Office culture has certainly changed over the last few decades, and with it, the size of the average office workstation. By and large, the most poignant factor in this transition can be attributed to a struggling economy, the proliferation of mobile technology, and the widespread realization, from multi-national corporations right down to start up enterprise, that large, individual workspaces simply aren’t practical in most settings.
There are two opposing schools of thought when it comes to the shrinking size of the modern workspace; to some, a smaller work area means overhead costs can once again become manageable along with the number of distractions the average employee faces on a daily basis. To others, the loss of personal space hampers productivity and creativity, and increases the feeling that in spite of years of work, they’re viewed as just another cog in the corporate wheel.
While it’s true that increasingly popular open concept office designs help to foster a sense of collaboration among peers, such spaces do little in the way of providing even a modicum of privacy, something that can make everything from meetings to performance appraisals a little difficult to conduct on site.
Believe it or not, there was a time when the standard rule of thumb that many companies abided by was 500 square feet per employee. Sound extravagant? That’s probably because it’s likely you’ve been working in a space more than ten times smaller than that. But just because your workstation might be smaller than that of your predecessors doesn’t mean that you’re worse off than they were – in fact, quite the opposite can be true.
Why Smaller, Individual Workstations Work
First, the obvious: smaller workstations do lower overhead costs. The key to keeping everyone happy of course relies on your ability to reduce the square footage of each workspace without removing any of the functionality or comfort from it. This can be achieved by outfitting your office with things like modular office furniture, and adjustable height workstations (furniture that allows for both standing and sitting positions) and by doing away with unnecessary filing cabinets (time to go paperless and switch to cloud-based records). Of course, furniture will only go so far; you also need to make sure that you provide alternative areas that brainstorming groups or those seeking solitude can make use of.
The point is if you’re looking to cut down on the footprint of the individual employee in your office, smaller workstations work best for all those involved provided there are alternative workspace options to choose from.
When you think about it, assigning permanent seating arrangements seems like an archaic practice and an inefficient use of resources given that at any given time, upwards of 60% of an office’s desks sit vacant due to meetings, conferences, sales calls, or those working remotely.
Why Modern Technology Makes it Okay to Downsize Workspaces
Remember how much room your desktop computer used to take up on your desk with the tower, impossibly heavy tube monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals like external speakers? In many cases, the modern office employee is assigned a laptop, which, in addition to taking up far less real estate, allows them to stay connected to the office while working on the road or at home. That being said, the traditional cubicle no longer seems to make sense for the contemporary worker.
Understandably, introducing the idea of downsizing or altering the workspace of your employees can be seen in a negative light; but it doesn’t have to be, provided that your company is willing to make a few concessions of their own.
Embrace Telecommuters
Some companies are having trouble embracing the telecommuting model, but the fact is it’s a model that’s gaining a lot of traction and in most industries will be commonplace soon enough. If your office reconfiguration is going to drastically reduce the amount of privacy that your employees have, allowing employees to work from home when it makes sense is a sound compromise. It should also be said that when fewer employees actually come into the office fewer resources are required (heating, cooling, water) further reducing costs.
Don’t be A Stickler for People Not Being at Their Desks
This is another concession you’ll likely need to make if you’re reducing the size of the individual workstations or if you’re embracing a communal work area. You need to be cognizant of the fact that when people work in close proximity to one another, there’s a good chance that they might need to take a few short breaks throughout the day to clear their heads or gather their thoughts.
With some intelligently designed office furniture, and a realignment of your corporate values, there’s no reason why your company, like countless others, can reduce the size of the individual workstation and keep everyone happy while doing it.