by Sharon Jones
Employees safe integral to the successful operation of pretty much any business, which is why it is so important that you, as a business owner, do everything you can to ensure that they are as comfortable, safe, and happy at work as they can be.
This is important not only because your employees are human beings who deserve to feel good at work, but also because the happier, healthier and more comfortable your employees are, the better they will typically perform; they’ll be more productive, more dedicated and more likely to stick with the company through the rough and smooth times. They’ll also be less likely to ask for a raise, which could be helpful, and that is exactly what you want from any employee.
Okay, so how exactly do you ensure that your employees are comfortable at work?
Hire the right people
The first thing you should do if you want to keep your employees comfortable at work is to hire the right people from the off. Employees who are team players, good at what they do, and dedicated to their work are always going to be easier to work alongside than anti-social slackers who are working for the paycheck and nothing else. Not only that but choosing employees who have similar life experiences and ways of thinking is also likely to result in a more harmonious workspace. That;’s why you should take the recruitment phase of your business far more seriously if you don’t already. The right people can make working life so much pleasanter and ensure that you get the most out of your employees at the same time - be careful who you hire!
Give them privacy
There is a trend among some business owners to open up their office spaces and push collaborative working. This is not surprising since collaboration has been shown to boost creativity by allowing employees to more easily share ideas and talk things out, however, it does have its downsides too. The fact is that not everyone thrives in a collaborative environment, which can be stressful for introverts, and even those people who do work well collaboratively often need their own space at times too.
That’s why, whether you favor collaboration or not, you should ensure that your employees are all able to retreat to their own space and work in their own time at their own pace if they want to. You can do this by providing moveable screens and the like to reconfigure the space as and when needed. Doing this will let your employees know that you value their privacy and trust them to get on with their work.
Ensure physical comfort
If you aren’t physically comfortable, it’s hard to settle down and do your best work. Employees who are sitting in uncomfortable chairs or struggling to see the computer screen through the glare, for example, are unlikely to be as productive as they could be because they’ll be constantly fidgeting and adjusting themselves and their environment to try and get comfortable.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to counteract this by investing in ergonomic office furniture and checking out the biggest selection of computer glasses as well as asking staff what adjustments you could make to their environment to make them feel better. This may eat into your budget a little, but you’ll make that money back when productivity soars and employees stick with your company because they’re actually comfortable there.
Keep the lines of communication open
As a business owner, it is so important that you remain in constant communication with your employees. That doesn’t mean that you should hover over them all the time - that’s sure to make them feel uncomfortable - but it does mean that they should know exactly how to contact you at any time, and more importantly, know that they are more than welcome to do so at any time. Why? Because employees who know that they will be listened to if any issues do arise during the course of the working day are likely to feel much more comfortable in the workplace than staff who know that their concerns will be ignored if they are even listened to at all.
Of course, listening isn’t enough, you DO have to act on the information you’re given. For example, if an employee comes to you claiming they’re being bullied by another member of staff, you will need to investigate the issue and if it is found to be accurate, discipline the offending party and then perhaps move the employee to another area where they can’t bother the complainant further. If you fail to act, the employee will lose faith in you and feel more and more uncomfortable at work.
Embrace new technology
Technology in business changes rapidly and it can be hard to keep up, but if you want to keep your employees comfortable at work, you need to embrace those changes. Why? Because not only does technology make jobs easier, but it also very quickly becomes a vital part of the process. And if your employees don’t have the tools and training they need to keep up, they will very quickly fall behind, which will leave them feeling less than comfortable as you can imagine. No one wants to be working for the dinosaurs, so ensure your staff don’t have to struggle with that particular problem.
Bring nature in
Numerous studies have shown that having lots of natural light and lots of plants in the workplace is a great way to not only boost productivity but also reduce employee stress levels and boost happiness. It’s so easy to open up the windows and dot a few plants around the place that you would be foolish not to do this. Your employees will certainly thank you for it.
Be more flexible
Last, but not least, operating a flexible workplace where employees can start late or finish early, or even work from home where possible, is a great way to up the comfort factor and ensure your employees are happy, healthy, and loyal to you.
Comfort matters, embrace it now!