideal productive space, which not only gets the job done effectively, but also creates a comfortable and innovative environment for employees!