How To Skyrocket Employee Retention: 5 Major Problems Solved With Office Art

Here’s my true story…

In my previous office, the walls were painted a color mocked as “dingy Dijon mustard.” Atrocious!

People talked about how much they hated it. It was dirty and dark and made our working environment feel small and frankly – gross.

I went to a craft store and bought clearance fabric that was vibrantly colorful and obnoxiously patterned. I hung it up in my tiny cubicle so at least my two square feet of space weren’t “dingy Dijon mustard.”

EVERYONE commented on how much they loved my clearance fabric. It brought life, interest, and fun to my work space. It made my working environment significantly better.

Flashforward to the moment I walked into BIG Wall Décor for my initial interview. I was blown away.

As you can imagine, there is massive, breathtaking art everywhere.

The energy and creativity is palpable. Within 3 seconds I knew this would be a really fun, engaging place to work.

They say first impressions are everything. And I’m not going to lie…massive, modern, colorful art makes a heck of a first impression.

When I left my previous job to come to BIG, the coworker who took over my cubicle (Hi, Heather!) asked me to leave my colorful clearance fabric up. She also loved the break from “dingy Dijon mustard” walls.

Now let’s be clear, I’m not saying that having large wall art is going to solve all your employee retention problems (or that if my previous employer would have repainted I would have stayed…but still, they should consider it).

What I am saying is that it’s important to remember that your employees are humans. And humans are visual creatures.

Wall art dramatically impacts the energy of your space, which directly influences how your employees feel day in and day out.

So if your employees are struggling with any of these 5 problems (and as a result thinking about jumping ship for a new job) consider wall art as a potential solution. It’s an affordable tool that can increase your employee retention rate.

Problem #1 “My company doesn’t recognize my contributions or care about me.”

Solution: Everyone gets their own frame at their desk and can swap their wall art as often as they would like.

One of the fastest ways to loyal employees is to recognize their hard work and dedication.

Of course, you can create cheesy “employee recognition programs.” But from experience, most people hate those and throw the fake paper awards away.

For most people, appreciation goes farther if you recognize something specific they did. Try writing them a personalized “thank you” note.

Even better, recognize your employees as individuals by saying, “Hey, we are so thankful for you and all your hard work. We want you to feel comfortable in your work space. Let us help you personalize your workspace. Pick out art that you love and we will get it for you.”

Then, when you walk past your employee’s desk you can strike up a conversation about the art. Before you know it, you are forming a stronger relationship with your employee. You are creating loyalty – without talking about work.

When your employees feel appreciated and valued, they are more motivated and satisfied. And they are less likely to search for a new job.

Problem #2 “I feel exhausted and burnt out.”

Solution: Lower the tension in your office with calming wall art so your employees can take a breath and relax.

Stress from the pandemic, political unrest, and economic uncertainty these past few years have taken an extreme toll on mental health. A survey found that 41% of adults reported anxiety and/or depression.

It’s no surprise that a record number of employees are reporting feeling exhausted and burnt out.

So, what can you do to help your employees feel less stressed while they are at work?

Studies have shown the benefits of engaging with art. Wall art decreases blood pressure, stress, and even pain in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Lower the tension in your office with calming wall art.

Focus on updating conference rooms (where tension can run high in meetings) and break rooms with art that creates a Zen energy.

The most soothing, best office wall art colors are light blues and soft greens.

Nature scenes often feature these colors and are very grounding.

When your employees feel less tense and burnt out, they will have more energy and motivation to dedicate to their work and less desire to look for a less stressful working environment.

Problem #3 “The culture here sucks. I feel like I’m working on an isolated island, not as part of a team.”

Solution: Team buildi- wait, nope…everyone hates those activities. Instead, update office wall art monthly based on your employee’s votes.

Your employees don’t want to sit in a circle, hold hands, and sing kumbaya.

And they REALLY don’t want to share “fun facts” to the group…or any other traditional team building activity you have planned.

So if your employees are revolting against all of your community building efforts AND are complaining about the lack of community, you’ve got to get creative.

Here are a few ideas to *subtly* build camaraderie at work with wall art:

1. Swap the art in shared office spaces on a monthly basis. Everyone gets to vote for next month’s art. All employees are included and feel like their voice matters.
2. For smaller offices, use a rotating system where one person gets to pick next month’s art. This way, voting doesn’t turn into a popularity contest and everyone gets their top pick on display at least once.
3. Create a custom digital art or photography contest that – YES – employees can do during work hours (within reason). Everyone votes for their favorite piece. The winner’s custom art is printed and displayed. Repeat this contest every few months to keep engagement high.

When your employees are engaged and feel like they play a vital role in their team, they know that they matter. Employees who feel like they matter to the group don’t want to abandon their coworkers who are relying on them.

If you can create a team culture without cheesy team building activities, you are going to have an incredibly dedicated, loyal group of employees.

Problem #4 “I see what other people have. When I look around here, I’m not impressed. I could find something better.”

Solution: Create a work environment that is fun, engaging, and inviting with massive, colorful art.

Humans are visual creatures. Looks matter to us, A LOT.

How colors, patterns, furniture, and wall art come together creates a unique energy for your space. This vibe has a huge impact on the energy and attitude of your employees (even if they don’t realize it).

Ensure that your workplace energy is fun, engaging, and inviting so when your employees look around they are happy to be there.

Soft, neutral, creamy walls create a clean, fresh space.

Fun pops of color from unique furniture create interest and make your space inviting.

Massive wall art sets the tone for the exact mood and energy you want to create.

Looking for a higher energy, more productive space? Choose office wall décor with soft oranges and bright yellows.

Need a more Zen office space? Go for office wall art in light greens and blues with nature influences.

Be sure to swap your wall art for a new print every few months (we recommend at least once a quarter) so your office space continues to feel fresh and current.

Problem #5 “I’m done. See you, never.”

Solution: Sadly, you can’t retain everyone. Make your office’s first impression WOW-worthy so you stand out to new recruits. Hiring is faster and easier.

Even though you are doing everything you can to retain your top talent, employees are going to move on…it’s inevitable.

It’s important to have a strategy to hire high-quality replacements quickly and efficiently. Especially in today’s hiring market since it takes 18% longer to fill open positions.

When job seekers are thinking back on all the places they interviewed, you want your office to skyrocket to the top of their mind.

One of the easiest ways to do this…

Make your office’s first impression breathtaking and memorable with massive wall art.

Now, you’ve captivated the attention of the new recruits and impressed them, before you’ve even started talking.

Potential employees will feel your office’s energy. They can envision themselves working in your office.

Chances are, they will even mention how cool your office looks when telling their friends and family about the interview.

Show-stopping, massive wall art makes your office memorable so hiring is faster and easier.