The business world is a competitive beast and, for any company looking to stay ahead, attracting the best talent is non-negotiable for success. These are the people at the top of the game, and they stand to create the most sales, give the best impression, and generally provide your business with wow factor. Hence why modern-day recruitment focuses around competitive salaries and benefit packages!
Still, many companies make one significant mistake where their talent searches are concerned – they fail to think about the message their facilities send, either at the interview stage or in the weeks after onboarding. This is a problem considering that 76% of millennials feel somewhat or strongly that aesthetic and office design influence their immediate impression of a company. Sadly, just 24% of respondents in a recent survey reported optimal workplace conditions, a fact that, as well as influencing talent and retention, can dramatically impact employee outputs.
As well as needing to perfect your office space itself with the addition of natural light, bright colours and potted plants, this highlights the need to take care of an equally important room in any working day – your commercial washroom. While the office may seem a more obvious choice, this often-forgotten workplace addition is responsible for a surprising amount of employee turnover. Let’s consider why that might be and the steps you can take to avoid it.
What’s wrong with your washroom?
Neglected washroom designs can send a terrible message about your business which top talent is sure to pick up on either during their interview or in their probation period. Ill-kept or out-of-date washrooms are certainly going to harm your chances of impressing the best, painting you as a business that doesn’t take pride in appearance or value your employees’ personal needs. Some leading reasons why your washroom might be letting you down right now include –
- Unpleasant smells
- Peeling wallpaper or lifted tiles
- Poor cleanliness (due to poor design or age-related mildew, etc.)
- Dripping faucets
- Mould on the walls
What a talent-catching washroom looks like
Commercial washroom refurbishment can help your chances of securing the best talent as well as any benefits packages, proving that you care about the little things and aren’t afraid to go above and beyond. Key areas of commercial washroom design that you’ll want to focus on include.
Durable designs
In large part, your washroom is letting you down right now because it’s notwithstanding the high levels of traffic it sees. Change this by focusing on durable designs that are far better poised to look fabulous no matter how many people are using them. Some top options in this respect include –
- Tiling for your floor and walls
- Spacious, easy-to-clean cubicles
- Off-floor toilets
- Large, wipe-down mirrors
- And more
Sweet smells
Smelly washrooms are an instant talent turn-off and are unlikely to see a candidate even considering a job role with you. Unfortunately, high usage and the very nature of washrooms means that smells can settle surprisingly fast despite regular cleaning. Luckily, the addition of large, openable windows can make a huge difference, as can extractor fans that come on with your lights. The addition of automatic scent diffusers can also work wonders for keeping your washroom fresh and smelling fantastic.
Look at lighting
A dark washroom is about as bad for hooking talent as no pension. Make sure you don’t slip into that hole by prioritising natural light where you can and by considering automatic, warm lighting that covers the entirety of your washroom and prevents your talent from ever finding themselves in the dark.
Consider accessibility
All of your efforts will go to waste if you don’t consider washroom accessibility at the design stage. Top talent that can’t use your facilities certainly won’t take a job with you, not to mention that they’ll never consider your business in a positive light again. Changing places washrooms are your best way to avoid this, providing everything from hoists to large changing tables and beyond, ensuring that no matter what walks of life your talent comes from, you cater for their needs at every turn.
Prioritising these pointers and more at the design stage can be all the difference between a top team and a mediocre one, and you don’t need us to tell you how that impacts your sales figures. Interfix is on hand to ensure you fall on the right side of that coin, working closely with you to design the washrooms you need to impress. Put your business first today by contacting us to discuss your options at 01634 826781.