While an attractive benefits package, a fair salary, and even a fully stocked kitchen may be part of the equation for attracting employees, they aren’t the most significant drivers in creating a productive and innovative workplace. In fact, while those perks are undeniably valuable in competing for exceptional talent, it takes more than cold brew on tap and pinball machines to drive real innovation in a competitive market.
Happy Employees = Increased Innovation and Productivity
A study at the University of Warwick estimates that happy workers are 12% more productive than unhappy workers. Many companies have found innovative strategies to ensure employee happiness because of the spike seen in creative solutions and innovation due to their efforts. Below are three tips to get started in building a workplace that drives innovation.
Effective Use of Space
Employees don’t need lavish offices or areas in the workplace that look like playgrounds to be more productive. Workspaces need to be designed so people feel free to move around and not be chained to their desks. An easy way to achieve this without spending a pretty penny is to create huddle spaces with comfortable furniture near natural light.
Huddle spaces encourage collaboration and teamwork by providing flexible and intimate spaces for small teams. Be sure to include intuitive technology in the space to encourage visual content sharing and collaboration.
A Workplace that Acknowledges Effort and Results
Workplaces function best when employees are acknowledged for hard work, good ideas, collaboration, or anything that helps move the business forward. This recognition does not need to come from managers or leadership to be effective. Peer-to-peer recognition has been found to drive higher employee engagement, lower turnover, and increase overall productivity.
At Mersive, we’ve established a Kudos program where employees are encouraged to recognize each others’ efforts publicly. Kudos can range from celebrating large collaboration projects and new feature launches to simple acts of thoughtfulness and generosity. There are no rules or limits to the amount of kudos employees can hand out each month.
An Inclusive, Connected Workplace
Employees have different degrees to which they want to belong to the group at work. Sometimes that means being included in the correct email chains for the position they hold, but other times, it means feeling represented and empowered in their interpersonal lives at work.
Representation and inclusion are paramount to instilling a dynamic workplace culture. While most companies state that diversity and inclusion are essential aspects of the company culture, it’s those that actively display their commitment that drives higher business value.
An enterprise’s internal digital signage strategy can play an essential role in creating an inclusive environment. Highlighting a diverse workforce on corporate displays—including in both transition and meeting spaces—can help connect employees to something deeper within the organization. This connection can lead to higher employee engagement, which drives overall organizational success.
About Mersive
Mersive Technologies is an award-winning wireless collaboration software company that facilitates productive and engaging meetings, conferences, and classes by providing intuitive wireless content sharing solutions that enable any number of participants to share content from virtually any device to any meeting room display. Trusted by more than 6,000 corporations and higher education institutions including many of the top Fortune 100 companies, Mersive is based in Denver, Colorado with offices and customers around the world. To learn more, check out The Mersive Advantage.
