Update… The Mad Men office does not appeal to millennials. Well, that’s what recent studies are telling us and after speaking with a number of different millennials, they can also confirm this statement. The traditional looking office space, often characterised by cubicles and segregated desks, is becoming less and less popular with the younger workers. Interestingly enough, the number of open plan workspaces has more than doubled since 2014. And what do you think is the driving force behind this trend..? You guessed it – millennials!
So what makes shared office space so appealing to them? Here are the three main reasons:
It gets rid of the hierarchy and enables colleagues to speak and create
Most millennials prefer to be their own bosses and to have their own say when it comes to their own work. According to a study by Intelligence Group, 72% would like to be their own boss. However, if they need a boss then they would prefer them to serve more as a mentor or coach which would enable them to demonstrate their best work. Open plan office space also eliminates the walls and barriers that you would often find in more typical looking office environments. These shared office spaces foster community, collaboration, and solidarity, which in turn, creates fantastic results in terms of work and meeting deadlines.
It’s ideal for start-ups
Think of some of the most recent start-ups that have gone on to make internet history such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Uber. What do these three companies have in common? Apart from having the “cool companies to work for” tag – a massive reason for their success is the fact that their main offices are all open plan! So why does this way of working really reach out to the younger workers?
- It’s Cheaper – Either way you look at it, it is expensive to start a business. Open offices or Hot-Desking is a fantastic alternative to renting space to for any new start-up. Having this as an option allows entrepreneurs and business owners to scale up quickly and move around.
- It attracts the talent – 88% of millennials prefer to work in a collaborative environment rather than a competitive one. Youngsters prefer to work in a place where they have on-going training and positive feedback from working closely with their colleagues.
Work-Life Integration
There is more to life than just work. That’s why in many open spaces now, you will see things such as table tennis tables, slides, pool tables and even yoga classes, all integrated into many open-plan offices. An interesting fact is that over 45% of millennials will choose a flexible workspace over higher pay.
Unlike the past where it was expected that people work the normal 9-5 hours in isolating cubicles or individual desks, large tech companies such as Facebook and Google recognise the need to accommodate their employee’s lifestyles in order to not only get the best work out of them but also, foster growth and creativity.
