4 Workplace New Years Resolutions you can get on board with Starting the New Year right!

 

A new year always brings New Years Resolutions, whether they are personal goals or professional ones, almost everyone has probably set one or two in their time. From a professional perspective, did you know that January and February are seen by recruiters to be the top two busiest months? This is due to many factors such as those ‘new year, new job’ resolutions. In today’s blog we will discuss why setting workplace new year’s resolutions aren’t a bad idea and give you some insight into what resolutions you can set as a business.  

1) Focus on Workplace Well-being

Focusing on workplace well being has many benefits to a company and its employees. Promoting well-being helps prevent stress and improve overall health, which is turn creates a positive working environment where organisations can reap the benefits of enhanced innovation, productivity, morale and loyalty. Prioritising well-being in the workplace can have a huge positive effect on employee engagement and overall organisational performance, benefitting businesses and employees alike.

So, how can you improve workplace well-being? If you haven’t already, think about introducing flexible working arrangements as this is a great way to support good mental health and help employees avoid burnout. Promoting work life balance is also a great way to improve well being in the workplace, as well as offering mental health support.

As well as mental health, a focus on your employee’s physical health can also help to promote well-being. Investing in better quality task chairs and ensuring your workspaces are set up ergonomically will ultimately help to create a positive and healthy workspace.

Take a look at the different zones within your workplace: do your colleagues have the areas they need to work effectively? Further investment in your rest and breakout areas as well as the dedicated work zones can also help with overall workplace well-being and therefore help to promote productivity.

2) Re-look at your business’ Sustainability Practices

Sustainability surrounding businesses was a key topic in 2024, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. A business operating sustainably refers to conducing operations that have little to no harm on the planet and environment. If you’ve been thinking about your green strategy, the New Year is the perfect time to make some changes for the better.

There are many initiatives a business can get on board with to decrease their carbon footprint, and not all of them require a lot of work, time, or cost! Making small changes can go a long way. Some simple impactful sustainability initiatives to build a better business can look like:

  • Switching lighting to LED
  • Investing in recycling bins
  • Eco-friendly printing
  • Commuting schemes such as cycle to work
  • Car sharing where possible
  • Going paperless

For larger companies, ESG Reporting is mandatory, however, smaller businesses can also do the same. The purpose of ESG reporting is to shed light on a company’s environmental, social and governance activities. There are many benefits to implementing this, such as strengthening your brand, transparency around your business and gaining competitive advantage.

There are many certifications your business can look to work toward in 2025 and beyond, however a good one to start with is the ISO14001 accreditation. ISO14001 covers the various policies and procedures that oversee your business’ environmental impact, and can help you to continue to deliver operations efficiently and sustainably.

3) Diversity and Inclusion Focus

Most often than not, employees quit jobs when they feel undervalued or not appreciated, therefore, it is extremely important to create a healthy work environment where everyone is respected. Creating a sense of togetherness is now vital in the workplace, employees must feel included regardless of their age, religion, gender or race. 

Different people from different backgrounds bring different perspectives to the workforce, and this is highly valuable. The same goes for building a multigenerational workforce, you can read more on different generations in the workplace here, in our recent blog. 

How can you focus on diversity and inclusion more in your workplace? This could look something like encouraging collaboration, cultural celebrations, mentoring programmes, conducting diversity training, strengthening anti-discrimination policies and fostering diverse thinking. Ensure that these practices are portrayed from the top of your company: does your executive team lead by example?

4) Improve your Company Culture

Company culture is made up of shared values, behaviours and norms that define how employees interact with one another. A positive company culture is the foundation of high performance, retention and engagement in a work environment. If that’s not a reason to improve your company culture in 2025, we don’t know what is!

Encouraging collaboration across teams is a key component of positive company culture. The office has changed drastically in recent years, and with the rise of agile and hybrid working, ensuring your office is designed to support cross-team collaboration is key. Creating an environment where everyone feels supported can foster a thriving workforce for many years to come.

No one likes to be micromanaged, and it does little to convey trust in your company culture. Have trust in your employees to manage their own tasks and responsibilities. Allowing your employees to work flexibly is a great tip to enhance the culture within your company, flexibility in the work environment is now valued by employees more than ever before! The same goes for employee recognition. We believe that transparency is the foundation of a positive organisational culture, be open and honest with your employees and you will reap the benefits all round!

 

 Getting on board with your own workplace New Year’s resolutions is a great way to start the year right and focus on some simple practices that can make a huge difference to your people and your business. All of the above resolutions we have spoken about support staff retention in the workplace, as well as attracting the best talent.

New year, new workspace? Maybe you’re considering levelling up your office in 2025 through office design. You might be experiencing rapid growth and therefore need more space, or you may be thinking about using your existing space more effectively. Whatever your requirements, we’re here to help.

With 20+ years of experience in office design, we can guide you through our workplace consultancy process and find out what it is that your business really needs to thrive. Don’t forget we don’t just create amazing offices though! Our work varies from laboratory fit out and medical fit out to education refurbishment and even hospitality design!