Many scientific studies have proven time and again that working in a disorganized and cluttered space causes stress and distraction. If you’ve noticed that your workplace is looking a little worse for wear, managers and HR professionals will want to whip the space back into shape sooner rather than later. Luckily, cleaning up the office has a huge impact but won’t break your bank and you’ll notice an immediate improvement in the productivity of your employees.
The first step to a clean workplace is getting rid of clutter. HR professionals and managers should target paper clutter first in the office wide cleaning initiative. If you have piles and piles of paperwork scattered throughout the office, you’ll want to get this sorted out right away. Without any kind of organization for paperwork, it will be way too easy to misplace important documents. This can cause a lot of stress both for workplace leaders and employees when a crucial document can’t be found and you need it for a client or for a legal matter. An easy way for managers and HR professionals to avoid these stressful scenarios and end up wasting time is to create clear guidelines for document storage. Productivity will get back on track when everyone is on the same page about what documents go where and where they kind find the items they need.
Studies also show that we feel better during the cleaning process. A great way for HR professionals and managers to boost employees’ moods and workplace engagement is by making the office cleaning initiative a team effort. When you work together to sort and straighten, areas that cause waste and any other issues will quickly become apparent. Encourage employees to get rid of things that they don’t need to free up some time and space. Not only will neater desks make it much easier to feel comfortable and focused but the act of cleaning is cathartic and peaceful. Your whole office will feel great after a day of reorganizing and decluttering and when everything is tucked away neatly, your employees will have more time to spend on truly important tasks.
Another important aspect of a clean workplace is presentation. Everyone knows that first impressions matter and this extends into your office. You don’t want your prospective clients, applicants, and vendors to walk into a mess and then assume that your company as a whole is disorganized. Managers and HR professionals can set aside an hour during the last week of every month for an office wide cleaning session where everyone declutters their desks and sorts documents. This ensures that your office actually stays clean and is always ready to produce a dazzling first impression.
Your office sets the tone for productivity and presentation. With an organized space, everyone can find what they need and do what they need to do in an efficient manner. Your future professional partners and applicants will be impressed with how great your workplace looks and how well everyone keeps it up.
