Open Space office is a modern concept of workspace planning, which is becoming more and more popular both in Ukraine and around the world. This model involves an open layout, where all employees are located in one large room without rigid boundaries between workplaces. This approach to the organization of the office has both advantages and disadvantages, and needs to be properly implemented to ensure the efficiency of the company.
In this article, we will consider what an Open Space office is, its main pros and cons, and also give recommendations on how to properly organize such a space so that it brings maximum benefit.
Advantages of Open Space offices
Staying in such premises increases the level of communication among the staff. To solve work issues, it is enough to contact a colleague sitting next to or nearby, which is much more convenient than searching for an employee in all offices. This saves time, facilitates quick resolution of issues and increases staff productivity. Open-plan offices have many advantages:
- They allow you to accommodate more employees compared to a traditional office.
- Contribute to the removal of psychological barriers between employees.
- Save money on equipment and personnel placement.
- Simplify the control over the labor activities of the personnel.
- They prevent the spread of rumours.
- Accelerate the adaptation of new employees.
- They help all employees stay informed about events in the company.
- Suitable for routine work, but not always suitable for people in creative professions or those working on complex tasks.
Offices with open space in Kyiv can have different zones - for collective work, project activities, negotiations, etc.
Disadvantages of open-plan offices
Ukrainian companies often hesitate to switch to Open Space instead of office planning. This is explained by the fact that open spatial planning has its drawbacks. For example, it does not provide personal space for employees. Even in a friendly team, a person sometimes wants to be alone for a short period of time (this is characteristic of human nature). Other disadvantages of open space include:
- great distraction from noise (talking on the phone, working on the keyboard, working with office equipment, etc.);
- possible conflicts between colleagues;
- increased risk of illness from viruses or infections due to close communication with colleagues;
- it is more difficult to remember information due to distractions;
- it may be difficult for some employees to enjoy the view from the window during the working day;
- it is difficult to create equally comfortable conditions for all staff;
- requires constant coordination with colleagues on the use of office equipment.
Therefore, the employer should carefully weigh all the pros and cons of this innovation before making a decision.
How not to lose efficiency in Open Space?
If you organize the office space correctly, you can avoid a general decrease in productivity. How to do it? For example, you should not create one large workspace. It is important to zone it with the help of smart placement of furniture, the right choice of colors, proper lighting and installation of small partitions.
It will also be useful to allocate a visual area for negotiations or projects. Here you can calmly take an important call or discuss a project with colleagues.
The design of the open office is also of great importance. It should not be too bright or distracting. Live plants can increase productivity and create a pleasant atmosphere.
To ensure efficient operation, it is important to place equipment away from work stations so as not to distract employees.
Rules of conduct in the Open Space office
In the previous article, we already discussed the disadvantages of open planning, which, as it turned out, are quite a lot. Although it is impossible to get rid of them completely, but with the help of the correct behavior of employees, these disadvantages can be reduced.
First of all, you need to make a list of staff requirements and general rules. Test their effectiveness in practice and start gradually introducing them among the staff. This will help ensure discipline among employees, reduce conflicts within the team and create a favorable atmosphere for creative activity. Some possible rules for staff in an open plan office are:
- Personal matters should be discussed over the phone in the meeting room or in the dining room so as not to distract colleagues.
- Use earplugs to concentrate at work.
- Listen to music and watch videos with headphones.
- Keep your voice incredibly quiet when talking.
- Avoid using perfume before the work day.
- Eat only in the dining area.
- Set your phone to vibrate or silent mode so you don't distract your colleagues with ringing sounds.
Rules may vary and are subject to change by collective decision. The presence of such norms is mandatory if you want to reduce the negative aspects of open planning.
Frequent mistakes in the organization of an Open Space office
An open-plan office can be ideal for your business if everything is organized correctly. However, mistakes are often made at this stage, for example, areas for informal communication of employees are not created, which leads to a constant official atmosphere. It is very important that employees have the opportunity to rest their brains by talking about abstract topics with each other.
Also, among the common mistakes in the organization of the office, you can highlight:
- insufficiently thought out ventilation system, which leads to stuffiness;
- lack of places for smoking;
- lack of ability to control the air conditioning and heating system;
- noisy work of office equipment;
- insufficiently thought-out lighting;
- ineffective visual design;
- incorrect combination of departments;
- a feeling of crowding due to the high density of workplaces.
It is also important to avoid mistakes in the placement of desks to avoid difficulties with moving employees around the open-plan office.
How to properly organize Open Space?
Inside the premises, it is important to have bright and saturated lighting to emphasize the corporate style of the company. It is recommended to use original color solutions and clearly distinguish zones, which has a positive effect on productivity.
Allow employees to independently control the parameters of the microclimate in the office with the help of control panels, thermostats, window valves and fans with different modes.
Consider the possibility of installing stationary or mobile partitions, the location of noisy departments far from each other, the organization of convenient storage for documents and the aesthetic design of the room.
If you need to rent an open office in Kyiv, contact our consulting company - we will help you with all questions.