Are you contemplating adopting a pet-friendly policy for your office to improve office and employee productivity? Google, Amazon, and Zynga are just some of the industry giants that have a pet-friendly policy. Many HR professionals in leadership positions believe that taking your pets to the office helps improve productivity. Or will it be too big a step too soon for you and your small company?
But you are on the right track if you aim to address productivity issues in your work environment.
An Overview of Low Productivity
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, productivity in the work environment is declining. The reasons depend on the industry and the nature of your business. Experts list causes, like poor planning, too many meetings and emails, and employees doing non-work-related stuff on company time, as negatively affecting productivity. Even office temperature and design can impact motivation and productivity.
Gallup revealed in 2013 that more than 70% of employees in America are “actively disengaged.” If this is reflective of your office environment, you need to find solutions soon.
Getting Creative with Productivity
Small problems like resolving the issue of temperature and air quality in the office can have an impact on productivity. Consider doing some minor renovation if your conference room or pantry are drab-looking already. Contact your timber flooring suppliers in Melbourne. They can advise you on what floor options to use, which will help inspire your workers.
- Feed them healthy. Food is close to being a universal motivator. But make it healthy, meaningful, and part of the overall office policy. Healthy snacks, like fruits, encourages a healthy lifestyle, and they help boost energy. Instituting perks, like eating dinner out when there are deadlines to meet or other crunch-time moments in the office, not only motivates people, but it’s also an excellent opportunity for team members to bond.
- Kit-Kat room. Follow the lead of a famous chocolate commercial. Continuous work for eight hours is not healthy. Create break rooms or spaces where people can stretch, relax, and recharge for a few minutes. Incorporate creative ideas, like comfortable sofas and plants that allow employees to disengage from their task temporarily. Make sure that the policies are transparent when space should be utilized.
- Telecommuting. Many companies are now experimenting on allowing their workers a certain number of days in a month to work at a remote site, either at home or at a different location. Remote working relieves the stress brought about by traffic and the hassles of commuting to work.
- Tracking and sharing performance. Give the Orwellian Big Brother idea a positive twist by implementing a performance-tracking tool for teams. Large monitors in common work areas display tasks, assignments, and progress. Governance and transparency help create a culture of positivity and the strong pursuit of common goals. These, in turn, fuel motivation and a stronger commitment to work together. Scout for the best productivity-tracking app that’s right for your company.
Fabulous furniture, entertainment rooms, and small gyms have also been used successfully by many companies. So with these options to improve productivity, where are you now with allowing dogs and cats to visit the office?