For the majority of businesses, the primary aim is to be better than all of the competition. Aside from providing the best possible service, it is also important that the company employs and works with the best possible people.
It goes without saying that if a client or candidate is in high demand, there needs to be a significant lure to entice them to come and work with a new company, especially if it involves them leaving their current employment. It is easy to assume that a premium service or a hefty pay check would be enough of an attraction, however there are several other considerations that can significantly sway the balance.
No matter how good your product or company ethos may be, if it isn’t represented in your work environment, you are risking losing potential new work associates the very second that they walk through the door. The long and short of it is you want people to walk through the doors of your office and think ‘I want to be a part of this’.
When creating, or maintaining an office it is important that the reception area is welcoming and sets the scene for what is to come. Here are the top ten turnoffs for potential clients/employees:
In a recent survey, it was highlighted that cluttered workspaces, with visible, untidy cabling was the biggest turn off for people visiting an office. First impressions can be difficult to shift, and invariably potential recruits or new business clients are likely to perceive your business in regards to the state of the office.
“Cognitive bias in which an observer’s overall impression of a person, company, brand, or product influences the observer’s feelings and thoughts about that entity’s character or properties.”
In other words, first impressions count, especially if you are wanting to attract the best clients and employees to work with your company.
A potential client can make a lasting judgement of your company in as little as
1/10
of a second
A huge 39% of females and 30.4% of males thought cluttered workspaces (messy wires, etc) would be most likely to give them a negative first impression.
39.3% | 30.4% |
|---|---|
 |  |
Interestingly, there was a gender dispute about the second biggest turn off!
26.3% 26.3% of woman considered poorly presented staff to be the second most off-putting attribute. | 24% Lack of natural light was the second biggest turn off for 24% of men. |
|---|---|
 |  |
The 56-64 age group found poorly presented staff to be the second most off-putting area, and were bothered least by outdated décor.
It couldn’t be more different for the 25-34 age group, they ranked dated décor as the second most off putting and cared least about poorly presented staff.
The good news is, it’s as easy to create a great first impression as it is to create a bad one. Take a look at the hints and tips below to discover how your company can be as desirable as the clients and staff that you want to attract.
Messy wires | Clutter | Poorly presented staff | Dated décor | Ineffective lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |
↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ |
 |  |  |  |  |
Messy wires and cluttered workspaces
ranked highest as being the most likely to create a bad first impression. With this in mind, here are some innovative products that will help streamline your workspace.
Flush fitting sockets enable devices to be plugged in on the desk top, preventing cables from tangling under the desk.
Get away from multiple socket rows with connectable power strips.
Remove that need for messy charging cables with wireless mobile phone chargers.
Discreet under desk baskets store cables tidily away out of sight.
Keep cables tidy and together inside a cable spine that site nearly beneath the desk.
In other words, a shabby and disorganised office gives out the following red flags:
Over two-thirds of employees undermine office safety with potentially unsafe phone chargers
Untidiness named the main contributor to unproductivity in the workplace
