5 Work Culture Trends That Improve Employee Productivity and Satisfaction
5 Work Culture Trends That Improve Employee Productivity and Satisfaction
You want to feel excited to go into the office after COVID-19. The office you spend your time in every day plays a huge role in that. Here are five work culture trends that improve employee productivity and satisfaction.
Companies that have a unique and strong culture see a 4x revenue increase on average. Don’t you want results like that?
Here are five work culture trends you need to know, which are shaping the future of offices.
More than ever, offices need to feel like home.
How can you expect to be productive if you don’t feel comfortable? \As a matter of fact, happy employees are 12% more productive at work. As an employee, you want to look forward to getting more done every day. On the flip side, employers will be able to once again hit their KPIs and complete projects faster because of that.
What exactly is a comfortable work culture? Will it be changed forever when we get back to work? Do you want your office to feel like you still haven’t even stepped out of the house?
It may begin with the dress code now. More businesses have allowed employees to wear comfortable clothing during work hours. Sneakers and jeans became the new suit and tie. Do we still want this after COVID?
Imagine a workspace that has the comfort and casualness of a college campus. That’s been the reality. What now?
Offices gradually became less traditional in terms of design, too. They have more open spaces, ergonomic desks and chairs, and decorations which make it feel like your living room at home. Is this trend still what we want? Have you become sick of sitting home in your office or living room? I have.
Nature helps create a soothing environment
It’s been found that spending time outdoors is great for mental health, so it only makes sense to blur the line between the outside world and the office. The open and outside trend is done with the use of glass walls, large windows, and balconies. Look how Supermetrics was able to achieve this one-of-a-kind look with their new office.
The new Helsinki headquarters also uses plenty of natural materials and plants to make it feel like nature has crept indoors. Imagine how amazing you’d feel working in an office like this.
Supermetrics CEO Mikael Thuneburg put it best by saying, “We wanted to have something home-like rather than office-like. We don’t wear shoes in the office to make it feel more like home.” But, I wonder. I want my shoes back on. Some employees in my office wear slippers. Will they want this trend when they get back to the office?
Extra amenities allow for bonding and healthy breaks
Too many offices are rows of cubicles, desks, and include nothing else for employees to enjoy during downtime.
That’s exactly why more office spaces are beginning to include amenities like saunas, game tables, sushi bars, and more. Who would’ve thought we’d see employers and employees playing foosball in the office even a few years ago?
These amenities allow team members to bond while enjoying healthy breaks before resuming work.
Wiley Cerilli, Founder of SinglePlatform, commented on this startup culture trend, asserting that “Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person — not just an employee — are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”
If you’re thinking about landing a position at a dream company, research the services and fun things that they have for you to do. You’d be surprised to see that there will be many more reasons for you to come to work every day.
Additionally, employers need to consider adding things like these to make their office culture more interactive and enticing. I think when getting back to the office after all these months — we will have a lot of experimenting to know what will work in a post-COVID-19 era. Maybe the transitional period will last longer than we think with many changes we had not anticipated.
Creative design sparks inspiration
What kind of inspiration do you get from bland colors and small spaces? Not a lot. This is precisely why a new work culture trend is making offices more colorful, unique, and imaginative.
Have you seen Spotify’s office located in New York? Look at the hongkiat.com blog on startup offices. It’s a perfect example of some great office designs to experiment with. Walking in their building makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a whole other world.
Open workstations, height-adjustable desks, and no shortage of wall art make the examples on that blog inspiring. Who wouldn’t feel creative in an environment like that?
Workspace setups like these can help people come up with fresh ideas and solutions for problems that will propel your company’s progress.
Less intimidating meeting rooms
Wouldn’t you like your employees to look forward to meetings instead of dreading them? We’ve been on this digital meeting schedule so long — we need a change — and that may have to start with an exciting, and welcoming layout.
Facebook’s offices are an amazing example of how to pull the less intimidating meeting rooms off. They don’t have meeting rooms per sé, but lounges, instead. Rather than feeling like a secluded part of the office, these areas feel like a natural part of the company’s workspace.
Having a more casual setup for meetings means that employees will be more open to conversating and voicing their opinions. Overall it creates a better environment for productive dialogue. But after COVID-19 — will we care about all this stuff. I don’t know.
Conclusion
Nothing stays stagnant in business and work culture is no different. Offices were becoming much more friendly, relaxing, and creative spaces compared to what we’ve had in the past. The office looked and performed more like a college campus. But will it last?
One thing is sure — when we go back — we will need comforting things amid the new financial worries. We’ll need natural elements, and incorporating fun amenities. We will want and need things that help all employees feel safe and well so that they can enjoy their work.
We will need to find new ways to help employees be more productive — and ultimately become happier.
Let me know what you consider will be the new trends globally as we move through the new phase of life and work — after COVID-19.
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