How to build a healthy workplace environment

Imagine your ideal workplace environment. 

It could have an inviting physical space, a relaxed atmosphere, or friendly chatter from desk to desk. For people working online, it could be a rapid response to a Slack query or an enthusiastic greeting when you log into a Zoom meeting. No matter the environment, you feel you’re in a place where you can thrive.

A toxic work environment might give you the opposite feeling. Some organizations create a company culture focused solely on productivity and success, assuming a high-pressure, results-focused environment will drive profitability. But it can leave you feeling stressed, unappreciated, and burnt out. 

Fostering a healthy work environment improves workplace productivity, employee satisfaction, and other positive outcomes that benefit both the organization and its workers. 

Here are some ideas for workplace improvements to create an overall company culture where colleagues at all levels feel valued.

What is a work environment?

A work environment is a space — physical and emotional — in which employees perform their daily tasks. It’s a combination of three vital components:

1. Physical environment: This covers the layout and amenities of an in-person office, including items like desk space, lighting, and location. For remote workers, physical environment refers to software, tools, and equipment.

2. Working conditions: These are the terms under which an employee agrees to do their job, like compensation and benefits, reporting structure, and safety regulations. 

3. Company culture: Culture describes how an organization functions on a social level. Some aspects are more formal, like a company’s mission statement or an open communication policy. Others, such as office politics, are unsanctioned but still influential. 

Combined, these components create a workplace environment, which affects every employee’s workflow and mood. Research shows that 35% of job seekers would decline the perfect role if they didn’t connect with company culture, proving just how important a positive environment is. But a healthy workplace goes beyond a company’s ability to attract talent. 

A positive workplace environment can:

• Improve staff retention: Employees are seven times more likely to stay with a company with a positive workplace culture.

• Boost innovation: Effective work motivation in a constructive environment drives innovation and creative problem-solving.

• Increase productivity: Studies show that happy workers are 13% more productive on the job. 

• Reduce expenses: A positive workplace can minimize stress and burnout, reducing an organization’s healthcare expenditures by around 50%.

• Minimalize absenteeism: Nearly 12 unplanned days off per year stem from poor employee mental health, and a supportive environment can lessen that effect.

• Improved reputation: Companies known for taking care of their employees experience 100% more applicants for open positions, thanks to positive public perception. 

Types of work environments

According to John L. Holland’s Theory of Career Choice, industries attract workers who share basic personality traits. Knowing your team’s personalities — their shared characteristics, values, and preferences — will help you create an office atmosphere that works for most people.

Here’s a list of Holland’s six environments to use as a guide. Keep in mind that no environment fits these types perfectly. You can also consider a hybrid of a few different styles if that better meets your team’s needs.

1. Realistic

Great for: Hands-on kinesthetic workers

Industry: Engineering, maintenance, construction, farming

Realistic workers thrive in interactive workplaces with a focus on hard skills. These employees are typically practical, task-oriented, and hands-on. A realistic workspace is regimented, with clear expectations and the necessary tools to do their jobs.

2. Investigative

Great for: Researchers or problem-solvers

Industry: Healthcare, technology, engineering

Investigative environments require research, critical thinking, and experimentation, like labs and innovative tech companies. Curious thinkers benefit from this open and collaborative environment where they can actively discuss solutions and challenge each other’s reasoning.

3. Artistic

Great for: Creatives

Industry: Advertising, design, creative arts

An artistic work environment nurtures people who thrive on innovation, experimentation, and personal expression. Workers need an open, flexible environment that allows them to work collaboratively or individually at their own pace, providing structure only when necessary.

4. Social

Great for: Collaborative workers

Industry: Education, nursing, social service, consulting

Workers in these environments are people-oriented, often exhibiting excellent interpersonal skills and high levels of empathy. People in these jobs experience regular social interactions and emotional engagement.

These conditions often involve workplace stressors, like de-escalation and severe medical emergencies, so it’s essential to create an environment that supports employee mental health.

5. Enterprising

Great for: Goal-oriented workers

Industry: Real estate, sales, politics

This work environment has a competitive component. Making sales, creating strategic plans, and debating work-related issues take center stage. The corporate culture should focus on communication and teamwork to help everyone reach their goals in a healthy way.

6. Conventional

Great for: Traditionalists

Industry: Finance, administration

This traditional environment appeals to organized people who enjoy routine. There’s a clear order and dependability to the workday, and employees won’t encounter many surprises in the office. These jobs often involve data collection and organization.

How to interpret Holland’s environments

Keep in mind that not every workplace will fit into one of Holland’s vocational environments, and his theories may not apply to independent workers. While each environment is not inherently harmful, any of them can become a hostile work environment if you use unhealthy motivation techniques to get the job done, negating your efforts to create a positive workplace.

What type of environment do employees work best in?

Employees work best in positive environments, and these come in all shapes and sizes. Some employees find a social atmosphere invigorating, while others might find a quiet, zen-like environment more effective.

A reward-based carrot-and-stick method might boost productivity for one group, whereas others might prefer a more cooperative model. 

Get to know your team, and learn their preferences. You can collaborate with them to find the correct balance and foster a positive environment that works for the group.

How to create a positive work environment

Researching different types of work environments can help you narrow down which one will most benefit your team, but that’s only part of the job.

Each industry attracts its own type of worker, so getting to know the individual needs of your teammates can help identify common denominators. From those consultations, you can start developing a plan that balances employee well-being and business priorities. 

Be flexible and remember that not every environment will work perfectly for everyone. Your goal is to create the best corporate culture possible. To do so means understanding that your teammates are human beings, not collections of characteristics. Share your plans and solicit their input.

Your employees are most familiar with what produces their best work and can provide valuable insight. Here are more tips for creating a happy, healthy, and successful atmosphere:

1. Create impactful job descriptions

Start by recruiting people who suit your preexisting culture. A person who loves working alone won’t thrive in a social workplace, so be straightforward about what they can expect.

Write a realistic job title followed by purpose, duties, and responsibilities, and be honest when describing the working conditions, expectations, and compensation.

2. Invest time and money in workplace culture

Fair compensation, office amenities, and paid time off policies are all investments that help create a positive workplace culture. Conduct an employee survey and establish initiatives to nurture a healthier environment based on your team’s input.

If you find that departments feel disconnected from each other, plan a team-building activity that brings them together.

3. Find ways to demonstrate appreciation for a job well done

Demonstrating gratitude in the workplace helps employees feel valued, and organizations achieve more when they have a motivated and engaged workforce.

Showing appreciation can be as simple as sending a thank you email or throwing a pizza party to celebrate the successful completion of a project. You can even establish a formal performance incentive program for additional motivation.

If you plan on recognizing an individual’s contributions, discuss it with them first. Not everyone is comfortable receiving public praise, so be respectful of their needs. 

4. Trust your team

Micromanagement has been shown to decrease productivity, whether it comes from a coworker or a manager. You can avoid nitpicking the people around you by being transparent about work requirements and consistent with expectations.

And if you see someone completing a task differently than you, be open and let them use their own methods. Step in when someone clearly needs or asks for support.

5. Keep supportive employees 

A good cultural fit is essential to developing a top-performing team. If a team member’s values, attitude, or process starts to harm the rest of the team, and they don’t make changes based on your feedback, it’s okay to make a complaint or fire them. Difficult coworkers only bring the team down. 

6. Establish flexible work policies

Invest in employee well-being by providing options for varied, compressed, and hybrid work schedules. No work environment works for everyone, but you can create options that do. A flexible schedule and remote work options can improve work-life balance and increase productivity.

7. Maintain paths of open communication

Create open and honest paths of communication with your team. Workplace culture impacts them directly, so ask for their input, whether you want to know how to decorate the office or establish performance targets.

An environment of mutual feedback and communication helps reduce workplace conflicts and improve teamwork.

Common culture mistakes

Creating a welcoming and positive work culture takes trial and error, but avoiding these common mistakes from the beginning can streamline the process. 

1. Working through breaks

You and your team need to recharge your mental batteries to work to the best of your abilities, and you can’t ignore the importance of taking breaks. No matter how busy you get, skipping lunch or break times can lead to burnout, disengagement, and decreased productivity.

Try not to skip breaks or encourage others to do so.

2. Calling out mistakes

Instead of drawing attention to errors and treating them as something to avoid, turn them into learning opportunities. Gently and privately communicate issues, and offer your assistance as needed. Constructive feedback helps everyone feel confident in their abilities and comfortable asking for help.

3. Ignoring employee personalities

Give everyone room to express their individuality in the workplace, as long as it doesn’t take away from their workflow. Incorporating your coworkers' interests and passions into the job lets them know they’re valued holistically and creates a sense of belonging.

If a team member loves organizing social events, give them the opportunity to take the lead for the next holiday party.

Making a positive work environment a reality

According to the Huffington Post, the average person spends over 13 years of their life at work. A few hours a day in a toxic work environment might not seem significant, but over a decade is a long time. Working somewhere that doesn’t suit your needs isn’t worth 13 years of discontent.

That’s one reason why The Great Resignation began. Moving into the post-pandemic age, more and more employees are quitting their jobs, citing cultural reasons for doing so. Studies show that feelings of disrespect, a lack of flexibility, and low pay — all factors based on workplace environment — are leading causes of employee departure.

Supportive and happy work environments do exist, but they take effort to curate and maintain. As a manager, you can contribute by listening to your employees and working to meet their expectations.

And as a team member, you can do the same, collaborating with the people around you and being attentive to their needs. If you see the environment needs improvement, speak up. Your team will thank you.

Foster a healthy environment

An ideal workplace environment offers more than just clean and comfortable places to work. A positive company culture includes meaningful rewards, recognition, and opportunities for workers to grow and advance their careers. 

If you want to change your work environment, try starting a conversation about your team’s needs and create concrete ways to improve. Choose one of Holland’s environment types or combine them to build one that works for you.

Putting in the effort to protect your energy and create a positive environment will benefit everyone around you.