Small things, big impact: how we keep the team happy & boost productivity

Office jobs have lost quite a bit in popularity ever since the pandemic hit and people started noticing that most of them (including website development & design) could just as easily be done from home. In this post-pandemic era we find ourselves in now, employees have started to put themselves and their well-being first and with terms like toxic work culture and quiet quitting that have risen to the surface in recent years, it is clear that people’s priorities have changed. 

As creatives who work from the office pretty much full-time, we’re not going to lie to you, it can sometimes be a real drag to come here every morning for our 8-hour shift. Thankfully, this feeling doesn’t always get the best of us and that’s thanks to some changes we’ve implemented to our workplace to enhance our office quality of life.

Flexible working arrangements

Here at Apart, our work schedule looks a bit different than the one of a traditional office job and we encourage freedom of choice when it comes to working hours. Working 40 hours a week remains our goal, but we leave it up to each team member to decide what their schedule looks like. It mainly comes down to deciding when to start your shift and when to take breaks. It enables the individual to adapt their work schedule to their own needs, granting an enhanced work-life balance. 
We also offer home office days to accommodate people's appointments and reduce their weekly office commutes. 

An award-winning office space with a fun vibe

To make people’s office days as enjoyable as possible, we had to change our office space for it to match our company vision and values. We involved the whole team in the brainstorming process so that everyone was able to share their visions and ideas. The goal was for the office to feel like a home away from home. We also added lots of greenery to absorb excess noise and reduce stress levels and prioritised natural light sources to add an inviting warmth and comfort to our bare concrete walls. 
Furthermore, the whole team is continuously being involved and asked to come up with new ideas on how to improve the office and bring stuff up that they think might be missing. 

Read more about our office transformation here!

Enabling instead of ordering
 

Having a healthy office environment is essential to keep your employees motivated and happy to come to work. Our company culture is founded on an open, transparent and collaborative environment. Each one of us is given autonomy to contribute with our individual strengths and capabilities and is valued and appreciated. We don't give orders, we enable our co-workers to be creative and productive instead. A team can only be in sync when there’s mutual respect and trust. 

Take a break

You can’t always be creative, there’s no point in forcing yourself when it’s not working, and no one can stay concentrated for 8 hours a day without taking a break either. Giving your employees the freedom to take small breaks when they need them is a huge asset to boost long term productivity. To make breaks at the office more fun, we offer various games (darts, table football, video games) and a fridge that is always fully stocked with cold beverages.These activities are not only there to forget about the daily work stress and decompress when needed, but they are also great for team building and a team that gets along well and knows each other works best together.

What is the actual impact of these changes?

Being granted more flexibility and freedom at work makes people feel more appreciated and boost their work ethic and performance. Our employees are not just a replaceable tool, but an important asset to the company’s survival. 
Both individually and as a whole, our team is able to deliver high-quality projects consistently as a consequence. The changes we’ve implemented definitely help us stay creative and productive, even throughout the more difficult times. 

And not only does it boost company productivity, it also helps us stand out and makes us look more attractive to work with and to work for.  

How do small changes in your office boost overall productivity?

Freedom & flexibility

• Grant more freedom to your workforce: The ability to shape your weekly schedule will lead to your team being more flexible when it comes to their assignments.
• Breaks are just as important as the work itself. A quick chat with the team, a game of darts or a fresh drink from the fridge can make the difference.

A cool office space

• Incorporate modern design into your office space! Having a nice place to work at makes the work in itself more interesting. Our fun yet minimalistic décor represents our company values and inspires the team to be more creative. 
• Creating a natural and comfortable atmosphere is key. Plants and natural light create a welcoming setting which encourages productivity and eliminates fatigue.

Respect & understanding

• Listening to each other, having mutual respect and trust, is important when looking to create a healthy office environment. Flexible work arrangements are our way of enabling everyone to be creative.
• Organise team-building activities and after-work events to bring the team closer together. In a team where everyone gets on well, people respect each other and work better together.