Abhinav Dhawan
One of the key studies that havebeen conducted in recent years called, – “Buffer’s Study” has tried to measure how colours affect the website users.. This would tend to explain why specific web sites follow different colour patterns—for example we attribute the colour blue to Facebook.
Some companies have spent substantial resources in creating a colourful workplace that makes the working environment lively and matches with the companies overall spirit and vibe. However, others who don’t have those kind of resources, try to keep a good ratio of colours in their office to see how it will affect their employees— continuous employees feedback about colours in the office gives the company a clear perception of the employees vis-a-vis the effect of colours.
It has been clearly identified by different studies that colours or patterns at the workplace have a direct affect on the mood of the employees. Just imagine waking up everyday to bland, boring and dull colours. The effect it will have on a person is that it will not create an atmosphere of excitement for the person when he wakes up daily This has a similar translation and connotation at our workplace. Now, just imagine a workplace which has been created post research with the employees in terms of colours. When an employee :
- looks forward to being at his workplace
- is excited and takes pride at his surroundings at his workplace
- is comfortable and happy
He or she will most probably be more effective and productive in the overall work. What’s more, it also builds a sense of pride and emotional bonding with workplace thereby it could bring down attrition and directly contribute to overall output. In the recent few years, we have seen some companies taking a lead in this area – especially in the e-commerce space. This is probably on account of the fact that they want to attract good talent and in a tough competitive market they want to create any and every kind of advantage the company can to get the best out of the employee – including the use of colours to create a positive atmosphere.
Overall in India, colours represent a great deal in our lives. In fact, Holi is better known as the “festival of colours”. It is celebrated widely in India by various religions and people from all walks of life. The one common thread on Holi that is there with everyone is “colours” that are used to greet and wish each other. This same spirit when carried and translated into the workplace can have some very varied and astonishing results to create a highly positive and productive environment for the employees.
(The writer is Managing Director, LNJ Institute of Skills and Technology Pvt. Ltd)
