The Future of Office Spaces

With companies like Google, Apple and other technology companies promoting the “cool” office space – the open space office concept – it is easy to see their appeal but do they work? Open space offices are said to be designed for higher efficiency, more collaboration and increases productivity. With close to 70% of companies adapting […]

With companies like Google, Apple and other technology companies promoting the “cool” office space – the open space office concept – it is easy to see their appeal but do they work? Open space offices are said to be designed for higher efficiency, more collaboration and increases productivity. With close to 70% of companies adapting this practice, traditional work places are soon to be a thing of the past but is also easy to question if open space offices are the future or just a place holder for when all office spaces become a thing fo the past.

Do open space offices work? In theory yes, you have an open space that promotes team collaboration and produces amazing work. You have the ability to have people work across teams and create higher efficiency. People are likely to work harder when they know everyone can see what they are doing right? Wrong – for one big reason distractions. Your biggest distraction at work isn’t the internet, your phone or snacks, it is your co workers. We all have had those social butterfly co workers who always find a way to your cube while in an open space concept, they don’t even need to find your cube, they just turn their chair. Not only are people more likely to get more distracted, they are also more likely to get sick. When no walls protecting germs for traveling if one person gets a cold, so do 15 others. Not only that but the idea of commuting to an office to sit at an open table with 5-6 other people, while you might as well be going to a coffee shop and working from there.

 

A trend that seems to be here to stay is flexible work days/remote work. In this scenario, employees work from home either full time or a few days a weeks. This allows for the employee to work in an environment that best helps them be productive. It also saves them commuting time and allows them to have a better work/life balance which in return produces better work results. Additionally, remote employees can spend a few days a week working on a co-working space if they miss the interaction with co workers.

What do you think? Do you thing eventually everyone is going to be working from coffeeshops? Are traditional workplaces going to make a comeback? Let us know in the comments!

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