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Open offices are a contentious topic in the contemporary workplace. They’re embraced by tech startups and millennial-focused businesses, yet continually eschewed by more traditional companies. The pros and cons of an open-office setup are widely debated by companies of all types and sizes.
Before ditching the cubicles, learn more about the latest trend in corporate environments.
What Is an Open Office?
An open office is a floor-plan concept that does away with cubicles and walls in favor of large open spaces and employee collaboration. Originally designed as a way to break down walls between employees and encourage equality, open offices embrace a less-structured approach to the workplace environment.
Some open offices involve standard desks without dividers, while others incorporate tables, lounges and other shared spaces. However, some companies, rather than assigning individual desk spaces, are starting to use hot desks - or flexible desks that anyone can use. Employees choose a desk to use when they arrive at work.
Pros of Open Offices
Open offices, while still controversial, are often lauded for their pro-collaboration atmosphere, in addition to other benefits.
Without walls dividing employees, collaboration is encouraged in an open office workspace ‒ and can be somewhat unavoidable. When barriers to communication are eliminated, the thinking goes, employees are more likely to ask one another for advice, share ideas and work together on projects that may otherwise have been handled solo.
Modern open offices can also increase flexibility among staff. With the ability to move around and work in nontraditional environments, like on couches or at high-top tables, employees can find a solution that meets their own needs.
Open offices are often more affordable than traditional office furniture, providing an easy way to save. Unlike desks with walls and cubicle dividers, tables are comparatively cheap, allowing you to furnish an office for less.
Cons of Open Offices
While some people enjoy working in an open office environment, it isn't ideal for everyone. Some people find the setup more distracting and prefer a more isolated workspace. In one study, as many as 40% of open office employees expressed high levels of dissatisfaction.
Privacy is often seen as a major benefit to offices and cubicles, and open offices eliminate this advantage. Instead of allowing for space to make private calls and work on proprietary projects, employees can feel exposed in a workspace without walls. Calls often have to be taken off-site or in conferences rooms to maintain confidentiality, creating problems in scheduling. This can negatively impact both employee productivity and customer relationships.
The lack of privacy can also be distracting and that could lead to a loss of focus for up to 20 minutes, seriously compromising both attention to detail and time spent on work tasks. Noise in the workplace can cause quality to suffer as well, leading to lackluster finished products.
To try to prevent production decreases, consider creating quiet work zones for employees who need a distraction-free environment for maximum performance.
Open offices can also be a breeding grounds for germs. A study in Denmark found that employees are 62% more likely to take a sick day in an open office space than their traditional office peers. Using flexible desks can increase these challenges as well: without a dedicated workspace, sick employees may leave germs across multiple workstations.
Is an Open Office Right for Your Business?
Delivering a fully engaged and productive workforce may be worth the investment and process of modifying your employees’ work environment. What works for one business may not work for another. Culture plays a serious role in the effectiveness of an open plan, and if your team is against the idea, it may not be worth making a change.
Before ditching the cubicles, learn more about the latest trend in corporate environments.
What Is an Open Office?
An open office is a floor-plan concept that does away with cubicles and walls in favor of large open spaces and employee collaboration. Originally designed as a way to break down walls between employees and encourage equality, open offices embrace a less-structured approach to the workplace environment.
Some open offices involve standard desks without dividers, while others incorporate tables, lounges and other shared spaces. However, some companies, rather than assigning individual desk spaces, are starting to use hot desks - or flexible desks that anyone can use. Employees choose a desk to use when they arrive at work.
Pros of Open Offices
Open offices, while still controversial, are often lauded for their pro-collaboration atmosphere, in addition to other benefits.
Without walls dividing employees, collaboration is encouraged in an open office workspace ‒ and can be somewhat unavoidable. When barriers to communication are eliminated, the thinking goes, employees are more likely to ask one another for advice, share ideas and work together on projects that may otherwise have been handled solo.
Modern open offices can also increase flexibility among staff. With the ability to move around and work in nontraditional environments, like on couches or at high-top tables, employees can find a solution that meets their own needs.
Open offices are often more affordable than traditional office furniture, providing an easy way to save. Unlike desks with walls and cubicle dividers, tables are comparatively cheap, allowing you to furnish an office for less.
Cons of Open Offices
While some people enjoy working in an open office environment, it isn't ideal for everyone. Some people find the setup more distracting and prefer a more isolated workspace. In one study, as many as 40% of open office employees expressed high levels of dissatisfaction.
Privacy is often seen as a major benefit to offices and cubicles, and open offices eliminate this advantage. Instead of allowing for space to make private calls and work on proprietary projects, employees can feel exposed in a workspace without walls. Calls often have to be taken off-site or in conferences rooms to maintain confidentiality, creating problems in scheduling. This can negatively impact both employee productivity and customer relationships.
The lack of privacy can also be distracting and that could lead to a loss of focus for up to 20 minutes, seriously compromising both attention to detail and time spent on work tasks. Noise in the workplace can cause quality to suffer as well, leading to lackluster finished products.
To try to prevent production decreases, consider creating quiet work zones for employees who need a distraction-free environment for maximum performance.
Open offices can also be a breeding grounds for germs. A study in Denmark found that employees are 62% more likely to take a sick day in an open office space than their traditional office peers. Using flexible desks can increase these challenges as well: without a dedicated workspace, sick employees may leave germs across multiple workstations.
Is an Open Office Right for Your Business?
Delivering a fully engaged and productive workforce may be worth the investment and process of modifying your employees’ work environment. What works for one business may not work for another. Culture plays a serious role in the effectiveness of an open plan, and if your team is against the idea, it may not be worth making a change.
