5 Ways to Boost Morale Via Your Office Design

The way in which you design your office is key. 

It’s not all about looking fancy and it’s not even completely about making first impressions, it’s mostly about giving your employees a comfortable and inspiring space in which to work. 

The reason? Morale will increase and productivity will quickly follow. 

There are many ways you can look at in terms of how to improve morale in the workplace, but one of the easiest and best ways is to think about the contemporary office environment. When you do that, and you make sure that you support, listen to and value your employees, the only way is up. 

Your office design doesn’t have to be changed completely and it doesn’t have to cost a small fortune, it simply needs to tick a few boxes. 

Here are 5 ways you can boost office morale, simply by changing the design of your space. 

1. Let in more natural light - Did you know that natural light is a serious mood booster? An office which has large windows and plentiful light entering is a far more pleasant place to work, compared to a small, dark, artificially lit office. Sure, you’re still going to need artificial lighting in some guise, but you shouldn’t rely upon it completely if you want your space to be uplifting and positive. 
2. Add in more biophilic elements - We have Mother Nature to thank once more here, as biophilic design is a great way to boost mood and the feel-good factor in your space. This means bringing elements of the outdoors, inside. So think about office plants, wooden office desks, and perhaps even a living wall. This has also been shown to reduce stress and purifies the air too. 
3. Plenty of space to walk around - Nobody wants to be cooped up, unable to move too far from their office chairs. In that case, make sure that you move the set up around so that people can wander a little. When people walk around, they get the blood pumping, it boosts the way they feel and can also give them extra focus when they return to their seat. 
4. Think about the colour and decor - Do you know anything about colour psychology? This basically means that certain colours are known to affect mood. In this case, you need to think about creative and calming colours, such as blue, green, or yellow. This can help to increase morale alongside the other points we’re mentioning. 
5. Make sure office furniture is supportive - Do you regularly have employees going home with aches and pains? In this case, you need to replace your office furniture and look towards ergonomic options and other funky designs. When people feel healthy and happy at their desks, they’re going to be able to work more productively as a result. 

As you can see, these points don’t necessarily mean a complete office overhaul, they just mean you need to be mindful of any changes you might need to make. This has some major benefits not only for morale but also for your ability to retain your existing staff and perhaps attract new talent too. 

By giving your employees a comfortable and supportive environment in which to work, you’re showing them that their happiness and wellbeing is at the top of your priority list. When we feel that people care about us, we feel valued and we want to reward that thoughtfulness with extra effort. 

This is one of the main reasons why focusing on morale means an increase in productivity.  By changing your office design in the ways mentioned above and ensuring that you listen to your employees and allow them to feel that they’re an integral part of the business, there aren’t any downsides to consider. You’ll retain your staff, you’ll notice higher productivity levels, more ideas will come your way around the modern boardroom tables and everything will take a turn for the positive. 

What’s not to like?