Since we spend most of our time at the office each day, it is crucial to have a chance to feel comfortable. However, most employers don’t pay proper attention to office environments, which may greatly influence the productivity and happiness of their workers. For office employees who have to sit at their desk for hours on end, an appealing personal space and other goodies are very important. By being aware of certain features that can make an office much more enjoyable, employers can create an office environment that workers actually value.
Below is a list of 10 tips that can help employers create a perfect work environment for developers.
First-class equipment
In most cases, office workers don’t require the latest software and will feel comfortable using simple hard drives and CPUs. They rarely open several applications or programs at the same time, so they don’t feel the need for new operating system or computer details. However, for developers and other IT specialists, equipment is crucial and plays a significant role in making their workspace convenient. Since developers always need maximum horsepower, pushing hard drives and CPUs to the limits, it is crucial to give them several screens, smartphones and tablets for testing.
Ergonomic space
Our modern world is all about conveniences and a personal workspace is no exception. Sitting at a desk for hours may hurt your back and cause lots of problems, so providing your developers with quality chairs and desks is crucial. According to this article, good lighting and proper equipment greatly contribute to productivity of the workers on a day to day basis.
Personalization of the workplace
One of the biggest problems of offices is that every desk is the same, without any personal touch and individual approach. Let your developers change their surroundings to make their spaces more comfortable. For example, it often happens that the windows or lighting reflects badly on the screen, annoying the worker. Let the developers change their desks’ positions and make the workplace as convenient as possible. Such simple changes may greatly improve productivity throughout the day and raise the spirits of your staff.
Access to all the necessary data
Developers are not always able to find necessary answers on time, having to talk to multiple people inside the company to reach a solution. It consumes lots of time and energy, causing stress and anxiety. That is why you need to organize the work process as much as possible, giving your developers access to customers, analysts and other important figures during the process. This doesn’t mean that you need to give the CEO’s number to every developer in the company, but providing them with basic information will save you time. Your workers will be able to concentrate on the more important tasks by having access to a foundation of data.
Privacy comes first
It is difficult to find a developer who is happy with tight cubicles and noise surrounding them every day. Modern offices try to use every square centimeter of space, forgetting about privacy and conveniences. Every developer needs enough personal space to concentrate, as he or she my spend hours working on a code. Being distracted by conversations or phone calls may greatly influence their quality of work. Make sure you provide developers with enough space for them to quietly focus on their work.
Sketchpads or whiteboards
Code creation can be considered a work of art, as it requires high levels of imagination and talent. Most developers boost their productivity with visual materials, discussing their projects in meeting rooms. To give them a chance to improve quality of work and find a collective solution of the problem, buy sketchpads and whiteboards. With these tools, your workers will have the opportunity to visualize every idea. This inexpensive investment will bring you huge rewards.
Enough space for leisure
HR experts at Devyroom IT company claim that having a place to meet is equally as important as having enough personal space by your desk. Developers need a place to discuss the latest news, details of their project and other project specifications. Imagine how distracting it is to have a meeting in the middle of a hallway or outside the building, wasting time on the road walking to the nearest café or coffee shop. When planning your office, try to provide space for a meeting room or a hall with cozy sofas where developers can relax and easily chat.
Comfort
Working long hours is not a rare situation for developers, especially if the deadline is approaching. That is why you need to provide all the conveniences to make their stay at the office as comfortable as possible. Provide a break room with tea, coffee and snacks, as well as space for sports and other activities.
Respectful environment
Modern society is all about respect and tolerance. However, offices face a so-called ‘brogrammers’ movement, which consists only of young male specialists. In such cases, female developers or foreigners may feel uncomfortable. You need to promote respect and support on all levels to avoid the negative implications of this type of male-dominated environment.
Understanding developers’ needs
IT departments usually have multiple misunderstandings with developers, because they have different needs and the employer simply doesn’t have enough resources to fulfill all the desires of both sides. For example, IT department needs the latest software, which should be installed on every computer at the office. At the same time, this software makes developers’ work slower. Who is right and who is wrong? A wise and thoughtful employer should always find a compromise and understand the needs of every department, trying to offer the best solution.
Improving the office environment of your developers is one of the keys to success, so you need to follow all of the mentioned tips if you want to make your enterprise profitable and livable!
Bio: David Halmore is a co-founder and inspirer at Devyroom, a first-class app development company. Along with tech skills he also has blogging and content marketing skills. So, connect with him on Twitter @devyroom to know more.
