Emily Van Zandt* says there are many drawbacks to an open plan office, but there are ways to make it work for the benefit of all employees.
Photo: Trent Erwin
For many workers in 2018, noise-cancelling headphones are as necessary as a cup of coffee.
When paired with a laptop, they’re basically the millennial workforce starter pack.
And that’s thanks, in great part, to the ever popular open office layout.
It’s a familiar sight: desks with low dividers clustered on an open office floor with conference rooms and a handful of offices positioned along the perimeter.
The concept isn’t new.
Think of manufacturing floors as the original open office.
Newsrooms have been open swathes of paper-covered desks for decades.
But after the cubicle farms of the 1970s and 1980s started looking tired, open spaces came back in a big way.
According to a report by the International Facility Management Association, many office workers now have desks with either low partitions or no partitions at all.
And while those workers may enjoy some of the benefits of being in an open space — easy brainstorming, increased interaction with colleagues, a boost in natural light — they are also no strangers to the drawbacks.
Better hope those headphones work, because these offices can get distracting fast.
While the layouts and their smaller footprints can be a cost-saver for organisations, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows open office plans lead to increased noise, privacy loss and distraction.
Employees suddenly have an audience for important phone calls.
With no door to shut, it can be hard to indicate that someone needs to buckle down on a project with no interruptions.
“It is sometimes difficult to find a location to have tough conversations not just for personnel issues, but for folks to have personal conversations about illness or family challenges,” said David Shove-Brown, partner at design firm //3877.
For organisations working with few walls, flexibility and options are key.
Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace report found that 75 per cent of office workers report frequent noise during the workday and 38 per cent would change jobs to have an office door they could shut.
The report suggests that offering privacy when needed — something 71 per cent of workers report having — can help combat distractions.
“Sometimes there is a universal ‘shhh’ that goes across the office when there is a conference call,” Shove-Brown said of his 18-person team.
“But sometimes folks take up residence in a conference room.”
“We allow people to work from home or remote locations when needed so that they can maximise production while balancing privacy.”
Thinking about an open office? Planning is key.
If open offices are here to stay, are there better ways to cope than just a pair of headphones?
Design consultancy firm OPX thinks so.
Associate Becca Landwehr offered some tips for how to create an open office environment that brings out the best in workers.
It’s not for everyone.
If your industry or organisation is not one that benefits from increased collaboration or needs a lot of privacy — a law firm, for example — an open office concept may not be for you.
“There’s a lack of understanding in the wide world about the power of design, and a one-size-fits-all approach to any organisation is not a good design strategy,” Landwehr said.
Get everyone involved in the decision.
OPX works with clients to get feedback from workers and explain the benefits of an open office long before hammers swing.
That includes a vision session, a survey and cultural assessment, focus groups and getting an understanding of how the office works.
“Asking for employees’ input, then letting them see themselves in the future of the organisation is key,” Landwehr said.
“Having transparency in the decision-making process can provide a much smoother transition to a different and more ideal way of working.”
Options, options, options.
People need to have access to privacy or reduced distractions when they need it.
That can take the form of conference rooms, small offices, focus rooms or lounges.
The goal, Landwehr said, is to provide alternative spaces for employees to work away from their desks.
Experiment to find what works for you.
“We’re testing one idea in our office that’s an indicator at your desk,” Landwehr said.
“It’s a light that plugs into your computer as a visual cue that you are in focus mode and need to concentrate.”
Keep evaluating.
When switching to an open office plan, much of the work comes on the front end.
Landwehr said more clients are engaging before, during and after the change to find ways to maximise how people can work in their new environment.
* Emily Van Zandt is Associate Editor at the Washington Business Journal. She tweets at @vanzandt.
This article first appeared at www.bizjournals.com.
