More Bang for Your Buck: How to Create a Workspace That Helps Your Employees

As much as incentive and payment schemes can improve the productivity of your workforce, so can a well-developed workspace. Inspire the workforce by offering your employees the right workspace. Simple things like desks with rounded edges, communal discussion areas, and comfortable chairs can make all the difference to your workforce, both for their productivity, and their happiness.

Here are some tips to help you create a more dynamic workspace for your employees to keep yourself and them inspired, creative, and prolific.

Design Tips

The first thing to look at it is whether your space is designed to be worker friendly. There are various aspects that can help your workforce be more focused. I feel the two most important aspects are ergonomics and the chair. Employees need to keep their line of sight relatively in line with their monitors, and their wrists should make straight lines with their elbows. This is something that should be taught to your workforce. It will help employees preserve their energy by reducing the amount of physical tension they may feel. A good, comfortable chair is often more important than the ergonomics. In an office environment, most workers spend the majority of their time sitting.

The next two important aspects are colour and lighting. An office should be well lit. Lots of natural light brings energy into the space. Colours in the workspace can help lift up the mood. I would recommend pastel colours, as they are easier on the eyes. Bright colours can be distracting and vibrant colours, while they may sound like a good idea, tend to strain the eye.

Lastly, it is important to keep the space clean, uncluttered, and orderly. Disorder can fragment attention spans, and while some employees can handle a messy environment, many are simply distracted by it.

Managing Space

How the workspace is used is just as important as its design. For example, having a map of the different types of work regularly done is helpful, because assigning space for each dedicated task is a real boon when teams need to be organised quickly and efficiently. As such, it is an essential for staying organised.

Another good idea is to have a space for employees where they can be separate from their work when taking breaks. While many would not have a problem with their workforce eating lunch or taking breaks by the desk, this actually limits the scope of employees. By having a break room, they are forced to physically as well as mentally separate themselves from their work environment, which helps to refresh the mind. In the same vain as break rooms, it is also a good idea to have a space dedicated to holding calls with clients, or for employees to use when they do not need to work with a computer in front of them.


Productivity is a result of a particular mentality, and these basic steps will help improve the mentality of your employees through space management and effective design. Additionally, there are some other tricks that can have positive effects on your employees. A clear vision and written statement of your company will help the employees connect with your core message. Invest in good quality tools and equipment so the employees are comfortable and have what they need. Potted plants offer a more natural look to the workspace and help freshen up the air. Ultimately, it is important to take the time to look at your space, and see if it still reflects how you would want your company to be. If you have not already taken the time to critically reflect upon your workspace, I highly recommend doing so.