4 Types of Work Environments
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A work environment is where employees do their jobs. There are various types of job environments, including physical settings, like offices or retail stores, and remote environments. Employers must establish a good work environment for employees to perform at their highest levels.
When seeking a new job as a potential new hire or updating operations as a company, it is crucial to consider the work environment.
A few reasons to focus on creating a good work environment include:
A work environment will positively or negatively impact an employee's life, so it isn't something that companies and employers want to overlook. Depending on the industry, an excellent work environment will look different for each company.
Knowing some common workplace features in modern-day workplaces will help any organization develop a better work environment. Considering these features, the employees' needs and more will allow employers to create an environment where their workers thrive.
Work Environment Defined
A work environment is the setting in which employees do their work. This includes apparent factors, like decorations and lighting, and other easier-to-miss elements, like company culture or office politics.
Some features in a work environment may be favorable to some workers and hostile to others. For instance, if one employee hates working in groups, they may hate that their manager constantly asks them to work with other team members. Alternatively, another team member may think this is their favorite part of the work environment.
Finding a balance that appeals to most workers is the goal when developing a beneficial work environment.
A positive work environment will allow employees to work under better conditions, leading to improved work performance and satisfaction. Mia Williams, the founder of The Colors of Her Success, describes her experience with different management styles and how this impacted her ability to trust and appreciate her work environment. Management is one work environment factor that easily influences employee satisfaction and innovation.
Additionally, excellent work environments encourage positive thinking, work-life balance and productivity.
How Have Work Environments Evolved?
As technology and social norms evolve, people's workplaces change simultaneously. Looking at the changes in the modern-day work environments versus work environments from decades past, it is incredible to consider the differences in workplace attitudes and behaviors.
Effective workplaces remain compelling because they take advantage of tools and equipment as it becomes available.
Paying attention to expected industry trends and focusing on employee needs helps workplaces develop healthy work environments today. The needs of employees 70 years ago are vastly different from those of employees today.
Elements of a Good Work Environment
Physical factors that contribute to a positive work environment include:
Aside from ensuring the workplace is safe and aesthetically appealing, there are other things employers can do to ensure they create positive working environments.
A few of the main elements of good work environments include:
These are all factors that impact how employees feel at work. Although the physical work environment is important, these other factors contribute to employee attitudes and daily performance.
Additionally, many of these elements are components that come about from creating a great company culture.
Company culture affects many aspects of an organization, from the processes employees must follow to morale to recruiting and attracting new talent. Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill, LinkedIn Top Voice and the founder of Avenir Careers, says, “What a company puts on its website and the daily reality of the work environment can be two completely different things.” A company with a good work environment is more likely to have a good company culture.
Examples of Positive Types of Job Environments
Each work environment is unique because every company and culture is different. However, considering other standards in your industry and what your workers want or need can influence the best, most productive work environment option for the business.
The work environment examples below include:
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These are some of the most common types of job environments out there today, so understanding the differences is essential for a modern professional or business owner.
1. Conventional Work Environment
A conventional work environment focuses on structure and organization. Many of the activities or work tasks are systematic. Routine and tradition are essential in this type of work environment.
There are generally specific rules and procedures that everyone in the workplace understands and follows. People who perform well in this type of work environment will often have excellent organizational skills and prefer to follow instructions or lead based on specific instructions.
Conventional work environments will typically have 9 to 5 pm hours within an office-like setting. Examples of convention work environments include:
2. Social Work Environment
A social work environment is collaborative and involves regular social interaction. Being emotionally engaged and committed to the work tasks is essential in a social work environment, but this can become physically and mentally draining due to high levels of stress. Employers must offer plenty of support and promote a good work-life balance for this work environment to succeed.
People who enjoy working in this environment often prefer to be around others and like to motivate and support their team members. Social work environments can exist in many types of companies, but typical jobs include roles that have a lot of direct communication with people.
Examples of social work environments include:
3. Hybrid or Remote Work Environment
A hybrid work environment involves remote and in-office work. This helps employees have more flexibility and autonomy to build a healthy work-life balance. A remote work environment is entirely remote, meaning employees will always work outside the office.
During the pandemic, many work environments underwent a dramatic shift when employees weren't allowed to return to their workplaces for a long time. Some companies have since transitioned back to in-person work environments, while others decided to remain hybrid or remote.
Some employees prefer a hybrid or remote work environment, while others prefer the physical and social interaction allowed in an in-person work environment. Depending on the type of work employees do, remote or hybrid work may be more appropriate and even more productive.
Since there are no physical work environment factors in a remote work environment, other company culture and management-related work environment factors become more critical for employers.
4. Creative Work Environment
Creative work environments focus on experimentation and self-expression to encourage innovation. People in creative work environments are often known as "creators" that thrive best with minimal direction.
Career paths in the arts, such as designers, writers or actors, will generally involve working in a creative environment. Various departments within specific companies may also have a more creative work environment, but it depends on the nature of the work.
The nature of work in many creative environments allows for flexible working hours and plenty of time for thought and reflection.
Examples of creative work environments include:
Top Takeaways
Four types of work environments
(Reporting by NPD)