A traditional office arrangement typically features rows of cubicles and a wall lined with private offices for management. The open office movement, however, is challenging the traditional setup. Designed to foster collaboration and togetherness, the trendy format is not without its share of controversy. Although companies implement the open office design with the best of intentions, some employees contend that the arrangement actually leads to productivity-killing interruptions and a lack of privacy.
Open Office Design and Purpose
An open office is designed with a vast open space that allows co-workers to see and hear each other, without cubicles, office walls or doors separating them. Common ways to implement the open work space concept is the use of benching, which looks like long dining tables with colleagues working alongside and across from each other, or the use of sets of small panel-less cubes.
The open office concept was created by a team in Hamburg, Germany, in the 1950s, with the intention of improving communication among employees. The main idea behind the open office is that it fosters collaboration and enables easier and more spontaneous communication. The downside to the concept is the lack of privacy and frequent inability to find quiet, uninterrupted work space.
Many open offices use the concept of hoteling, which means that employees take a work station each day on a first-come, first-serve basis. This arrangement allows co-workers to move around and work next to each other if they are tackling a project together. Wireless Internet is essential as employees set up each day in various spots around the office. Hoteling also means that employees do not have a place that they can consistently call “home” when they come into the office, which may be difficult for some employees.
Recent developments include office designers creating open offices that feature more flexible spaces with movable partitions and couches. The more flexible open office designs offer areas of privacy within the overall design of the workplace, with nooks and crannies available where employees can escape for more private meetings or quiet work. Ideally, open offices should have seamless transitions between solo and team work; “flow” is a common descriptor for this concept.
Is an Open Office Right for Your Company?
Although the idea of an open office, with its sense of closeness and collaboration, might sound attractive, whether it is a good fit for your employees depends on the type of work they do. The topic of open offices can lead to volatile discussions, and the concept is polarizing among many workers who either love it or hate it.
Employees in various jobs and departments will react differently to the transition to an open office, often depending on personality types and whether their specific jobs require a larger portion of team collaboration or silent concentration. Here are some pros and cons to consider before tearing down those walls and installing endless lengths of narrow tables.
Why Open Offices Work
- Community and camaraderie- Open offices are implemented to foster teamwork and a sense of togetherness among co-workers
- Creativity- When everyone is working in close proximity, collaboration can be easier to accomplish, and spontaneous discussions between members of different departments may occur.
- Costs- After transitioning to an open office format, you can fit more employees into less square footage, cutting down on overhead costs due to the need for less space.
Why Open Offices Don’t Work
- Lack of privacy- Although open offices are meant to bring everyone together, sharing a work space can lead to a frustrating lack of privacy and resentment of colleagues for annoying habits, such as pen-clicking or taking personal phone calls
- Too much noise- Some employees, recognizing that others can easily overhear conversations or be disrupted by the noise, may be reluctant to hold conversations with co-workers, preferring to use email instead, even if they are sitting in close proximity.
- No place to store personal belongings- Many open offices don’t assign desks or work spaces, although a general area may be designated for each department or team. Assigned lockers are also an option.
- Distractions- For employees who don’t need constant interaction with colleagues to get their jobs done, an open office can stifle productivity and creativity.
- Illness and sick leave– Studies show that there is a higher frequency of sick leave among employees in an open office compared to those in private offices due to the spread of germs.