Businesses take an extra mile to maximize the potential of employees. Some of them even offer money, cars, and costly gifts, doing so to gain loyalty and increase productivity. Others give incentives like paid holiday trips or flexible work hours. Aside from these perks, some employers foster a positive work environment. They know how it affects staff productivity and morale, and ultimately supports employees’ overall wellbeing.
With an ideal work environment, employees seem happier. They likely stay in their jobs and—while they’re at it—make valuable contributions, too.
But First, What is a Work Environment?
A work environment is not just a physical work area. It also involves various factors, which include office layout, culture, structure, and interaction among colleagues. These factors greatly affect the efficiency, health, and wellbeing of employees.
This arrangement also includes remote work set-ups, especially at a time wherein companies have begun embracing remote work to offer their employees so they can work from anywhere and stay safe.
So why is it important to ensure a positive workplace—wherever it may be?
The Importance of a Positive Work Environment
A positive work environment affects the staff’s attitude toward their job, coworkers, performance, and productivity. It offers an opportunity for open discussion, strong professional relationships, and increased productivity. This work set-up encourages collaboration among employees and employers, while also promoting a healthy behavior to ensure that everyone is safe and well.
In this kind of workplace, employees complete their tasks. They also become satisfied with their jobs. At the same time, they stay physically and mentally healthy, especially when they engage in healthy lifestyle or wellness programs. When they feel supported and safe, employees tend to have reduced absenteeism, illness, and conflict. Thus, employee turnover decreases.
Other Benefits of a Positive Work Environment
A positive work environment can provide many benefits. For instance, employees feel valued. They also gain respect. Here are other benefits of this environment:
- Career growth
- Low risk of fines
- Goal-oriented tasks
- Open communication
- Decreased healthcare costs
- Increase in company revenue
- Good company image and positive values
- Increase in employees’ happiness and morale
- Improved creativity, profitability, and flexibility
What are the Elements of a Work Environment?
In a good work environment, employees feel driven to do their work. Since they are less stressed and more engaged, they also inspire others to perform well., too. To reach these outcomes, employers should create an ideal work environment with these elements:
1. Physical Environment
Physical conditions help you reach your full potential. These conditions are equipment, facilities, furnishing, layout, location, and size.
Facilities
Facilities can affect the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. These facilities may include restrooms, cafeteria, and gyms. Their location can also affect the work environment. For instance, to save time, restrooms might need to be close to the workspace. In this way, they can be reached in a few minutes. Thus, employees remain productive.
Furnishing
Your work area should have ergonomic desks and chairs to ensure efficiency. It should be clean. If you have outdoor workspaces, comfortable furniture should be provided for employees during their break times.
Equipment
Essential equipment should be available in a work area, especially if the task at hand requires specific tools. For example, a chemist should have instruments for testing a given theory. For indoor office spaces, computers, scanners, printers, and the like should be provided.
Layout
A workplace may have an open floorplan or cubicles to divide spaces. An open floorplan is suited for employees who need to discuss among themselves, while cubicles are beneficial to those who handle private information.
Location
A work area can be inside or outside a building, depending on a given role. Employees may use facilities or equipment. Thus, they remain comfortable and productive.
Size
To determine if your work area has the right size, you should take note of the amount of space needed so you can move freely. This space should also be enough to allow tables, chairs, laptops, and other work-related things to fit. If possible, it should also have room for your colleagues. Your work area should make you feel comfortable as well to help you finish your tasks.
2. Company Culture
The beliefs and goals of a company should align with yours. Thus, you ensure that you benefit from your work environment. Company culture has the following elements:
Code of Conduct
Business culture may be described in a code of conduct. It can also be in employee guidelines. With these, you must follow certain rules as you perform your tasks. They also apply to your interactions with colleagues, managers, and stakeholders.
Company Mission Statement
This statement presents the values of a company. These values serve as a guide to help you complete your tasks and achieve your goals.
Encouragement and Development
Collaboration and teamwork manifest in a good work environment. Employees receive positive feedback. They also celebrate their breakthroughs. Even poor performers receive constructive feedback.
3. Working Conditions
Some work-related elements affect your life outside work
Healthy Lifestyle
To improve the wellbeing of employees, they should stay fit and eat balanced meals. When employees need to take a breather, they can have healthy snacks and go to the gym, all of which coming in handy in a good work environment.
Terms of Employment
This element includes set hours, employment status, benefits, and paid time-off benefits.
Work–Life Balance
Employees compromise their personal goals, needs, and interests to attain career growth. They work overtime just to earn a salary increase and eventually receive promotions. Despite these, some employers may train their employees to understand the benefits of work–life balance.
Workplace Safety
Employers and employees must comply with safety regulations. This element covers safe equipment usage. It also includes rules on accessible exits, emergency equipment, and first-aid kits.
What are the Types of a Work Environment?
A work environment may drive the success or failure of a company. Aside from affecting the efficiency of employees, it also influences the role of managers. In line with this, various workers have unique workspace preference. For this reason, you should know the types of work environment suitable for you. Here are personality-based work environments that you may consider:
1. Realistic
Suited for “doers” or kinesthetic employees, this work environment type fosters physical activities. Those employees include engineers, maintenance personnel, construction workers, and others who are skilled at using tools and doing manual work.
2. Investigative
This set-up caters to “thinkers” or employees who engage in critical thinking, experimentation, and problem solving. They include healthcare workers, engineers, and other professionals who collect evidence, analyze data, and make conclusions.
3. Artistic
Here, innovation, experimentation, and personal expression come to life. It is suitable for “creators” or employees who work in flexible and emotional settings. They include designers, performers, and artists.
4. Social
“Healers” or employees who exemplify compassion, empathy, kindness, and other similar traits work well in this environment. They communicate, help, heal, and educate others. They include social workers, teachers, counselors, and nurses.
5. Enterprising
This focuses on guiding others to reach their goals. It is suited for “persuaders” or those who work well in a competitive environment. They mostly engage in selling, convincing, and debating. They include real estate agents, politicians, public servants, and sales personnel.
6. Conventional
This favors “organizers” or employees who do well in jobs that require specificity, predictability, and organization. They work efficiently in settings that provide a clear directive, promote practicality, and emphasize dependability. This is perfect for those involved in finance, assistant positions, and traditional office tasks.
How to Identify an Ideal Work Environment?
A work environment influences employees in terms of motivation, job satisfaction, and morale. If the workplace is healthy, then expect employees eager to work every day.
So, how can employers foster such workplace? Here are the some of the main traits of an ideal work environment:
- An ideal work environment should promote effective communication. Employers should lead by example. They should provide communication channels their staff can readily access. They should also listen to and address their employees’ concerns to build a good relationship.
- It should offer training and development programs. They should cover the latest technology, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and effective communication. Through these programs, employees can have career growth. As such, they feel motivated. They also have high levels of satisfaction and increased productivity.
- The workplace should promote and encourage work-life balance. Many employees understand the value of balancing their work and personal life. That’s why they choose employers who provide paid vacation leaves and days off. With work-life balance, they experience an increased job satisfaction. They also have time to take care of their families, do their hobbies, and pursue their personal goals.
- It should give rewards and recognize high-performing employees. To create this environment, employers should recognize the efforts of their employees. This gives employees the drive to complete their tasks on time and improve their performance. Others may also work overtime to ensure that their work is error-free. Rewards can be money or other incentives, such as vacation package, extra days off, and even a promotion.
The Ideal Work Environment in the South
Employers should create a positive work environment for their employees. With this, while employee turnover rates decrease, the company gains an excellent reputation as well. An ideal workspace also increases the levels of job satisfaction and motivation. In turn, the performance of employees improves.
Currently, employees in the Philippines have largely shifted to a work-from-home setup because of community quarantine. But they often struggle because they are not used to their work environment at home. They also experience various distractions, such as chores, loud noises, roughhousing children, and other personal stuff. That’s why they need a coworking space.
At Daily Grind Coffee Shop and Coworking, Southies have access to a positive work environment with a modern ambiance. It offers affordable office solutions and services as well. It also provides high-speed internet, uninterrupted power, and water supply.
With this coworking space just beside a coffee shop, coffee lovers can enjoy great-tasting coffee or tea while being productive. Come and visit us today for that ideal work environment experience!
