One of the most important aspects of the post-COVID-19 world isn’t finding new customers, but rather retaining employees. Aside from upping pay and keeping workspaces sanitary, businesses are getting creative at providing amenities to make people want to come back to the office.
Food and Drinks
It’s no surprise that having snacks and an area to eat them is a way to boost morale and productivity. Whether it be a free cereal bar, free coffee, or simply a micro-market in the corner, your employees would certainly appreciate the gesture.
A well-equipped kitchen is also a must-have, as some employees may prefer to prepare and store more intricate meals. Be sure to have appliances like an espresso machine, ice maker, a microwave or stove, and a fridge. To get even fancier, you may even include an air fryer or bread maker.
Illumination Did you know that poor lighting can cause eyestrain, headaches, and irratability?
Lighting is one of the most important factors in maintaining concentration and consequently feeling inspired to create; unfortunately, in companies, this aspect is not given the importance and often creates suffocating workspaces.
If the windows of your workspace look out onto a quiet, restful exterior, such as a garden, it will be much better; otherwise, you can recreate the feeling of light and space with lamps and reproductions of artwork that soothe your spirit.
If you can work with a window next to it, great! Using natural light will make you more productive and improve the quality of your work.
Decoration
From the moment we decide to start a business, we visualize what it would be like to work in our office. That magic should never be lost, so choosing the right decor should be a priority.
The colors around us have an effect on our mood and brain function, so changing things around can have an impact on your team’s productivity.
Listen to employee feedback on how they feel with the new decorations and arrangement so you have the right combination that makes everyone happy.
Utilizing plants is a great way to make use of empty spaces, and it can help boost one’s mood. They can help you have more lighting in a gray space or simply make you feel happier and more productive just by looking at them.
Remote Work Availability
The fact of the matter is that people are afraid of going into work, and while it’s not always avoidable, some would prefer to quit if not offered the option to work remotely.
Teleworking is one of the conditions in a company why many employees decide to change their company. The fact is that being able to perform their duties from home or from the other side of the world is a significant advantage over the competition.
Startups have become a reference when it comes to offering the possibility of working from home, either because of the impossibility of renting a physical space or expanding their business to other markets.
Applications like Skype, Slack, and Zoom makes it quite easy for remote communication and organization, so there isn’t much excuse to give it a try.
Mental Health
There is a taboo on the subject of mental health in most countries. In addition, we should consider that the stigma is more profound when we talk about why mental health is important in the workplace.
According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety have a major economic impact on the world economy, accounting for $1 trillion in lost productivity annually. Depression is considered a disability, and workplaces can influence whether a negative work environment, such as harassment or bullying, leads to adverse effects on workers’ mental health.
Startups should take into account mental health prevention from square one. Some good practices to promote mental health in the work environment may include:
- Organizing “prevention circles” to detect and discuss problems and find solutions based on worker participation.
- Establishing policies on mental health and to address related issues such as violence and harassment at work.
- Train managers to learn to recognize the symptoms of stress in employees and to take action to reduce stress.
- Create web portals that inform all members of the staff of all measures and programs that are being carried out in the workplace in order to improve mental well-being.
While it seems like a tall order to implement these elements into a startup, take into consideration the delicacy of keeping employees on your team in the long-term. Large corporations have been implementing employee wellness, and with the ‘new normal’ coming to fruition, it will be expected of you too.