As facilities reopen and companies seek to draw employees back to the workplace, how employees feel about their work environment will be crucial. The employee experience is influenced by job satisfaction and company culture, but employees also report the role their physical environment impacts their sense of engagement. Facility managers can play a crucial part in creating a positive employee experience. A facility that is clean and well-maintained has a direct impact on how employees feel about their environment when they come to work.
Cleanliness Means Confidence
A facility that is clean and well-maintained has a direct impact on how employees feel about their environment when they come to work. While janitorial services and cleaning practices have always been a top priority to facility managers, a recent study by the Cleaning Coalition of America (CCA) shows that 66% of U.S workers find it exceedingly critical as well. The pandemic has taken the importance of cleanliness to a new level and changed the way people consider the safety of public spaces. A growing body of research is demonstrating that people will need to feel confident that their workplaces are clean before returning to work. Air quality, adherence to safety protocols, and facility cleanliness consistently ranked among the most important criteria when employees are considering returning to their workplaces. Reviewing your cleaning and disinfecting processes as well as the depth and frequency of your cleaning processes are keys to creating a clean environment that cultivates confidence in employees.
The Small Details Matter
Small details can have a heavy influence on how employees perceive their work environment, and a few areas where facility managers can have a big impact include security systems, proper lighting, adequately stocked restrooms, and the ambient temperature of the facility. A facility needs to feel safe and secure so that employees can focus on their work without being concerned for their wellbeing. Security services can range from security cameras and alarm systems to uniformed guards and patrols. What is most important about your security program is that it suits your facility’s needs and infrastructure and gives your employees peace of mind when they are in the facility. When the lighting in a facility is poor, it can decrease productivity and detract from the overall appearance of the facility. Research also shows that a well-lit facility can increase alertness and decrease fatigue and daytime sleepiness. Consider installing LED lights, which can improve the light quality in your facility while also being more energy efficient. Another common complaint facility managers encounter is the stock of supplies in the restroom. When restrooms are frequently out of toilet paper, paper towels, or soap, this can be aggravating to employees. Having a reliable consumables program and having your janitorial provider regularly check the stock in the restrooms is essential. And when it comes to maintaining a comfortable environment, your HVAC system plays a key role. The temperature of a facility correlates with employee satisfaction and productivity. Studies show the ideal temperature is between 69.8 degrees and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensuring that your HVAC systems are well-maintained and capable of maintaining the right indoor temperature is an important step in employee satisfaction. Air purification can also significantly impact the overall safety and health of your facility. Patented processes like Marsden Services CleanAir can safely remove particulates from the air, including allergens, bacteria, and viruses, including CoV-2, the virus that causes infectious disease.
Hybrid Workspaces Can Cultivate Collaboration
Research tells us that the hybrid workplace is here to stay. In fact, a study by CBRE indicated that 87% of large companies are adopting hybrid models, and trends like hot desking and office hoteling are continuing to gain traction. So a positive experience when employees are in the office will be critical. Employees are often coming into the workplace because it affords them a chance for face-to-face collaboration with their colleagues. Consider reorganizing your facility space to encourage teamwork when employees are in the office. Evaluate your facility’s layout and find ways to use furniture and the flow of foot traffic to create a new environment that fosters comfort and collaboration. Consider creating more coworking spaces and informal meeting areas that will encourage interaction. Increasing workplace flexibility will be key; Quantum Workplace’s annual report on turnover trends found employees who were provided ample flexibility were four times less likely to become a retention risk.
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