With the open plan office layout gaining traction in recent years, we believe it's vital to protect its integrity and highlight its numerous benefits.
Despite the skepticism surrounding them, we are still in favour of open plan spaces that are planned and utilised, rather than simply being open plan.
Open plan office layouts have many advantages, including encouraging employees to collaborate more, share ideas and to allow creativity to flow within working spaces, as well as improved company culture. Additionally, they are much more flexible and agile, with opportunities to move around a space based on activity within the office environment.
An open plan workspace can help your team with increased collaboration and in many other ways, but you need to make sure you're using it in a way that will help you achieve your goals. Let's explore some of the many benefits of an open plan office layout.
THE BENEFITS OF AN OPEN PLAN OFFICE:
1. Effective Collaboration and Increased Communication
Open plan offices have many benefits, both in terms of the physical space and the way it can encourage communication and collaboration. By breaking down barriers between employees, open plan offices can help create a more productive and efficient workplace. Due to the absence of walls and doors, your team will be able to collaborate more effectively, rather than clicking 'send' on yet another email for something you could rather discuss in person.
“Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” — STEVE JOBS
Organisations with open layouts need to have a supportive company culture that encourages collaboration in order to ensure that employees are comfortable communicating with one another. This culture should support employees feeling comfortable approaching one another with questions or ideas, and encourage team-based problem solving. Additionally, employees should feel like they have the opportunity to contribute to the organisation in a meaningful way.
Open plan communication can lead to increased noise levels and distractions for some team members. However, acoustic and design solutions can help to minimise this issue and give team members the space they need to concentrate on their work or to take quiet phone calls.
2. More Flexibility with the space
An open plan office can offer employees agility and flexibility. Having the ability to rearrange the workspace to fit the needs of the employees is one way to make the office more efficient. Since most of an open office is composed of furniture that can be moved, there is a lot of opportunity to change the space to fit your needs and the needs of your employees. This is especially helpful when different people need to work together on a project, as they can be seated and have desks arranged accordingly.
Modular furniture is a new trend being adopted by companies worldwide. It allows you to create custom furniture arrangements to suit the task at hand, making it ideal for open plan office spaces where users can adapt the environment to the needs of the business.
3. An Increase in Creativity
Creativity can flow through an open spaces and so can employees!
Separating your team into separate closed workspaces can actually hinder their productivity, which is a major benefit of the open plan office layout, as different departments can communicate with one another with ease, which is important for collaboration and creativity.
An open plan office layout may have some advantages and disadvantages. For employees who prefer a quiet space or need privacy for a task, booths or 'havens' can be a perfect retreat. These areas can provide the peace and quiet that some workers need to be productive and can also be used for confidential or sensitive meetings or conversations.
4. An Improvement in the Company Culture
There are many advantages to having an open plan office layout, but one of the most important is that it can help to create a positive company culture. An open plan office encourages communication and collaboration, which can lead to a more positive and productive work environment. Additionally, an open plan office can help to create a more egalitarian workplace, where everyone has the same opportunities to succeed.
Working in isolation is bad for team building and communication. It also makes it harder for employees from different departments to talk to one another. The traditional office approach of employees working in silence is becoming a negative option for employers in several situations.
A sociable company culture is important for a happy team of employees. A happy, healthy team is a productive one, and a sociable company culture can help foster that. By creating an environment where employees feel comfortable socialising and interacting with each other, you can create a more positive and productive workplace.
“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” — SIMON SINEK, AUTHOR, START WITH WHY
Yes, there may still be some disadvantages of an open plan office space however some simple changes can be the difference you need to make when looking to switch to an open office floor plan, turning these disadvantages into advantages of an open plan office space and creating a safe environment to work in and an increase in employee health.
Are you interested in learning how to make an open plan office more effective for your company? We've helped our clients design efficient, open plan office layouts that suit their entire team, so let's talk about your space!
For more information on how Spaces Taylored can work with you to develop the best breakout spaces for your work place, get in touch today! Call us on 0843 122 9545 or drop us an email info@spacestaylored.com to find out how we can transform your current working environment into an inspirational place that you’ll love to spend time in.
Web - www.spacestaylored.com
Email - info@spacestaylored.com
Call - 0843 122 9545