Today, businesses are keen to concentrate on successful recruitment processes, robust 1-2-1 systems, competitive pay grades and offering the right benefits. All of this comes in an attempt to attract and retain excellent employees that constantly perform to the best of their ability. However, reality suggests that businesses are also becoming increasingly demanding of the people that they should be working hard to look after.

Recently, the Mental Health Foundation released figures which state that work-related stress costs Britain 10.4 million working days per year. An increasingly demanding work culture, in the UK, forces longer hours, less manageable workloads and heightens the intensity of constant comparison amongst peers in a race to stay ahead.

Businesses should be concentrating on, a healthier office environment which results in employees waking up on Monday, enthusiastic to come to work. Below are my three top tips to fostering a healthy and encouraging office environment:

The life-changing magic of tidying

With our minds often reflecting the environment in which we find ourselves, there are a lot of factors we should start considering to better our office surroundings and withdraw the best attitude from our employees, fellow colleagues and ourselves.

Marie Kondo, a Japanese organising consultant and author, has written 4 books on the art of decluttering. Her book ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ has been well received in more than 30 countries and her simple but sought after method has consequently led her to appear as one of the Times ‘100 most influential people’.  Aside from helping millions organise their sock draw; her book explains how cluttered disorganised spaces have a negative impact on our minds and how we choose to process our day.

In a world where the restless mind often wreaks havoc, encouraging a spacious, clear and organised office environment will allow efficiency, concentration and motivation to flourish. The art of organisation, natural light and the odd office plant will boost energy levels and increases employee well-being.

An open office

We associate an open door with opportunity. An open office space allows us to form strong relationships, build good rapport with others and gives us an opportunity to absorb the culture – whether it be peaceful and calm or buzzing with energy. The opportunity to be part of a team, working towards the same goal, allows us to immediately feel a strong sense of belonging.

According to Maslow’s motivational theory in psychology,  belongingness increases motivation, self-esteem and self-actualisation needs.

A high level of motivation will lead to new clients won, individual targets met and a positivity which can be absorbed by the whole office.

The right culture reflected

Hard work and achievement requires recognition to create an overall feeling of appreciation.

Sometimes it’s the little things that impact us the most, a thumbs up from our manager or a well done from our colleague. Knowing we are surrounded by support (at all levels) allows us to take on new tasks with confidence and grow and develop as individuals.

Recent surveys have shown that the more employees felt appreciated at work, the more they were committed to their jobs, the better equipped they were to handle stresses of client demands and deadlines and the less likely they were to take time off work.

The concept of a good workplace has been a part of office culture for decades, but many business owners still don’t know all that this entails and why it’s important.

So many different aspects of the office environment effect employee motivation, productivity and even retention.

No relationship is effortless

Getting the simple stuff right is becoming increasingly more important if you want your business, employees and colleagues to thrive.

As a manager or business owner encouraging continual feedback from both your perspective and your current employees will ensure essential needs are met in the aspiration of achieving a happy successful environment for everyone.

Opinion Piece by Samantha Bennett, Human Resources, Air Marketing Group