Whether it’s in a start-up or well-established company, the trend of the open-plan office is on the rise. Rather than working in separate offices or cubicles, more employees are working in an open environment with their colleagues.
While an open office can help bridge the communication gap among employees, it can also distract them from doing urgent tasks. So, before you organise an office fit out, structuring your office, either way, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of an open-plan office. We’ve got all the information you need below.
What is an open office?
Before we get into the advantages and disadvantages, it’s important to understand exactly what an open plan office looks like.
This workplace design has employees sitting and working together. Unlike traditional offices that separated employees from one and another, like using cubicles, partitions or rooms, there are no barriers in an open-plan office.
You may also see more communal spaces in an open-plan office. For instance, there may be communal desks for groups to work together, as well as lounges and shared eating space.
Pros:
- Easier (and potentially better) communication among employees
In many businesses, problems can occur when employees are not effectively communicating with each other. Problems can be even worse when employees don’t even manage to communicate with each other. There may be a number of reasons like it is difficult to get a hold of one person or the task may not be deemed a priority.
However, if employees work together, they will often find creative solutions to problems as well as hold each other accountable for projects. You can also expect to see a better sense of team or company morale as employees regularly interact with one another and take interest in everyone’s lives.
If physical barriers are removed, it can be easier for employees to communicate with one another. For instance, they may be able to see when a person is busy and available for a quick chat. This can be more effective than a phone call or email.
However, easy communication does not always mean better communication. Employees need to respect each other’s roles and priorities and find ways to get work done collaboratively without negative impacts. Your employees may benefit from some communication strategy training or team-building exercises rather than a changing office environment.
- Cost-effective
Fitting out an open plan office often means less furniture and infrastructure is required. You don’t need to spend money getting walls or partitions erected. Similarly, if workers sit with one another, you do not need extra chairs if they need to meet with one another.
- Flexible
An open-plan office is good for a company that is expanding. It can be easier to add an extra desk to the layout as opposed to constructing another cubicle. You may be able to even put off moving to a larger building for some time.
If you need to move teams or employees around, this can also be easily achieved. They can swap places rather than having to physically move the desk and office furniture to another space.
- Better aesthetics
In an open-plan office, everyone can enjoy the views from windows without obstruction. It is also a more aesthetically pleasing office to look at without barriers obstructing anyone’s view.
For employers, it can also make it easy to check on employees without disturbing them.
- On-trend
The open-plan office has been a trend for many years, but it is still popular. Many companies find the culture promoted by an open-plan office conducive to their workers and productivity.
Cons:
- Distractions
Unfortunately, while an open-plan office can mean employees can more easily collaborate, it does also increase the likelihood of distractions. For example, employees may monopolise each other’s time accidentally, asking questions in person that could be sent in an email.
Additionally, everyone’s working habits may vary. For instance, some may work well with background noise or music, while others need complete quiet to stay focused. It can be hard to achieve a balance that suits everyone. As a result, you may find some employees become less productive when placed in an open-plan office.
- Lack of privacy and feeling watched
Many companies deal with sensitive or private information. This can become an issue in an open-plan office. If one employee is working with this data and another happens to look at their screen without permission, there may be an issue.
Further, some employees do not like to share work until it is complete. They may feel uncomfortable working in an open plan environment where anyone can look at their screen. Other employees may also resent the feeling that their actions at work are under constant supervision.
- Stressful
The world is made up of introverts and extroverts. While extroverted employees will flourish in an active and social open-plan office, you may find introverted employees struggling. They may feel overwhelmed and need extra breaks to recharge. The same may also apply for new employees as they try to assimilate into the company.
- Increased spread of germs
An open-plan office allows for the easier spread of germs. This is because it is easier for employees to inhale expelled germs. For instance, if someone coughs in an open plan office, there are likely to be multiple other employees in close proximity. It can be difficult to maintain a hygienic open-plan office. As a result, employees may get sick more often.
Consider these pros and cons before deciding if your office should be open plan. Think about your employees and how they work. Only you can decide if your office will work better for being open plan.
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