Personalized working spaces are essential for workplace happiness, but it’s more than just pictures and desk decor. It’s about achieving balance, calmness, and focus.
For some, the open-floorplan office is ideal for productivity; others may need noise-canceling headphones to concentrate. Regardless, allowing employees to personalize their workspaces can improve productivity.
Create a Positive Atmosphere
Many employees struggle to get up and go to work in the morning when their surroundings don’t make them feel happy. Personalized workspaces allow people to decorate their area with items they love that remind them of home and family. They can concentrate better and perform their best work during the day.
Additionally, enabling people to customize their area fosters inclusivity and a healthy work environment. People will be more likely to get along with their coworkers when they can share common interests through what they display on their desks. In this way, people can connect personally, building a stronger company culture.
Another benefit of allowing employees to use personalized working spaces is that it can help them deal with emotional fatigue. In a study by three American researchers, it was found that workers who had low-privacy environments—such as cubicle farms and open-office settings—and who were also unable to customize their workspaces experienced the most emotional exhaustion.
However, it is important to note that it is essential for employees to be mindful of what they add to their workspace and that they do not bring in anything that could offend others or cause discomfort. If employees share a workspace, their colleagues may be able to see the decorations on their desks.
Create a Calm and Collaborative Environment
People must feel comfortable in their workspace to improve teamwork and productivity. Allowing employees to customize their workspaces with their items will make them feel more comfortable and have a greater sense of belonging. They will be able to communicate more effectively and work better together.
For example, if employees like to work with music in the background, they can bring their headphones into the office to avoid distractions. It’s also possible for them to adjust the lighting to their liking, which is important as long working hours under poor lighting can negatively impact performance.
Furthermore, allowing employees to bring in their equipment helps reduce costs for the business. It is particularly useful for small and startup companies that need help affording expensive equipment. This can make the office more staff-led, encouraging communication and fostering a positive workplace culture.
It is important to create a collaborative and calm environment at your workplace for your employees’ well-being. This can make them more productive and less stressed throughout the day.
Create a Space that Reflects Your Personality
Your environment can have a big impact on your mood and productivity. It’s important to create a workspace that reflects your personality.
You can do this by choosing furniture that matches your tastes and interests. Add personal touches to the space, like artwork or souvenirs that are meaningful to you.
It’s also a good idea to incorporate visual cues into your workspace that can help stimulate creativity and productivity. For example, rounded furniture has been shown to encourage feelings of calm and relaxation compared to sharper, more geometric pieces. Alternatively, you could use a whiteboard to share inspirational quotes or messages to help people focus on their work.
As the workplace evolves, companies must understand their environment’s impacts on their employees. This means offering a flexible workspace that encourages collaboration and teamwork while providing tools to support individual needs and productivity. A digital office solution like Smarten Spaces can provide the analytics and functionality you need to offer an effective and personalized workspace. With features like seating optimization, contact tracing, hot desking, and more, Smarten Spaces can help you get the most out of your workspace.
Create a Space that Encourages Collaboration
When employees work together, it can increase their productivity by improving the quality of their output. However, this isn’t just a result of teamwork; the actual environment has to be conducive to collaboration. For example, some people are more comfortable in an open office, while others prefer a private workspace free from distractions.
A personalized workspace can help create an environment that welcomes everyone, no matter their working style or preferred setting. This can encourage a sense of belonging and create a workplace culture focused on inclusivity and equality.
Another important aspect of a collaborative workspace is ensuring that employees can communicate. This can be achieved using various tools and spaces to encourage collaboration, including meeting rooms with video conferencing capabilities and informal areas for discussions and brainstorming.
Lastly, a personalized workspace should be flexible and allow for easy expansion. This can be accomplished by using modular and mobile components and furniture that can be easily reconfigured to meet the needs of different teams. This also helps reduce the time and money spent on hiring by allowing new hires to join their team quickly. Using Net Promoter surveys and questionnaires can be a great way to get feedback from employees about their workspace so that the company can make improvements that will benefit them.