The Designer Office

  

Or how to give your office an ‘Armani’ look on a ‘Primark’ budget.

Your office can seem like a pretty functional resource.  It has everything you need to run your business: phones, PCs, filing cabinets, perhaps a notice board.  No one has complained.  Maybe you are so used to the environment that you barely even notice that stain on the wall or the flickering light in the corner.  But did you know that a pleasant working environment is essential to getting the most out of your employees, according to a survey of over 100 office staff by Metro Design.  49% of staff surveyed claimed that an office facelift would boost their productivity, while only 21% described their office as modern and functional.

It seems that the look and feel of an office has an effect than that on recruitment: a survey by ICMA revealed that one of the most important factors in choosing a potential employer was the quality of the working environment.  This came above other factors such as high salary and job security.  This makes sense.  After all we spend more than 40% of our waking time in our working environment. Could giving your workplace a revamp attract even better talent to your business?  Think about the message your office may give to visitors.  Does it reflect your brand?  Does it reflect the effort and creativity you put into your product or service?

‘Yes!’ I hear you cry ‘But our budget simply can’t stretch to the luxury of an office refit.’  Well perhaps not, but there are plenty of ways to refresh your working environment without giving Mike in Accounts palpitations… in fact, with these ideas you may even be able to put a big grin on his face.

Décor

• Start with the big picture:  it’s amazing the cheering effect a fresh coat of paint can have on a work space at very low cost.  Grab some paint strips and consult with your staff.  Choose a colour that will complement your brand logo.  If quality of light is an issue you can even buy paints with light reflecting pigments these days to maximise the natural light you do have. Remember that different colours can affect your emotions: for instance blue is said to promote intelligence whilst yellow can boost creativity.  Think about the mood you want in your office.

• Art doesn’t have to be expensive.   Why not have a go at creating your own ‘one of a kind’ pieces.  Websites like Pinterest have hundreds of ideas to produce your own canvasses and other wall pieces at very little cost.  If you don’t feel particularly artistic perhaps one of your employees would jump at the chance of a creative project.

• Of course, you don’t have to go the ‘DIY’ route. Why not look on Etsy or EBay for a plethora of individual pieces for all sorts of budgets in every style that you won’t find on the High Street.  Go for something that reflects the values and messages your company wants to communicate.

Clear that Clutter

Clutter is over-whelming!  Nothing is more stressful than getting to work and seeing piles of files and papers that follow no logical order.  An organised, tidy office will create a mood of calmness in your employees, who will then be able to work far more effectively when they know where everything is

•  Make sure everything in the office is relevant. Can anything be shredded and disposed of?  Can older files be organised and moved into storage out of the main office leaving more room for current documentation?  Better yet, can you become more ‘paperless’ in this modern era of Cloud technology and high capacity external hard drives.

• Could more be made of wall space for storage?  Attractive shelving is cheaply available and simple to assemble.  You could even paint it to match your décor.

Small Details

By now you have a freshly painted and tidy office with pieces of art that inspire your employees and impress your visitors.  But there is still room to go a stage further for barely any expense.

•  Say goodbye to tired, neglected pot plants.  Living plants are attractive and can improve the air quality but can quickly turn into corpses. You can overcome this by choosing succulents.  These fascinating plants are sleek and beautiful and take very little in the way of care.

• Can functional items add to the mood of the office?  Your choice of ‘post-its’ and note books could make general administration tasks a joy.  Perhaps boring plastic pen holders could be replaced by a simple Mason jar or pretty mug.

• Even items such as your office phones and chairs can add to the zing in your new environment.  Cheap models are available in funky designs from on-line retailers such as Red Candy or Ikea.  A functional cork-board can be given a fresh new ‘look’ with a coat of white paint and some smart drawing pins.  Why not give over a section of wall to magnetic or chalk board paint in an attractive hue for an original way of posting ideas and notices.

Hopefully we’ve given you some ideas on making your office a more productive area, with calm, organised and happy employees who look forward to coming to work.  Why not Tweet us some of your own ideas @1tedrecruitment