What is considered a “great workplace”? Is it the facilities; equipment, culture, colleagues, or all of these? Some people may even prefer to work at home alone, so truly an amazing workplace really depends on the person. So since not everyone will have the same idea of what this is, we shall look at some characteristics that can be relevant wherever you choose to work.

1) Improve access to resources

Whether you are a carpenter who needs access to high quality wood, or a graphics designer who needs a top-of-the line computer at your disposal, a workplace that provides you with the resources to complete your job to the best of your ability can contribute to being a great place to work. Getting your hands on what is needed should be quick and easy, so you don’t waste your time procuring when you could be working.

If you work in an office, having sufficient workspace to focus on your tasks is ideal. In many organisations, for example, the process of booking meeting rooms can be unclear and inefficient. Companies who have invested in technological improvements such as Pronestor’s conference room scheduling display, may find that their employees are appreciative and can work more productively.

2) Never stop innovating

In recent memory, many of the largest companies in the US have failed because they failed to keep up with younger, leaner and more innovative rivals. Take a look at Blockbuster and how they were too slow to realise the potential in online services. By the time they acted they were so far behind Netflix that they had to shut up shop. Mall behemoth Sears looked almost too big to fail, but their complacency when it came to the threat of online retailers has resulted in their demise.

The beauty about innovation is that is never ending. You may have rivals that you will be competing with and this could be the driving force for your innovation. If you stop, there will no doubt be someone waiting in the wings to take your spot.

3) Good compensation and culture

Your employees alongside your customers are your lifeblood, so it is only right you compensate them in a way that shows their value to the business. It is natural that many will be driven by money, so compensating them well would be the best incentive. This however, should go hand-in-hand with a good company culture – one that respects their employees and understands that they are humans and not machines. A common complaint even amongst very highly paid workers is that the size of their salary immediately means that there is an expectation that they work non-stop and dedicate and unhealthy amount of their life to their work.

4) Open communication

If your employees feel like they are able to express themselves without fear of repercussions, or put forward ideas that will legitimately be considered, this would go a long way to building a great workplace. Open communication channels will allow issues to be spotted and resolved quickly, before they escalate.