If you’re looking to run a creative startup in Texas, recent data shows that the Dallas-Fort Worth area has the hottest creative scene in the state, and one of the best in the country. And in an industry where employers increasingly compete to attract top talent – using commercial landscaping services and interior design to build great workplaces – you’ll need to find creative ways to really make your office environment stand out. Here are some key points.
1. Inspiring design
Any employer looking to draw in creative talent nowadays must have an appealing place to work. The current generation of creatives is largely comprised of millennials, and having grown up in the information age, they are well aware of their options. More than previous generations, today’s creatives also see their work as an expression of themselves; if your environment doesn’t make an excellent first impression, they won’t hesitate to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Creative office design isn’t merely about throwing in splashy colors, bean bags, and ping pong tables. In the creative industry more than others, your office design is a reflection of your brand’s values and the kind of work that you do. Instead of following someone else’s template, demonstrate the effort to design a workspace that communicates your brand – from quirky and fun to serious and conservative, being consistent with your brand equals being authentic, and that’s something millennials value.
Other than that, the new generation is also very conscious of environmental issues and sustainability. For instance, you can ensure that your office receives a lot of daylight – not only will it cut down on electricity usage for lighting during most hours, daylight also benefits productivity and employees’ sleeping habits.
2. Diversity and Flexibility
Your workplace should also demonstrate that you recognize each employee’s individual needs. Creative businesses often rely on diverse talents to perform different functions. Enforcing the same workspace and schedule upon everybody signals that you don’t acknowledge diversity or flexibility. The workstation needs and operating schedule of a publishing designer would be different from those of a designer working on ads, and both would be different from a photographer’s setup.
Businesses like to imprint the same schedule on their employees, but that has traditionally been done for organizational convenience. With power shifting to the workforce, it’s important to realize that you can become a more attractive employer by offering flexibility and personalization options to creative talent.
3. Creative freedom and empowerment
Millennials across all industries are looking for meaning in what they do. And in particular, the creative industry is not one that benefits from uniformity or stifling of ideas. While you’ll definitely have a guiding vision for your brand as well as the details of individual projects, you can set yourself apart from other employers by being open to your employees’ ideas.
Let them explore other perspectives and methods when working on a project, as long as the basic deliverable are met, and it will bring growth to the individual and the company in the long run. Allowing your employees a degree of autonomy, participation in brainstorming, and a voice in business decisions will go a long way towards making them feel that at your company, they aren’t just names and numbers – that decisions they make and opinions they have, matter.
When the power of choice shifts from employers to talent, you stand to gain an edge if you learn to adapt. Be different from your competition by offering creatives a thoughtfully designed, flexible, and empowering environment.