A committed and productive workforce is the backbone of a successful company. 
But companies should invest more in ensuring that they not only attract and hire the best employees but also retain them. Below are some valuable tips from Curchod & Co on how to make the office a great and motivational workspace for your workers.
But before delving into that, below are some reasons for focusing on making the workplace an area that is motivational for the employees.
• The workers feel valued.
• They are encouraged to be more creative, thus leading to more productivity.
• If the employees are happy, then they are less likely to consider a move to your competitors even if they are offered a higher salary.
• Such a work setting leads to greater wellbeing of the staff and means fewer cases of injuries and sick days.
• Managers that invest in the happiness of the employees are also happy because they have a team of subordinates that are content and committed to work.
The “campus” type of setting that Google and Facebook have for their employees encourages the staff to want to be on-site instead of stay at home because they enjoy the culture and environment advocated for in their workplace. It is a strategy that seeks to make the most of the downtime workers have; as a result, the employees will use that time to share ideas and discuss with their colleagues.
And while not all businesses can afford to spend millions on transforming their headquarters into that ideal environment for the employees, it still is possible to create a workspace that is fresh, innovative, and stylish. Below are a few ideas worth considering:
1. Outdo Your Competitors
What benefits will your company have for those that decide to work for your business? Ask yourself whey the top talent would choose to work for you instead of your competition. In short, you need to offer something unique to your workers that will see you attract even the very best and seemingly unattainable talent. The perks to offer can range from things such as:
• Free parking space for those with vehicles
• Incentivised commissions
• Quarterly holidays for top performers
• BBQ weekends
Opting to use the big headline-grabbing worker’s perks may help improve your acquisition and maintenance of talent. However, small things can also have a significant impact on the overall objective of having the ideal office setting for your employees. What you can do in small ways and make a big statement include things such as free coffee and healthy snacks.
The point is, you should mix it up; offer intangible perks that touch on career prospects and some physical ones such the coffee and snacks.
2. Hire the Right People
Having a team comprised of the right people is one of the integral elements of creating a great work environment.
Investing in staff that have nothing to offer the company, a team that is not the right fit is pointless. The talent you hire should not just have the required knowledge and skills on paper; they should have a good personality that connects with the business and reflects the company in good light. The wrong workforce will only help in establishing a bad office environment.
Acknowledge the fact that your employees are an essential part of your company brand and product. Your staff should not only be culturally and socially integrated with the business but also themselves; this will play a significant role in creating the perfect work environment.
3. Improve Office Space to Improve Productivity
Those grey cubicle walls are the death of creativity. Today, those in employment spend more hours at work than they do with family. So, how will your company take up the mantle of compensating its employees for the time spent away from their families?
The dimensions of the building and available space can be a limiting factor, but there are a few things that can be done to help improve the workspace environment.
• Adding greenery brings in a bit of colour and décor while also helping to improve air quality.
• Placement of office desks as close to the windows as possible will allow the employees to enjoy the benefits of natural light.
• Establishment of social areas, such as a quiet room, an entertainment area, a lounge, meeting zone, or even a place for chilling and networking when on break can be helpful to your employees.
• Allow the staff to pick where they would want to work as well as their workspaces (desks) based on their working style.
• Creating pods, which are more like quiet rooms, is one way of helping employees that are trying to avoid distractions and reach a deadline.
• Getting rid of cubicles encourage a co-working space for the employees to see and share ideas with each other, and this can help improve productivity.
• Encourage your staff to avoid eating at their desks when on lunch breaks. Encourage them to step away from their station and have enough face-time to socialise with each other.