Every boss dreams of an office filled with efficient employees working to their full potentials, pumping out quality work with nary a nanosecond wasted. This productivity lover’s paradise may come to fruition when androids take over the workplace, but, in the meantime, you need to work with what you have–humans and all of the aches and pains, short attention spans, and socializing needs that are characteristic of the species. Thankfully, there are some simple, cost-effective steps that you can take to transform your collection of homo sapiens into a lean mean productivity machine.

1. Remove their aches and pains

The human skeletal system was not designed for repetitive physical tasks. Aching backs, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and eye strain are just a few of the side effects of office work–especially if the job entails sitting in front of a computer for extended periods of time. And these injuries will all greatly hamper your employee’s level of output.

One way to reduce workplace injury is to equip your employees with ergonomically designed furniture such as quality office chairs and computer monitors that are set at an appropriate height. A comfortable keyboard is also a good investment. Recent keyboard reviews show it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money, in order to experience a big benefit. Whatever you choose, ensure the keyboard and mouse are placed at a proper height and angle to avoid bending wrists or lifting arms for extended periods, like the Microsoft Natural Egronomic Keyboard 4000 for Business.

2. Remove their distractions

While humans have attention spans superior to that of the common gnat, they are relatively easy to distract. One way to keep your workforce on task is to remove clutter and create an organized and user-friendly environment.

Introducing a universal filing system, creating a minimalist decor, and adding drawer and desktop organizers will help foster a more productive workforce. No more hunting for misplaced files, sifting through piles of paper, or searching for office supplies. With everything in its place, your office output will soar.

If all else fails, here are 8 Apps That Will Help Organize Your Life.

3. Give them natural light

Your human workforce craves natural light. In fact, daylight has an extremely positive effect on their psyches–increasing their levels of energy and creativity. Pull back those heavy curtains, roll up those room-darkening blinds, remove the fly bodies from the ledge, grab that squeegee and clean those windows until they shine. By providing as many employees as possible with a desk view of the great outdoors, you will be able to sit back and watch your productivity levels rise.

4. Influence them with color

Fascinated with color–you should hear them “ooh” and “ah” at a rainbow–human psyches are influenced by hue. Yes, by simply painting a room in a specific shade, you can increase the productivity levels of the people within it.

Yellow is known to increase energy levels and boost creativity. Green is calming–ideal for meeting clients and encouraging them to sign on the dotted line. White is perceived as sterile. And red is noted for its ability to arouse and cause aggression. When dedicating a space, it is wise to match the color scheme to the type of work that will be done there.

If you’d like to read more about color psychology, check out these psychological properties of each color.

5. Remove Office Noises

Despite having two ears, humans perform better when they do not have to deal with an abundance of sound. By removing noise pollution from your workplace, you will better enable your staff to focus on the task at hand–and increase productivity.

One way to battle noise caused by collaboration in the office is to provide employees with a quite space. You could also equip the office with noise-cancelling headphones. If you’re not sure which headphones to choose, check out PC Magazine‘s “The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones” review.

So cancel that subscription to Robot and stop longing for a cyborg staff. By following these few simple tips, you can transform your team of lowly humans into a well-oiled productive machine.

What tips can you recommend to increase productivity?