5 Factors in Your Office That Could Be Affecting Productivity

A lack of focus and productivity is commonplace in many offices, which can affect overall happiness and mental health. There are a number of factors that could be the cause of this, many of which are environmental. By investing in your environment, you could experience many benefits, including increased productivity, cost-savings, and increased efficiency.

Office Furniture

Office furniture is one of the leading causes of decreased productivity in the workplace. After all, we tend to spend around 8 hours a day in the office, so it’s important to be comfortable. Poorly designed furniture can cause a lack of concentration and even injury, which can therefore lead to prolonged time out of work. Providing comfortable furniture, such as ergonomic chairs, comfortable desks, arm and wrist supports, as well as monitor and laptop risers, is essential.

The shape and arrangement of your furniture can also improve or lower levels of productivity. Furniture with rounded edges has been linked to creating positive emotions, creativity, and productivity. Studies have also shown that sitting in circles encourages greater levels of cohesion which encourages teamwork. Lastly, spacing furniture out can make the office look more organised and less cluttered, making staff feel more relaxed.

Lighting

It’s widely recognised that different kinds of lighting have different psychological effects, and it is one of the easiest ways to improve staff performance. Dim lighting has been shown to lower productivity, and fluorescent lighting has been known to cause headaches. It’s recommended to incorporate both natural and artificial lighting within the office as having a bright office helps to create a positive mood and facilitates productivity. If you can, it could be worth installing a lighting system that enables you to control the hue and brightness of your room, this way, you’ll be able to adjust the settings if the room becomes too bright or dim.

Colours

Different colours have been shown to increase or decrease certain moods. According to Wright’s theory, the colour blue stimulates the mind, yellow inspires creativity and affects your emotions, red affects your body, and green creates a calming balance. Choosing colours that relate to how you want your staff to feel in the office can boost productivity more than you may realise. Still unsure? A mix of colours is likely to also provide a positive effect on your staff. Regardless of what you choose, however, using colour is a great way to brighten up your work-space, whether on the walls, furniture, or both.

Temperature

Maintaining a perfect temperature to suit everyone in your office can be difficult, after all, everyone has their own personal preference. However, how your office is designed can have a significant impact on temperature. Large windows that let in a lot of sunlight may make the room feel warmer; however, single glazing can cause draughts and allow heat to escape. High ceilings, on the other hand, may create poor air distribution, meaning heaters and air conditioners have to work harder; it’s, therefore, essential to get the balance right to ensure everyone feels comfortable.

Noise

Noise can be one of the main distractions in the workplace as well as one of the biggest reasons why employees aren’t productive. Like temperature, individual preferences must be taken into account; for example, some people who work better with some background noise, whereas others prefer complete silence. It is good to make sure the office caters to both needs such as having open space for the people who like noise, and a quiet secluded space for people who don’t or if there isn’t space for this, a middle-ground and compromise.

Ultimately, it’s essential to ensure your employees are as productive as possible when working in the office. Suppose there are factors that are causing staff to feel uncomfortable, such as poor quality office furniture or a dull and colourless environment. In that case, it’s vital to ensure this is rectified as soon as possible in order to boost efficiency, productivity, and staff wellbeing. By doing so, you’re much more likely to benefit your business long term.