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Wide open spaces, a petting zoo, a napping space? What will it take to make your employees stay forever?
4 min read
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Creating the perfect office environment is a major challenge for new and experienced entrepreneurs alike. Your workplace environment affects the morale of every member of your team, including you, and is responsible for forming that important first impression of every prospective client who walks in the door.
Related: The Surprising Reason Why an Open Office Space May Not Be Great for Your Company
But rather than sit and speculate about how to make your office better, why not look to some great examples of companies that have already mastered it?
Key principles
Throughout the following examples, you’ll see the following principles in action:
- Adherence to brand values and personality. First, every office seems to “fit” with the overall culture and personality of the brand offering it. This provides the groundwork for better team cohesion and establishes a more powerful identity for the company.
- Sensory experiences. There are interesting sights, sounds and even pleasant smells, making each office seem both unique and welcoming. Small environmental changes here can make a big difference.
- Comfort and convenience. Finally, most of these office designs aim to make life more comfortable and convenient for these businesses' employees. Comfort and convenience lead to higher employee retention and better on-the-job performance.
Now let’s dig into six companies whose offices make work more appealing to everyone involved:
1. Google
Google has become synonymous with epic employee perks, so as you might imagine, most of its eight locations offer amazing features to keep its employees happy. The original Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., provides hundreds of bikes and scooters for quick office transportation, and activity centers with features like a climbing wall, a bowling alley and even a court for beach volleyball.
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Other locations offer quirky design choices, like jungle-decorated office spaces, and 1960s-era caravans that can serve as meeting locations.
2. Carbon Black
A fast-growing company in the computer security industry, Carbon Black has headquarters in Waltham, Mass., that are a dream come true for many of its employees. With an upscale feel, the entire office radiates the brand’s image with cool, earthy tones and an occasional flourish of bright colors. The office overlooks the natural scenery of the Cambridge Reservoir, and even has an outdoor patio, where employees can take lunch or work.
3. Nokia
Nokia’s R&D offices are located in Sunnyvale, Calif., and they offer a host of features for employees. Attempting to foster creativity and establish the unique vision of the brand, Nokia’s office has an avant-garde style, with colorful, contemporary furniture and full-on nap stations for employees wanting to take a break. There’s even a built-in arcade.
4. HomeAdvisor
HomeAdvisor’s New York City office is located in the middle of busy Times Square. It features a lush, green terrace, which hosts a living wall and furniture (including hammocks) for employees to enjoy. As an added bonus, the company provides lunch and dinner to all its employees. And throughout the day, you can find employees hanging around the ping-pong table or riding around the office on scooters.
5. Moz
One of the foremost authorities on search engine optimization (SEO), the Moz office in downtown Seattle tries to foster creativity while presenting a professional image. The office is notable for its wide open spaces, which make collaboration easy, and exposed brick walls for extra character. There’s also plenty of natural light, boosting morale and mood throughout the day (even if it’s cloudy).
6. Domino’s Pizza
The Domino’s Pizza shop around the corner from you may not offer much style to its employees, but the Domino’s headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., is a sight to behold. With an enormous interior and plenty of kitchen space, these offices are roomy and sleekly designed. The company even offers a built-in art gallery and a petting zoo to help employees relieve stress.
As a new entrepreneur, you may not have the cash or the resources to invest in your own bowling alley, or an office with an enormous interior. However, with a few tweaks, you can provide your employees with the comfort, flexibility and creative stimulation they need to help you turn your vision into a reality.
Related: Take a Look Inside Amazon's New Rainforest Office Space
Keep your brand top of mind when designing or finding the right office for your team.
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