DESIGN & INTERIORS
bringing different attitudes and expectations to their careers, with Deloitte’s 2019 Millennial Survey calling them “a generation disrupted”, and that in general, businesses are increasingly out of step with their priorities.
Time for an open-plan makeover There will be a variety of forms for the changing open-plan office culture. Wellness expert, Alan Kohll, points out in Forbes: “There is huge potential for improving and making a positive impact on employee wellbeing through human- centered design. By simply offering employees areas to recharge and taking their comfort into consideration, you can easily make subtle changes to improve the physical environment at your office.”
“Harvard
University Business School found that
those working in open-
plan environments have – paradoxically – 70% less
face-to-face interaction with their colleagues than those who work in zoned spaces.”
in zoned spaces. Furthermore, according to Talent Works, the average office worker loses 86 minutes a day to the distractions that open plan spaces create and, perhaps counter-intuitively, email and messaging use between employees rose by over 67% in open plan offices.
Attracting younger talent The demand for improved working conditions is becoming increasingly evident, as more people become further aware of the potential long-term health risks associated with an open-plan office. Earlier this year, Forbes looked at results from the Fellowes Workplace wellness report, which said that 87% of workers would “like their current employer to offer healthier workplace benefits, with options ranging from wellness rooms, company fitness benefits, sit-stands, healthy lunch options and ergonomic seating.”
In addition, 93% of workers in the tech industry said they would stay longer at a company which would offer healthier workplace benefits and improved environments.
Thanks to a new generation of young people coming through the work ranks, employers are also being pressured to provide more attractive working environments. Motivated millennials, for instance, are
www.tomorrowsfm.com
Many organisations have already started to plan disruptive change. A study by CBRE featured in the Wall Street Journal suggested 52% of employers planned to replace open plan desks by 2021 with first-come, first served desks, citing the example of an firm of architects that offers now offers sit- stand desks for its 70 employees, together with conference rooms, huddle rooms workbenches and a café.
Workspaces are starting to become seen as zones that instigate and support different styles of work and employee needs, rather than the old humdrum office of times before. Concentration zones for those requiring a quiet place to think or write. Meeting zones for clients and formal group discussions. Social zones where people can meet and collaborate in a less formal environment. Wellness zones and games zones for relaxation and recharging batteries. These offices seek to create a virtuous blend of health, happiness, productivity and a sense of community to provide employees with a much better workplace experience.
The much-needed development in office design has also been driven by a rise in the availability and popularity of coworking spaces. As coworking providers increasingly compete for tenants, they have actively disrupted traditional approaches to move way beyond the functional to provide spaces that people really want to spend time in. The best examples are enough to create envy in people who still work in those open plan environments, where the priorities are little more than simply providing a place to sit and work. In the future, that’s unlikely to be good enough for anyone.
It is time for facilities managers to begin to consider the need for office updates or new site fit-outs, as disruptions begin to strike a change in the equipment and technologies used. Flexibility is key. Desks that can support sitting, standing or be folded away to maximise space. AV equipment that can support sole working, small group collaboration or video conferencing. Personal storage facilities that can support employees who might move around a space during the day.
Drastic change never happens overnight. However, it starts with a recognition that change is long overdue. Soon it will become intrinsic to acknowledge that the wellbeing requirements of workers are of the same importance as office economics, in order to create more efficient, productive and healthy working spaces.
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