In the office, desk space is a crucial part of productive work. Often, staff can feel cramped or have an unorganized desk space that prevents them from working efficiently. This can lead to work not getting done on time, work being completed to a low standard, or an unhappy workforce in your business. As a business owner or manager, it is your responsibility to aid your staff in working to their best abilities by providing smart solutions to maximize desk space.
With technology being key for staff to carry out their job roles, a messy desk is now even more possible than ever before, what with cables all over the place and devices taking up space. This can be distracting and cause unproductive work, which can lead to negative effects on your business. To help prevent this, use this guide on how to make the most out of desk space for productive work.
Invest in Smart Technology Solutions
To be able to provide your employees with a tidy and effective workspace, you need to invest in the right technology solutions. To start with, you can save the space that is taken by monitors on each desk by elevating them to eye level. This can be achieved through the use of quality arm monitors. Doing this takes away the space used by monitors on the desk, maximizing the space available for other things. As well as this, it improves ergonomics by making it easier for staff to adapt the screens. On top of this, cables from every device can be routed through the monitor arm to keep them out of the way and stop them from cluttering the desks.
You could also provide docking stations to streamline tech setups. These combine cables into one small unit to tuck them away from desks and save space. They are better than having multiple USB, monitor, and power cables strung across every desk in the office.
Clutter on the desk doesn’t just distract your employees, but also, under the desk clutter can be a distraction. Cables can get tangled underneath the desk and can be a safety hazard. Use a cable organizer to put a stop to this. This is usually a metal tray that mounts under desks. It helps to keep cables tidy and stop them from tangling, while keeping them accessible.
Have Flexible Seating Arrangements
Implementing flexible seating arrangements can provide your staff with multiple seating options and keep them feeling refreshed. You can divide the office up into desks for different tasks, allowing staff to sit somewhere suitable for certain tasks and move around the office. This stops staff from having an allocated seat, which eliminates clutter, as all that’s on each desk is technology or supplies needed.
If this isn’t possible for your business, you can provide allocated desks that can be adapted to maximize desk space. You can have standing desks and ergonomic chairs. This allows staff to transform their workspace when needed to stay comfortable. You can also provide additional areas that get them away from the desk, such as lounge areas and quiet zones. This lets you cater to different working styles to improve productivity.
Try Hot Desking
Hot desking can eliminate assigned desks and prevent any workspace from getting cluttered. This is because employees can choose where to work every day, suiting their workload for the day and making them more productive. It optimizes desk space in the office and encourages socialization and collaboration across different teams. This provides your business with an open and friendly culture that strengthens relationships across the company, enhances collaboration, and gives individuals confidence to share knowledge.
Create Collaborative Spaces
Creating collaborative spaces for your staff facilitates teamwork, creativity, and idea sharing. These spaces should be open-plan and give opportunities for meetings, brainstorming, and various projects. Doing this can eliminate the need to spend as much time in the day at desks, preventing them from getting more cluttered. When staff are collaborating with others and building teamwork skills, desks stay clean and tidy. This method works best for companies that rely on collaboration, where staff share expertise and come up with groundbreaking ideas.
Prioritize Ergonomic Furniture
Maximizing desk space in your office isn’t only focused on the visual appeal, but it also includes supporting your employees’ comfort and health. This is where ergonomic furniture comes in. If you don’t use ergonomic furniture, your staff will feel fatigued, uncomfortable, and experience poor health. Invest in ergonomic furniture throughout the office to boost staff’s health and wellbeing and increase productivity. Plus, they actually keep every workspace organized and unified.
Have adjustable monitors so staff can position them at eye level and about an arm’s length away. Make sure to have comfortable keyboards and mice that stay at a good height and have cushions to rest wrists on to reduce the strain. You should also provide adjustable chairs that support everyone’s lower back and let their feet rest flat on the floor.
On top of this, consider the lighting you use in your office. It needs to be well-lit to reduce eye strain. The best way to achieve this is to use a combination of natural light and task lighting.
Keep Workspaces Tidy
Encourage your staff to keep every workspace tidy and get cleaners in to deep clean surfaces. This can help prevent sickness from spreading and allow staff to work productively. Create reminders for staff for daily maintenance through posters or notifications on the business system. Try to encourage them to clear their desks every day, allowing them to put away items daily and refresh the space for the morning. Promoting this dedication and giving staff control of their desks improves their mood and helps staff think clearly. It can also stop time wasting on searching for misplaced items, letting employees spend their time wisely and focusing on work.
Implement Desk Booking Systems
Implementing desk booking systems lets your staff reserve desks in advance based on their needs for the day. Having this instead of assigned seats keeps work areas tidy and promotes a dynamic workspace. You can put a stop to the inefficiencies of permanently assigned desks and make sure that every desk is used to its full potential. As well as this, reserving desks lets management track and analyze patterns in desk usage. This gives insights into the use of space in the office to help strategic space planning.
Use Clever Storage Solutions to Minimize Clutter
Have clever storage solutions at every work area to optimize desk space and minimize clutter. This should be through desk organizers, paper trays, pen pots, and other desk storage that may be needed for your business. Other items that may be used less can be transferred over into a communal space to give the most desk space possible. These solutions can sometimes be tricky if your business has unconventional desks or awkward sizes. However, you can look into getting affordable, bespoke solutions for integrated storage or on-desk storage through plastic fabrication services. Using these can keep desks tidy and encourage a more productive work environment.
Use these tips on how to make the most out of desk space for productive work to transform your business and support your staff in achieving success. These solutions allow your staff to work better and feel refreshed every day, boosting employee satisfaction and quality of work.
