Since unemployment benefits ran out this past fall, we all thought people would be rushing back to the office – but that just hasn’t happened. The Great Resignation is real, with 4 million Americans quitting their jobs in July 2021. This brings business owners to the following, daunting question: What on earth can I do to hire people back into the office? And it’s the right question to ask, not least of all because this type of constructive attitude is one that employees love to see. Identifying the problem within your office is step one and then figuring out a solution is the tricky part! Luckily, solving problems is a big part of what we do at BE Furniture.
Why are people resigning? Americans work hard and play hard – it’s part of our ethos and our culture, and the basis of the American dream. So why exactly are people quitting their jobs, especially in such a challenging economic time? According to research, the main reasons why people are choosing to look for opportunities elsewhere are: · Lack of recognition · Lack of flexibility in terms of work hours · Low pay and lack of benefits · Lack of work-life balance · Poor working conditions Now, this isn’t to say that your business is doing all or any of these things. In fact, because you are considering how to draw employees to your business, it’s actually showing opportunities where you can beat the competition and attract all that great talent that’s currently looking for a new home! Here’s how to turn these issues into actionable strategies to position your business. Are there spaces within the office that prioritize mental health and DEI? Toxic work cultures where employees are worked to the bone, have no work-life balance and don’t recognize achievements foster poor mental health. And when employees have little or no support for their mental health, productivity and engagement drop, and absenteeism and resignations increase. So, to get ahead of this, workplaces need to have spaces and perks that prioritize mental health and diversity, equality, and inclusion already in place. This will make employees feel welcomed and supported in your office environment, giving them what they need to deliver their best work to you. By adapting the values and policies of your business, you can achieve employee retention through office culture transformation, helping your business stay on top. This could take any shape or form, from including relaxation spaces, gardens, and cafes in an attractive office design, to having free mental health resources available for anyone who wants them. You can also take time to bring people from different cultures and areas of life together in team-building practices and social events, helping to welcome new people and create bonds that show the value of diversity and help people work together more effectively. Are you offering employees a healthy work/life balance through a hybrid office model? For today’s office workers, the choice between working from home or working from the office is too extreme. Choosing one or the other will only serve to alienate people with strong preferences, creating conflict. One solution is to offer a hybrid office model – a more flexible, middle-ground approach that allows employees to decide how and when they work, within reason. This empowers employees to have greater control over their work and family lives, ensuring they can work with greater flexibility and balance work and life commitments more easily. The Great Resignation has been driven in part by long hours working from home, unreasonable work requests at all hours and pressure to return to the office and give up any work-life balance employees had achieved. To manage this, businesses need to create structured policies that define work hours and working policies while setting out in-office hours and work expectations, allowing employees flexibility to work within these policies to manage their lives and work responsibilities on their own terms. The Great Resignation is an indication of how today’s work culture is changing. There’s no going back to pre-pandemic “normal” life – and if we are all honest, that wasn’t really working for many of today’s businesses either. As employees reinvent themselves and redefine their values, it’s up to businesses to make the transformations needed to bring the right talent to their doorstep. BE Furniture is a world-class office design team in the tri-state area offering expertise and creativity to make your office a more functional, more enjoyable, and more effective workspace. Chat to us today to find out more about our office space design services in NJ or visit https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content is posted on https://www.befurniture.com/the-great-resignation-sucks/
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Over the last couple of years, the workplace has evolved into a very different space. As people start to return back to the office in the New Year, employers need to ensure that these spaces are hygienic, welcoming, and suited to the needs of employees.
After all, when employees feel that their organizations are taking an active role in their wellbeing, they are more productive, more engaged, and less likely to move on to a new place of employment. Here are some office design ideas and initiatives on how to welcome employees back to work. Create defined breakout spaces Breakout space within the office is a modern essential. Rather than crowding around one person’s desk (disrupting people around them and creating a difficult space to work), informal groups of employees can ‘break out’ of the office into a separate space. This can be used for meeting or presentation prep, informal meetings between department representatives, brainstorming sessions – any typical meeting or discussion that’s informal and around 30 minutes in length. The space should be physically separate to prevent noise from interrupting others, have general-purpose resources and furniture, and be available to all without being monopolized by any single group. Convenient childcare facilities If your organization has employees with young children, childcare facilities can make a world of difference. Not only does this help reduce the burden of childcare costs on staff, but it is also known to improve morale, staff retention, attendance, and even public relations. It’s a highly sought-after perk and, for parents who have been getting used to caring for their kids while working from home, it’s a great way to be close to their child while making it easier to coordinate family life and be productive in their career. It’s easy for a parent to check in on their child during a break, stress is reduced because they are close at hand at all times, and it’s easy to adapt childcare to business schedules. New and improved office perks Just like there are perks when working from home, there are perks when working at the office. Now is the perfect time to make these stand out for returning employees! Whether this is access to quiet space free from household noise, healthy lunches and snacks, great tech, an onsite barista or fancy coffee machine, or even the ability to talk with colleagues easily in person. It’s important to highlight the everyday benefits of working in the office to give people what they’ve missed out on most while working from home. A vibrant office makeover If you want your employees to be excited about coming back into the workplace, a makeover is just the way to do it! A smart and practical office design can take a drab and uninspiring workspace and transform it into a space where people want to be. New workstations, home comforts, a trendy color scheme, ergonomic chairs, and casual breakout spaces will reinvent your workplace and support productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. Not to mention, your clients will love it too! That’s where our office design and fit-out specialists come in, offering expertise and creative talent that makes your office space balance funky with functional, excitement with efficiency, and comfortable with creative! Contact us today to find out more about our office space design services in NJ. https://www.befurniture.com/ Original content is posted on https://www.befurniture.com/4-ways-to-make-your-employees-feel-comfortable-returning-to-work/ |
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