04
magazine
businessinfomag.uk
Badly designed open
plan offices are stifling
innovation across the
UK, warns design firm
Gensler.
Its
UKWorkplace Survey
2016
reveals that many of
the open plan offices used
by more than 8 million UK
workers fail to provide the
variety and choice that people need in order to
thrive, with 70% of employees forced to work
at the same assigned space throughout the day,
regardless of the task in hand.
In contrast, innovators are five times more
likely to have access to a private space, spend
just 3.5 days of the working week in the office,
and actively choose to spend less time in
their assigned spaces by making regular use of
conference rooms and open plan meeting areas.
Survey respondents who scored highest for
innovation achieved better productivity and
effectiveness scores for all work modes (focus,
collaboration, learning and socialising) and
reported greater job satisfaction and a better
relationship with their managers.
Gensler’s analysis of 1,210 employees in 11
industries suggests that the UK workforce is
divided into ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’: employees in
management positions are more likely to have a
private office and enjoy greater job satisfaction,
while mid- and lower-tier workers tend to be
confined to poor quality environments.
Overall, 67% claim that their office
environment leaves them feeling drained at the
end of the working day.
Philip Tidd, Gensler principal and head of
consulting EMEA, said: “Employees who scored
lowest on innovation are one and a half times
more likely to spend all day working in the same
place and use their assigned desk for all manner
of activities from intense concentration to team
brainstorms. This is clearly not an effective use of
space.”
Based on its survey, Gensler makes four
recommendations to encourage productivity and
innovation:
n
Invest in your workplace and tailor space to
the most important functions of your business
to make open plan work environments more
effective;
n
Diversify beyond the desk by including a variety
of group work spaces inside and outside the
office;
n
Empower the entire organisation, not just the
senior leadership, to choose when and where they
work; and
n
Connect employees to their organisation
and colleagues by adopting a workplace design
strategy that supports their corporate purpose
and sense of meaning.
Tidd added: “Enclosed office space is not the
enemy, and moving to a simplistic open plan may
not be the most effective option in today’s hyper-
connected workplace. Giving employees a greater
variety of places and spaces along with the
autonomy and choice to work when and where
suits their task will boost innovation. Businesses
should also think about matching space to need,
rather than hierarchy, to engage employees in all
levels of the organisation.”
agenda
Lack of workspace choice leaves
office workers feeling drained
9 to 5 too stressful
Almost three quarters (72%) of UK
workers view the standard 9-5 working
day as an anachronism in the twenty-
first century, with 68% claiming it makes
them feel stressed.
The End of Nine-to-
Five
report from TeamViewer reveals
that workers today would much prefer
a six-hour working day believing that it
would provide a better work-life balance,
improve productivity and reduce stress.
More than three quarters (79%) consider
work-life balance to be more important
than salary.
Variety is the spice of worklife: There’s
no shortage of choice to inspire
creatives at Cardiff-based advertising
agency S3 Advertising. Its new offices
combine an open plan environment
with plenty of breakout spaces
including a games zone, kitchen bar,
huge hammock for relaxation, living
trees, multi-coloured paths and dazzling
neon signs. Matt Jones, CEO of S3
Advertising, said: “It was important for
us to develop an office environment
that promotes a sense of team
cohesion by increasing opportunities
for interaction, creative idea sharing
and open communication.”
