How to Create A Positive Work Environment

Keeping your staff members happy should be your highest priority when you are in a managerial position. You can foster this happiness by creating a positive work environment for all employees. A positive work environment would implement the use of collaborative spaces and have set boundaries between management and employees.

If you are looking to create a positive work environment, you should:

1. Take Complaints Seriously
2. Use Collaborative Spaces
3. Prioritise Training and Progression
4. Support Mental Health
5. Have Regular One-On-One Check-Ins
6. Implement Inclusive Hiring
7. Set Clear Boundaries
8. Make the Office Comfortable     

1. Take Complaints Seriously

Making sure your employees feel heard and respected is incredibly important to creating a positive environment. Allowing your employees to voice opinions and queries, and ask questions is fundamental to the growth of your business, so take their complaints seriously and try to enact plans to rectify their issues.

When a complaint has been made, it is your job to listen and understand why this has transpired. Research has shown that those businesses that frequently do not listen to their staff are often faced with high staff turnover.

2. Use Collaborative Spaces

Create a sense of community within your workplace by hiring collaborative co-working spaces. The benefits of utilising co-working space are extensive. From networking opportunities to increased productivity and its flexible nature, co-working spaces are perfect to create a positive working environment.

Here at Tramshed Tech, we have a growing selection of locations for our co-working spaces, in both Newport and Cardiff, for example. All coworking spaces are designed to help elevate your business, offering business support for start-ups from the incubation stage to take-off. 

3. Prioritise Training and Progression

Employees will work harder knowing that their work can lead to progression allowing them to attain their career goals within your company. Set out clear perimeters explaining how and when employees are likely to progress to higher positions. 

Providing comprehensive training sessions will allow your employees to constantly learn. Not only will training invoke higher levels of creativity, but it will also improve engagement and employee skill levels. 

4. Support Mental Health

Whatever the time of year, or stage in their career, it is important to let your employees know that they will be supported and encouraged regarding their mental health. We have all been affected, or know of others, who have been affected by poor mental health. Help to reduce stigma by implementing great support services within your business. 

There are many ways that supporting your employees’ mental health can transpire, whether that is through providing a monthly well-being budget, or otherwise providing mental health care on-site. 

5. Have Regular One-On-One Check-Ins

Letting your employees be heard is vital to creating a positive work environment.  One-on-one sessions may seem like they take up a majority of your managerial time but taking this time to get to know your staff members will be a successful endeavour. 

This will improve your business by allowing your employees to discuss how they can improve their own performance, as well as ways discussing ways the business could help them to thrive. 

6. Implement Inclusive Hiring

Having an inclusive workplace will allow all members of your team to feel supported. Those from marginalised backgrounds may not feel comfortable voicing their concerns if they feel isolated within their workplace, understanding individual needs and circumstances will allow all to feel involved within the business. Having a diverse workforce has also been proven to result in lower staff turnover rates, as people feel valued and accepted. 

7. Set Clear Boundaries

Setting boundaries will allow both staff and management to maintain healthy work-life balances, resulting in a more positive, stress-free work environment. Important boundaries to consider are never messaging staff members on annual leave, and the promise to not micromanage.

As you would in day-to-day life, boundaries are important to uphold to make sure everyone feels comfortable in their environments. Taking the time to understand what your employee’s boundaries are through one-on-one sessions will positively affect the work environment and allow the employees to work at their optimal pace.

8. Make the Office Comfortable

Making your employees feel comfortable when they are at their desks will keep your employees feeling positive all day long. Comfortable seating and back support will also improve their physical and mental well-being, as ‘tech neck’ has become increasingly common for office workers. 

We are Tramshed Tech: a startup ecosystem home to 50+ companies ranging from pre-revenue start-ups to scaling businesses with 600+ registered members from the digital, creative and tech communities. We’re currently based in Grangetown, Cardiff Central & Newport, and are soon expanding to other sites across South Wales to Barry and Swansea. 

If you’re interested in joining us at any of our locations, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Written by Luthien for Tramshed Tech.