Imagine waking up energised and excited to head to work. It’s something many people aim for, and it falls on companies to provide an environment that’s fun as well as productive. This blog can help companies that want to create such an environment, or job seekers who want to find out what a healthy workplace looks like.
While many companies are behind the times, many others are taking the necessary steps to make their company attractive to prospective employees. These days it’s not all about what an employee offers a company, but also about what a company can offer its employees.
Creating a genuinely fun work environment isn’t just about having table tennis tournaments and office sports days (although we do have those here). No, a truly fun office fosters a positive, supportive, and engaging work culture in which happy staff thrive. This, in turn, breeds productivity, innovation, and loyalty, making your company attractive to top talent.
But creating this culture takes effort, not least because of the difficulty of balancing having fun with being productive. Here’s how to make it sustainable…
How to Create a Fun Working Environment
You need to start looking at your workplace as more than a workplace. If you’re asking your staff to spend most of their time there, it has to be a place they’re comfortable in. This doesn’t mean making sure each employee has a comfy chair (although that’s a good start), it also means your office needs to offer your staff ways to relax.
Ultimately, having fun is about being relaxed. If you’re not relaxed, then fun is impossible.
A Fun Workplace Has a Good Work-Life Balance
Happy and well-rested employees are more productive, so encouraging flexible work arrangements, implementing breaks for fun activities, and planning healthy disconnects after hours all mean your employees are engaged when they need to be.
Adding things like a designated area for chilling out or a gaming area can go a long way in creating a relaxing atmosphere. It means employees feel encouraged to relax and take time away from their desks and allow the stresses of work to take a back seat. Likewise, having a dedicated kitchen area with plenty of space, or hosting a monthly quiz encourages employees to socialise and adds to the relaxing nature of your office.
If you’re wondering if we have all of the above, the answer is yes.
A Fun Workplace is Supportive
Communication is the foundation of any relationship, including the relationship your business has with its employees. With good communication comes trust, and with trust comes respect. If an employee is struggling with a task or feels stressed, they need to be comfortable enough to tell their manager, and they won’t be if the manager isn’t the supportive person they need to be.
Your management staff need to be personable and approachable. This allows your other employees to feel comfortable speaking to them and approaching them with problems which, in turn, ensures productivity has no barriers and that staff feel listened to. Only then can they begin to relax in the workplace.
A Fun Workforce Works as a Team
Without the people who work at your company, you’ve got nothing, and if your staff don’t get on with each other then not much work will get done. This is why you need to be careful with who you hire and only offer an individual a job if you get a strong sense that they will gel well with you and your staff.
Shared laughter, inside jokes, and a sense of camaraderie go a long way in creating a fun atmosphere, so if there’s someone there who brings the mood down or shakes things up a little too much, it could be damaging to your company’s culture. One way to ensure you only hire people that fit is to have a longer-than-average recruitment process, which allows you to assess personalities as well as skill sets.
A Fun Workplace Recognises Achievements
It goes without saying that you want your business to succeed and grow with each passing month, but it’s important to take a step back and appreciate the smaller achievements you’ve made in the recent past. Maybe a team member secured a large order from a client, or last week you had a record number of social media impressions.
Whatever it is, it wouldn’t have happened without someone working hard, so it’s important to let your staff know they are appreciated when they achieve something. Similarly, it’s a good idea to acknowledge birthdays and work anniversaries as doing so boosts morale and creates a sense of belonging for your staff. Many companies (including us) go as far as giving staff their birthday off work, which shows staff the business cares about them as a person. As we’ve already established, happy staff are productive staff.
Fun Workplaces Aren’t Monotonous
There’s nothing worse than staff members who are unable to tell the difference between each working day. Monotony creates uninspiring conditions that stifle creativity and productivity and sap the enjoyment out of just about everything.
The trick is to never let your office become monotonous; organise team-building activities, sports days, or afternoons off to relax. Doing this will inject some fun into the routine and keep things fresh.
Ready to Have Fun?
By now you’ll be aware that creating a fun office takes dedication, but you’ll also have seen that the rewards are immense. A fun workplace has happy staff, bustles with creativity, and attracts the best talent in the industry.
This isn’t just theory either, this blog was written by me, Adam, somebody who directly benefits from working in a fun office that does all the things you’ve read about. At TFLI, you can be sure we practise what we preach.
If you want to be part of the magic, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who thrive in a positive, supportive, and fun environment. If you’re ready to ditch the dull and embrace the fun, send us your CV. We might just have the perfect role for you.
