The Benefits of Open Office Space

The Benefits of Open Office SpaceOpen office space layouts have been getting a bad rap lately however many companies are still designing their office layouts this way because they are seeing productivity and cost savings benefits.  Below are a few benefits to having an open office space.

COLLABORATION – When people sit behind closed doors there is less tendency for them to venture out and collaborate with others.   Open office floor plans make it easy to ask each other questions and have better and easier communication.  More ideas are shared and more productivity is gained.

MORE EFFICIENT SPACE – Hard-walled offices and cubicles take up more space.  Open office layouts allow more room for employees.  Tech and software companies are averaging 175 sf per person these days.  More people per sf equals less occupancy costs.

NO HIERARCHY – In the past those with more clout got the large corner offices.  To some employees (including millennials) people with an office are more important than others.  When everyone occupies an open space there is no hierarchy and employees are on the same level as their bosses.

MORE FLEXIBLE – Open office spaces allow employees to change where they work each day.  With a combination of open office and collaboration space companies are able to meet the employees different working styles.  One day an employee can sit in a workstation.  The next day that same person can sit in a break out area and collaborate with other coworkers on a project.  Having an open office environment allows companies to facilitate the work styles of all their employees

COMMUNITY – With hardwall offices you can sometimes go weeks without having seen or heard from a fellow coworker.  With an open office environment you have more opportunities to see and hear coworkers.  This tends to create a sense of community and MAYBE help increase employee productivity and improve company culture.

LESS COSTS – This is an obvious one.  Having the ability to squeeze more people in a space allows you to be much more efficient, thus saving money on operations.

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