A positive working environment plays a big role in attracting new staff members, according to Gough Recruitment.


The recruitment agency asked more than 200 people in the property, real estate and construction sectors — both in jobs and seeking work — to rate the most important factor they looked for in an employer.

Office culture was named as their top priority, followed by training and development, employee benefits and location.

“Creating a friendly, supportive and engaging workspace is ultimately going to lead to greater work satisfaction and hence productivity, ” Gough Recruitment chief executive Joel Barbuto said. “The key is to ensure the office design is comfortable yet functional to enable employees to focus on their work.”

He said hot-desking, where workers shared the same work station, was not popular.

“In our experience, we have found that increasingly employees have a preference for small, enclosed areas where they can shape and personalise their own space. This appears to complement employees’ capacity to focus more effectively, ” Mr Barbuto said. “Comfort and interactive spaces are very important elements when creating an office culture.”

He said inviting environments often included kitchens, sitting areas and greenery.

“Employees spend a considerable part of their lives at work, ” Mr Barbuto said. “There is no doubt that making the effort to create a productive work environment will pay dividends for both employees and the business in the long run.”

 

© The West Australian

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