Open office floor plans have become rapidly popular in recent years. Businesses, especially those ones that have small office spaces, have heartily embraced these divider-free setups instead of the traditional cubicles. It allows companies to utilize every inch of their office spaces and house more workers in relatively smaller spaces. The trend has brought revolutionary changes in the ways businesses used to see office workflow and worker-interaction.
However, not everyone sees the sunny sides of this latest trend. Many companies have embraced it for better flow of ideas and improved cohesiveness but many others see it as a difficult environment to get things done and a bar to employees’ productivity.
If you are thinking of redesigning your office or setting up a new one, take a look at both the pros and cons of incorporating an open office floor plan:
Pros of Open Space Office System
The cubicles do not really promote a smooth flow of human interaction and thereby can possibly lead to lower levels of trust and communication among the co-workers. On the other hand, an open space office is a fertile zone for free flowing of ideas as it encourages workers to talk, brainstorm, and chat with their colleagues more often. It has also been proven that the potential for building trust between two people increases when they interact with each other frequently.
Open floor plan ensures an office atmosphere where employees or team members can easily access to each other for spontaneous idea-sharing sessions. It actually nurtures a culture of collaboration, unity, and team building in an office. The system also boosts the morale of the employees, as it does not require them to return to the same cubicle every day. The non-designated seating system encourages cross-pollination and helps avoiding the climate of ‘boring’ that pervaded the entire ‘cubicle’ culture. It also teaches the workers to exercise their free will and choice as they decide how and where to work. Open space office also saves your cost, as you do not need to set up separate cubicle or ‘mini office’ for every employee.
In a word, open space office trend:
The most common complaints against open space office system are that it compromises with the workers’ privacy and forces them to work in a noisy environment. The productivity of most of the employees suffers when they cannot properly concentrate in noisy spaces. Neither they have any control over the noise in their surroundings nor can they prevent their co-workers from hearing what they say. Moreover, open space office system compromises with their privacy, frustrating for those who like to work alone or to have privacy during their work time.
It is necessary for the workers to have distraction-free spaces where they can concentrate on complex assignments or focus while making important phone calls. Sometimes, employees need to speak in private for – either talking to clients or making team discussion while working in pair or group.
In a word, open space office system:
Open space floor plan is still a good option for fresh, small startups, small companies, and for businesses that cannot afford bigger office spaces. Take your decision by considering the physical dimension of your office, the type of you business, your budget, and the needs of your workforce. If you decide to go with the open space office system, solve those typical problems by allowing your employees to use noise-blocking headphones or ear buds, offering them workplace-flexibility or flex-time to increase their engagement, designating some office areas as ‘no disturb’ zones, and allotting ‘no interruption’ time to them. Balancing open spaces with enclosed areas can also be a good solution, especially when a balance between audio and visual privacy has been carefully maintained.
Benhar Office Interiors is a reliable name if you are thinking of a customizable office solution tailored to your business needs.
Benhar Office Interiors NYC
However, not everyone sees the sunny sides of this latest trend. Many companies have embraced it for better flow of ideas and improved cohesiveness but many others see it as a difficult environment to get things done and a bar to employees’ productivity.
If you are thinking of redesigning your office or setting up a new one, take a look at both the pros and cons of incorporating an open office floor plan:
Pros of Open Space Office System
The cubicles do not really promote a smooth flow of human interaction and thereby can possibly lead to lower levels of trust and communication among the co-workers. On the other hand, an open space office is a fertile zone for free flowing of ideas as it encourages workers to talk, brainstorm, and chat with their colleagues more often. It has also been proven that the potential for building trust between two people increases when they interact with each other frequently.
Open floor plan ensures an office atmosphere where employees or team members can easily access to each other for spontaneous idea-sharing sessions. It actually nurtures a culture of collaboration, unity, and team building in an office. The system also boosts the morale of the employees, as it does not require them to return to the same cubicle every day. The non-designated seating system encourages cross-pollination and helps avoiding the climate of ‘boring’ that pervaded the entire ‘cubicle’ culture. It also teaches the workers to exercise their free will and choice as they decide how and where to work. Open space office also saves your cost, as you do not need to set up separate cubicle or ‘mini office’ for every employee.
In a word, open space office trend:
- Saves money
- Promotes free-exchange of ideas
- Fosters transparency
- Promotes unity and collaboration
- Teaches the workers to see themselves as a whole social unit
- Imitates life outside the office
The most common complaints against open space office system are that it compromises with the workers’ privacy and forces them to work in a noisy environment. The productivity of most of the employees suffers when they cannot properly concentrate in noisy spaces. Neither they have any control over the noise in their surroundings nor can they prevent their co-workers from hearing what they say. Moreover, open space office system compromises with their privacy, frustrating for those who like to work alone or to have privacy during their work time.
It is necessary for the workers to have distraction-free spaces where they can concentrate on complex assignments or focus while making important phone calls. Sometimes, employees need to speak in private for – either talking to clients or making team discussion while working in pair or group.
In a word, open space office system:
- Cannot provide distraction-free environment
- Offers minimal privacy
- Affects productivity of the workers
Open space floor plan is still a good option for fresh, small startups, small companies, and for businesses that cannot afford bigger office spaces. Take your decision by considering the physical dimension of your office, the type of you business, your budget, and the needs of your workforce. If you decide to go with the open space office system, solve those typical problems by allowing your employees to use noise-blocking headphones or ear buds, offering them workplace-flexibility or flex-time to increase their engagement, designating some office areas as ‘no disturb’ zones, and allotting ‘no interruption’ time to them. Balancing open spaces with enclosed areas can also be a good solution, especially when a balance between audio and visual privacy has been carefully maintained.
Benhar Office Interiors is a reliable name if you are thinking of a customizable office solution tailored to your business needs.
Benhar Office Interiors NYC