More and more companies are keen to follow the trend towards open-plan offices, but what exactly is an open-plan office? It is an office concept that provides for a large number of workstations. According to workplace regulations (ASR), an open-plan office must have a minimum floor area of 400 m² to meet the definition. In Germany, around 15–19 per cent of employees work in this type of office. Start-ups and high-tech companies in particular are usually based in open-plan offices. There are often smaller and more social variations, known as open-plan office concepts or simply ‘open space’. Here, the office space is usually much smaller.
But why are so many companies suddenly keen to emulate Google and transform their workplaces into open-plan offices? In this article, we explore both the advantages and the potential disadvantages.
Advantages of the open-plan office
As well as fostering teamwork, the aim is to encourage the general flow of communication, which should ultimately lead to better collaboration within your team. These group dynamics are also intended to be enhanced by strengthening a sense of community – for example, through informal conversations.
Another positive aspect is the efficient use of space. Compared to two-person or even single-person offices, this can save you up to 20 per cent on your rental costs. Furthermore, due to their simplicity, open-plan offices offer flexible usage options, allowing workstations to be rearranged quickly and easily. This is particularly advantageous for new staff, as you can quickly assign them a workspace. Often, there are no fixed seating plans; instead, staff sit at any available desk and change seats every day.
The open-plan layout means everyone can see what others are doing. This means your staff think twice before doing anything unrelated to their work. The constant oversight helps to maintain discipline amongst your staff. Furthermore, they know that you’ll notice when they’re doing their job particularly well, which motivates them.
The following additional benefits arise from working in an open-plan office:
- easy problem-solving thanks to accessibility
- rapid brainstorming is possible
- Transparent work processes
- it’s easier to keep track of things
Disadvantages that may arise
However, the monitoring referred to is also a very negative aspect, as it leads to social control and fuels dissatisfaction amongst your staff. The lack of privacy also arises from the fact that colleagues are always seated next to one another and can constantly observe what the others are doing. If an employee’s wife calls them at work because something important needs to be sorted out, their colleagues are fully aware of the situation. The constant monitoring of your staff, as well as the lack of privacy, places a constant psychological strain on them. The physical strain in an open-plan office is also very high.
It has also been proven that the concentration of bacteria and viruses is very high when many people are in a confined space, which often leads to health problems.
Acoustic and visual disturbances are a further disruptive factor. The flow of communication, which is actually a positive thing, often makes it impossible to concentrate on work. But it is not only conversations and people that increase the noise level; typing on keyboards, mouse clicks, photocopiers and doors also contribute.
The visual environment is further disrupted by the darkness inside the room. This leads to increased environmental impact, as artificial lighting is required almost constantly. Added to this is artificial air conditioning, as rooms containing many people and computers tend to heat up more quickly. As you have many staff members, each with different needs, noise levels, temperature and lighting cannot be adjusted to suit the individual requirements of each person. This further reduces your staff’s satisfaction, and with it, productivity also falls.
However, the potential for conflict arising from the diversity of personalities is also a factor that must be taken into account. Not everyone gets on equally well with one another. Yet the opportunities to retreat are very limited, meaning your staff have no chance of avoiding each other. There are also hardly any quiet spaces for concentrated work. Different tasks require varying levels of concentration. If you need to write an urgent report and your staff are chatting next to you, you’ll probably find it very difficult to concentrate.
All these factors lead to growing dissatisfaction amongst your staff. As a result, the open-plan office may not be a sustainable solution for your business. After all, high levels of dissatisfaction usually lead to lower productivity. For you, this means that the savings you make on rent are not a long-term benefit. For all the reasons mentioned, open-plan offices are often described by critics as ‘modern labour camps’.
Rules for open-plan offices
To make the environment as pleasant as possible for your staff – despite the open-plan office – you should establish a few rules. After all, working together in such a confined space requires certain rules to function effectively.
- Show consideration for one another
- Strong self-control
- Managers must be actively involved as part of the team
- Clear guidelines for working together (for example: coffee rota, cleaning rota, etc.)
- Fixed workstations
- Provision of quiet rooms for phone calls, meetings or focused work
- Common rooms for personal conversations unrelated to work
- Soundproofing measures such as carpet or partition walls
- Sound-insulating room dividers
- Flexitime
The concept of flexitime probably requires some explanation. If your staff arrive at work at different times – some early, some late – and leave the office at different times, this significantly reduces the noise level. In addition, your staff could bring earplugs to work to block out the noise.
If you bear the points listed in mind and try to make your employees’ day-to-day office life easier – despite the open-plan office – this can go some way towards counteracting the negative factors. However, you should consider whether this is really the right choice for your company. Perhaps the openness of an open-plan office layout is already sufficient for your purposes.
Alternative open-plan office concepts
How does an open-plan office layout differ from an open-plan office? An open-plan office layout, also known as ‘open space’ or ‘multi-space’, consists of grouped workstations. However, these are usually considerably smaller and are often divided into areas for individual departments. Dedicated quiet corners are provided here so that your staff can make phone calls, hold discussions or have a coffee in peace.
Advantages of open-plan office layouts compared to open-plan offices
The smaller layout naturally has a lower noise level than a large open-plan office. The strain on the air-conditioning system is also lower, although care must be taken here, as an open-space layout has a smaller floor area than its larger equivalent. Furthermore, the atmosphere within an open-plan office is more informal and familiar. This further strengthens teamwork, as your staff can get to know one another better and identify each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Disadvantages
In an open-plan office, you can accommodate all your staff. In an open-space layout, on the other hand, you have to divide your staff into departments and spread them out. This means you do not have all your staff together in the same area. Naturally, this also leads to a different way of working.
Conclusion
Essentially, it can be said that each option has its pros and cons. Which option is best suited depends on the type and size of the company. If you have a particularly large company with many employees, where it is important for there to be constant interaction, an open-plan office is the right choice. If you have many employees who form different working groups, then an open-plan office layout is more suitable. However, if you are looking for an alternative that facilitates focused work and is designed for a smaller group, then a team office at COLLECTION Business Centre is just the thing for you and your business.
Cover image: © Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images
Image 1: © Shutterstock/fizkes
Image 2: © Shutterstock/Monkey Business Images
