When employee engagement is high, employees are 87% less likely to leave their current company for another job. What ways can you increase employee engagement? Have you thought about the modern bean bag chair? I am not talking about the bean bags of the old days. I am sure you remember all the little pellets on the floor when you accidentally burst one. Have no fear - office bean bags are here. Continue reading this article to find out why your business needs to have a bean bag culture.
creating an enjoyable workplace environment with the modern bean bag chair
The Australian job market is looking great, which is suitable for potential employees, but how do you stand out? The culture of your company may be the only hope you have. Many young startups don't have angel investor funding or the ability to pay high salaries like the bigger businesses in the area. While money is a good motivator - you can level the playing field by creating a fantastic culture.
1. increased productivity
Not only are employees likely to stay at your company longer when they are engaged and enjoy the workplace as we stated above — but they are also much more likely to be productive. Think about your own experience. When you are engaged and feel good about your work, home life or other areas, you're more likely to get more done. Our moods have a lot to do with how well we get things done. Not only do bean bags take us back to our childhood, but they let us get comfortable our own way. Office desk designers are getting better at understanding what is going to give more comfort, but unless the chair was custom made, it is likely to miss the mark in some area.
2. ergonomics
Lack of good circulation, back pain, shoulder and neck discomfort — these are all common complaints from office workers. Whether you're using a large bean bag or you opt for a smaller model, you can cozy up and get comfortable at work now. Sitting still and being in one position for a long period isn't going to allow for proper circulation and often causes severe pain. When you're in pain, it is difficult to focus on your work for fear that you're sustaining a long-term injury. There are different types of bean bag chairs, and before you make a big order, you should take into account what type people would like for their area. Some people might prefer to lounge and lay back in their chair, and other people might choose a more structured design. Asking individuals what they would like is going to get a larger adoption of your new bean bag culture idea.
3. fitness
How do bean bags help with fitness? It takes some amount of effort to get up and down in a bean bag. If you're moving from place to place throughout the day, you're going to get a nice workout without having to go to the gym. You can even set up bean bag fitness classes. You don't have to do anything drastic, and you can also set it up as a game. Keeping your employees fit should be a top priority since fit employees can work more and have less sick days. Healthy people also feel better and are usually in a better mood than when they aren't healthy and don't feel good about themselves. Making fitness fun and easily accessible means your employees are more likely to take part.
4. great collaborative space
The round table is overdone, and meetings aren't fun — unless they're in a bean bag chair circle. Bring your bean bag to the circle and let's go over some numbers and business strategy. It makes the environment more laid back and enjoyable for those that participate. For those that aren't in the meeting — it still looks like a good time.
5. bring your dog to work
Many offices are seeing the importance of being able to bring your pet to work. What do you do? Well, you get them a doggy bean bag, of course. Dogs are a part of many families, and when you allow people to bring their pets to work, they are likely to work with less work. No one likes to leave their pet at home and wonder how they are doing for long periods.
other tips for an enjoyable workplace
While bean bags are a great start to an enjoyable workplace, there are other things you can do to make sure your office offers the best to your employees. Employees are no longer the lowly working man but instead are valued. Since employees are more valued in today's world than ever before, employers are working hard to provide not only a safe workplace but an inspirational workplace. We don't mean that you have to put up inspirational sayings all over the wall — that might be nice, but it isn't always within the company culture.
create a compelling outdoor space
The inside of the office may not be enough to keep your workers happy and healthy. Spending long hours inside without getting fresh air can cause problems. When you create an outdoor space, it doesn't have to be solely for recreation. You can create a space where people can take their bean bag chairs and computers to get their work finished while taking in the beauty of outside.
standing desks & treadmill desks
If you want to create more variation, you can look into standing desks and treadmill desks. You want to think of as many ways to get your office as active as possible. The bean bag culture lets people relax and understand they can be open. Bean bag culture isn't only about the actual chair. It is about what it represents and the feelings it creates.
employees have a say in design
If you want to amp up employee engagement, even more, let employees have a say on the design. While lugging big, heavy furniture around might be a little challenging, it isn't such a big problem if you're using a modern bean bag chair. You can even have redesign days and see how creative your employees can get with their bean bag placement. There is so much fun to have. Another cool thing you can do is let your employees design their bean bag. You could have some with your company logo, but you can even create avatars of your employees and put it on their bean bag. Find out what your employees think would be a fun and uplifting design, and create a company mascot. There are plenty of options when it comes to letting your employees have a say in the design, but you need to think creatively and collectively.
don't forget your culture document
Now that you've brought fun and function into your office, what next? If you want to create an authentic bean bag culture, you need to have a culture document. Just having cool chairs around the office isn't going to give you the result that you want. You have to let your employees new and old know what it means for their workplace. Without a proper culture document, no one will know where and how they should fit in. Letting people know what is expected of them when they are a part of the company is essential and will push your company closer to the environment and results that you want. No one likes turnover, and a culture document can help you decrease your turnover. Having people read the culture document before they get started in your company will allow them to see whether they will fit in or if they should seek employment elsewhere. Keeping the culture document visible and referencing it from time to time will help keep people on point. You want to have a company statement that people can remember, but you should also have more in-depth information. You want to let people know how they should act in specific situations so they will know how to handle it when it arises.
ready to move forward with your bean bag culture?
If you're ready to embrace the modern bean bag chair, we can help you. We have a wide variety of chairs to fit your office needs. Read our other articles on our site if you need ideas and then head over to our shopping page today.
