You might think that having an untidy desk makes you look busier, but it could also be holding you back from doing your best work. Some people are naturally more organised or tidy than others, but everybody’s workspace needs to be maximised for productivity, comfort, and time management.
Here are the main ways in which a tidy desk can make an improvement in your work:
Use your time better
A cluttered space leaves you with less time to get your work done. There have been several studies looking into workspace efficiency – some finding that employees spend over 4 hours per week searching for papers! That’s 4 hours that could have been spent getting deadlines met, talking with clients, or making sales.
Give better service
Whether you are in a customer-facing role or you handle queries by phone or email – an untidy work environment is going to slow you down. This means that you aren’t giving your customers and clients the attention and service they need.
If someone comes to your office for a meeting and they see an untidy or unclean workspace, they are likely to be very unimpressed. Not being able to find papers or items you need for work will also delay service via phone or email.
Less frustration
The majority of employees don’t enjoy it when they can’t do their work well. If a cluttered and untidy space keeps getting in the way of their work, it’s likely there will be some unrest and unhappiness among your staff.
Less sick days
If an office environment is messy, it’s likely it is also unhygienic. Desks can be a hive of bacterial activity, and office and computer equipment can make people sick if it is not properly cleaned. If people are frequently on sick leave due to an unhealthy work environment, productivity will inevitably suffer as a result.
If you have been noticing a lot of untidy desks around your office, you might be wondering how to address the problem. Here’s how increase work output in your office:
Reduce paper usage
Many organisations are focusing on modernising their office systems and moving to paperless ways of working. Not only is this important for efficiency and saving the trees, it makes for a much tidier workplace. When you think of all the clutter that accumulates around your office, the majority of it is most likely papers, files, and folders that could all be digitised.
Increase storage
Do your staff members have enough storage spaces to actually put their things away at the end of the day? It might be that they need more lockers, drawers, cabinets, or desk-top storage solutions to be able to keep their desks in order.
Implement a clean desk policy
If you have sufficient storage solutions, you’ve reduced your paper use and you are still struggling with untidy desks – it might be time to bring in a clean desk policy.
This means putting some rules in place for all desks to be tidied at the end of the workday or workweek. If you don’t clean often, you may be clueless as to what’s hidden in your carpets and work areas. You might want to have everyone clean and sanitise their desks and workspace every few weeks or so, to encourage everyone to be mindful of their space and keep it hygienic.
This will serve the dual purpose of helping to keep your workplace tidy and efficient, while reducing illness and sick leave to ensure your business is functioning at top-speed!
Keeping on top of mess and dirt in an office can be tough. These high-traffic, busy spaces often need a professional touch – which is where Crewcare comes in! Crewcare can help with all of your office cleaning needs, from kitchens and bathrooms to sanitization and rubbish removal. Get in touch with us today to find out what we can do for you and your business.