Anonymous wrote:I love my current office and heres why:

1.) Great natural light. Very open.
2.) Always appropriate temperature. (Ive worked in offices that are always freezing and I hated it)
3.) Free hot water, nice clean fridge, microwave, etc
4.) Two big conference rooms.
5.) We have a great phone system thats easy to use.

Wow you guys have some loooow standards. I've had all of this before at workplaces and they were still terrible places to work!

I actually like the few social events we have. They are carefully planned and show that the company isn't too miserly to spend money on stuff that's not exactly work related. We have an off-site breakfast every year after the holidays, a site-wide summer cookout in June, and various smaller department parties throughout the year. I've worked for companies where parties were the first thing to go to save a few bucks and it was miserable combined with all the other ridiculous cost-saving measures (having to beg new pens and pencils from the mailroom guy because the supply cabinet was locked up, no coffee, no raises even for folks making $12-$15/hr, etc.) It's a small thing and it's not a substitute for a positive leadership culture, but if your company has a problem with being perceived as cheap it could be a positive change.

IMO, social events or free amenities will not help much. It starts from the management level. They need to maintain a relax work environment. No micro-management, no "I'm always right" attitude, be supportive, and be appreciative. Respect is earned, not given.

Telework is nice, but flexible arrival/leave time is better. It is an obsolete thinking that you have to arrive and leave on time. Who cares about time, as long as they complete their assignments within the deadline.

People will be happier when they are not feeling dreaded having to be in the office. They already have commute to deal with everyday.

We get free tampons in the bathroom. Which is awesome.

Smart people, flexibility when appropriate, and decent bosses.

BTW, social events in the office and/or outside of the office do nothing for me. JMO

I'm allowed to telework 2x per week. This alone makes my office a great place to work.

Appropriate org chart - make sure people aren't reporting to supervisors/managers that are inappropriate to their job functions and also to ensure a more fair/appropriate division of employees (like blah has two employees, but blah blah has eight employees and they all feel neglected because blah blah is pulled in all sorts of directions)

Strong leadership - no power vacuums or jockeying for position among higher-ups if there's no top leader.

Teleworking if possible; otherwise more flexible working arrangements (maxi-flex; not making employees use leave if they get in an hour late because of having to let the repair man in, etc.)

Additional vacation time, either across the board or for top performers as a reward

Group activities at your site as morale-boosters

Invest in training and development for employees

The things you listed are nice but not critical. It takes a lot more than free fruit to change poor morale.

Sense of mission and strong buy in throughout organization

Ability to telework once per week.

If the problem is a disjointed workplace, more social events during office time. Ice cream with toppings and fruit (lots of people here are watching what they eat); semi-regular brown bags

Or a night out at a Nationals game--people grab a beer and talk to those they may not otherwise talk to

I love my current office and heres why:

1.) Great natural light. Very open.
2.) Always appropriate temperature. (Ive worked in offices that are always freezing and I hated it)
3.) Free hot water, nice clean fridge, microwave, etc
4.) Two big conference rooms.
5.) We have a great phone system thats easy to use.

I think those are very superficial things. I would score my workplace low as well, but I am looking for deep changes to the culture including politics and an entrenched and disdainful hierarchy.

Respectful, cordial environment
Very nice people
Very limited infighting
Support a common mission
Smart people
Work with, instead of fight, employees' personality traits
Respect free time
Flexible schedules and teleworking
Culture of doing the right thing

The title is the question I have been asked to address from our employee viewpoint survey. We scored very low and there will be working groups but I also am supposed to come up with ideas of my own. Below are mine so far; comments welcome and new ideas welcome.

Jeans on Friday (we have casual now, no jeans allowed)
Provide sweets and fruit for quarterly staff meetings (people love free food right? Managers would contribute $.)
Anonymous suggestion box (for ideas not want to say out loud in working groups)