Picture this weird but fascinating scenario: after leaving a business meeting, you literally glide down a slide to reach your workstation. It may sound like some wacky innovation from a cartoon, but it’s actually what’s been happening in offices around the world. Many modern offices from firms like Google and Facebook are even starting to resemble playgrounds or theme parks.
As new companies grow in size and popularity, they’re bringing fascinating new ideas of how best to manage the workplace environment, giving their staff new settings and intriguing vistas to work in. But, all these changes aren’t simply the result of management looking to try something new. Modern office design goes beyond making the environment aesthetically pleasing. In many cases, new designs and furniture are proven to contribute to better productivity and happier workers.
Let’s look at some wacky examples that you may wish to have in the office you lease in the Philippines.
Tree Houses and Zip Lines: Why Not?
Here’s an example rooting from a concept that seems radical on the surface. Let’s look at Red Frog Events – an event production company located in Chicago. The firm spent more than $100,000 to build an actual tree house in its office. After constructing the tree house, Red Frog then put in other camping-theme items throughout, from a zip line to a rock climbing wall. These out-of-the-box choices immediately grabbed people’s attention and helped to distinguish the company from others.
Sure, these items may sound fun for the staff, but do they offer more than that? In the company’s case, job satisfaction has increased and the employees achieved new levels of creativity. These elements of “fun” furniture may actually be essential to improving work output. Try looking at Google offices around the world and you’ll find playground slides, golfing greens, pool tables, ball pits, and other items designed to provide r and r as well as camaraderie.
Happy Employees = Productive Staff
Happier people are more productive employees, and happiness can be greatly affected by one’s surroundings. Also, a comfortable workplace can increase productivity up to 16 percent while also increasing job satisfaction by 24 percent. Even standing desks, while unusual, can actually make employees healthier, leading to greater productivity.
Appearance and Color Schemes May Also Affect Productivity
Do you know that even the appearance of furniture, right down to their color, may have an effect on employees? Color is often thought of as playing a key role in productivity, with certain types of color affecting employees in specific ways. Let’s take a look at the earphone company Beats, which has whole office sections with walls and furniture decorated in certain colors. The color blue, for example, is intended to help stimulate the mind, while yellow areas of the office are supposed to elevate creativity among employees.
The use of furniture and surroundings in the workplace can do much more than just provide a place for people to do and finish their tasks. Furniture choices can have a powerful role in helping employees become more productive, while providing a healthier environment that leads to happier staff. Because of these reasons, many offices around the world are slowly realizing the importance of offering a more comfortable setting that gives employees more reasons to want to go to work everyday.
