Dive Brief:
- According to an anonymous study of 2,000 high-performance employees (HPE), 58% of respondents said they needed private workspaces for problem-solving, reports Hacker Noon. And 54% said their workspaces were too distracting.
- In contrast to what HPEs want, executives want to be seen as innovative leaders and often opt for open workspaces, says Hacker Noon. The executives believe that workspaces without walls or partitions foster collaboration, sharing and easy access among employees.
- Hacker Noon says HPEs generally work on solving problems for long hours and therefore need quiet, calm spaces in which to work. Executives need to understand HPEs needs while being innovative, says Hacker Noon.
Dive Insight:
One size never fits all, including both HPEs and non-HPEs. Although open workspaces can foster collaboration, face-to-face interaction and teamwork, they also can be noisy and disruptive. Employees whose work requires focus, concentration and sometimes confidentiality might need quiet workspaces with no distractions.
One of General Electric's newest workspaces in a Cincinnati corporate complex has open workspaces without walls and partitions. The layout has both work and play areas and space for group gatherings. Often, the most successful examples of such offices also have private, quiet areas for employees to work separately from their peers.
In designing innovative office layouts, employers might need to reserve workspaces for various types of jobs. HR has an overview of the diverse positions and responsibilities within organizations and can see that workspaces accommodate all employees and their unique ways of working.
