Culture, culture, culture… it’s the buzzword that can determine whether a workplace and its employees thrive, or the reason behind office morale declining like a lead balloon. As our optimism grows for a return to ‘normal’ this year, creating an engaging and inviting office environment is more important than ever.
It’s no secret that the past twelve months or so have been a challenge for workplace culture. The pandemic saw all of us adapting on our feet as the volatile coronavirus forced us to stay at home and do things differently. Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it is more important than ever to prioritise workplace culture and get your team excited about getting back to the office again.
So, just how do you make your office the place to be in 2021? Let’s explore some simple but super effective elements that you can adopt for your workplace and see optimal results.
Task-specific spaces
“Teamwork makes the dream work” is one of the most worn-out clichés in the books, but there’s a reason why… because it’s the truth! Having an office space where employees can collaborate and achieve outcomes instantly is worth its weight in gold. It’s important to consider what this looks like for your office. Multiple screens, whiteboards, video link technology for group calls and screen sharing technology are all great ways to create open dialogue and encourage people back into the office. Wave goodbye to long-winded email threads, a task specific work space with the appropriate resources is the way to go.
Social spaces
It’s crucial for your staff to feel like going to work isn’t a hassle for them. Having spaces in your workplace that aren’t designed for work is just as important. Give your employees a place to socialise, refresh and feel at home. Whether it’s work drinks after work, or celebrating a significant milestone, a space in the workplace to build rapport with colleagues will have long-term benefits on your business as a whole.
Perks and amenities
Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a big difference. Simple elements like good coffee and snacks in the office kitchen are both economical for your team members and are also a great way to encourage people back into the office. If you are to put emphasis on a social culture at your workplace, you may also need to consider what beverages are stocked and whether they’re at a ready-to-drink temperature when it’s go time.
Have values and celebrate them
What does your company stand for? Adopting values for your workplace can encourage self-improvement and inclusiveness amongst your team. We all want to know we’re doing a good job and celebrating key values and characteristics that are being implemented in the workplace are a great way of boosting morale and breeding a happy culture. Values can simply be keywords and can even be worked into the fit out of the office through decals and signage.
Listen
Finally, listen to what your team wants. At the end of the day, if everyone’s happy, the business is happy. Are you doing enough with your office space to create the culture you need? It’s important for us to constantly take suggestions on board about what we can improve and just how we can do it.
Though we can appreciate that there are upsides to working from home, when all is said and done, the most successful working environment is an office alongside your team. You can’t achieve a great workplace culture by clicking your fingers, but there are some simple steps you can take which can be super effective.
