Employee Input

One of the simplest things you can do to make your company more productive is consulting your employees before you make decisions about purchasing new office furniture and equipment. Quick and painless, a basic survey on the thoughts and feelings of your workers can provide invaluable insight.

Employees should be consulted because they are the ones who use this equipment every day. They know better than anyone what works and what does not. When it comes to their office furniture they probably have more of an interest in it than anyone else. After all, they use it on a daily basis and it is a huge factor in their comfort level. They know what chairs are incredibly uncomfortable (and why!), which desks don't work with the tasks they do and whether or not they need more privacy.

Aside from the basic knowledge your employees can supply you, you also have an opportunity to do something about your employees' satisfaction. Countless studies have shown that when workers are happy they perform better and have high levels of productivity. Giving them the chance to give their input on workplace design is a really effective way of making employees happy. They suddenly feel a little more powerful. They have some say in what's happening around them and in making themselves more comfortable and their job a little bit easier.

Employees come in all shapes and sizes. What makes one person comfortable may make another person crazy. By discussing what your employees like and dislike about your current office furniture, you can get a sense of what they're looking for. You can also determine whether most of your employees are looking for similar improvements or if there are a wide range of changes employees would like to see.

If everyone could use a little more privacy, for instance, you may want to invest in taller panels for your cubicles. But if some employees work individually while others need to work as a team, giving everyone taller panels would be doing your business a disservice. Not only will you have spent money you could have saved, but you are also making it more difficult for some of your workers to do their jobs.

By the same token, if some of your employees have complaints about the lighting you use while others are not fazed by it, it wouldn't be wise to invest in a whole new lighting system. The best option would be task lighting that gives everybody a sense of control.

Your employees may also clue you into the fact that different jobs require different desk design. While someone who answers phones all day may not need a lot of desk space to work with, other workers may benefit from more space to lay out files they may need to refer to.

You also might learn a little about the psychological effect of the workplace on your employees by sitting down and talking to them about their work environment. Would different colors or materials make them feel differently about their space? Studies have shown the drab color palettes can have a negative effect on a person's mood. If your employees seem down, a change in color scheme could do wonders for their attitude and approach to their work.

Another important issue is ergonomics. Your employees can definitely clue you in on the effects of the office furniture on their health. Is the style of chair you provide them causing back pain? Are multiple people complaining of pain in their wrists? Are they getting headaches from the lighting? Aches and pains like these can cause a variety of issues. First, employees may call in sick more often. Not wanting to further aggravate whatever ails them, they may decide to take a day or two off from work. This decreases your company's productivity. Even worse, you may find yourself in the middle of a worker's compensation case if one of your employees can prove that an injury was caused by the work they do.

By addressing issues like these, you're sure to purchase furniture that is better suited to the needs of your employees. By simply consulting them you can make a difference in your company's productivity and possibly even save yourself money.

After consulting your employees, you should consult MAiSPACE, the leader in the systems industry for more than fifteen years, for the best and most effective office furniture solutions.