The world of work is currently undergoing major change as a result of digitization. The trendy topic of "New Work" is playing an increasingly important role in our working world. While New Work means a change in work culture, a New Office, the place of work, creates the basic framework conditions for New Work.
Rapid digital advancements are giving rise to numerous new work models and modern office concepts. This also affects the design of offices and work structures. Modern office concepts are a place where attention is paid to individual needs and team members can thus be motivated to perform at their best. More and more people want flexibility instead of restrictive working hours and rigid work locations. Thus, mobile working, even within the office or company locations, is becoming increasingly popular.
It is the time when we move away from classic desk-based individual offices and towards the modern and social working world, where individual needs are addressed. Outdated office concepts and poor room layout reduce productivity and employee satisfaction.
What are the positive features and advantages of the modern office?
- Digital & mobile: Well-designed digital equipment allows on-site employees to connect online with team members around the world.
- Flexible and adaptable: Each team member can decide for himself in which place, in detail, at which table he or she works. Spaces are modular and adapt to the circumstances. A coworking space with flex desks can become a conference room through movable tables, for example.
- Inspiring elements and a feel-good factor: If you want your employees to feel comfortable, make sure the room is designed in an appealing way. The best ideas may arise at the coffee bar or during a game of billiards.
- Creative Spaces: Create areas in your office that invite collaborative brainstorming.
- Efficient and productive: Each team member can decide how, when and where he/she is most productive. This makes all team members feel more comfortable and individual needs are addressed, resulting in greater efficiency within the team.
- Free division of office space: Instead of permanently assigned desks, there are suitable rooms for different tasks. From a quiet room to a meeting room and creative space to a focus room, everything is included.
Is Club Mate, foosball and cereal bars part of a modern office concept?
Maybe you've heard of the modern "stereotypical" office that has cereal bars, foosball tables, or even a meditation room. The question is: Does a modern office of the future really need that?
It's not a basic requirement, but there's still some truth to it. A modern office is about creating a feel-good atmosphere for all team members so that they are happy and enjoy coming to the office.
To do this, it is important to listen to the needs of the team members and ask what they want. Let the entire team actively participate in the design of the office.
What do modern office concepts of the future look like?
1. open plan or open space office
In an open-plan office, all workstations are located in one large room without spatial separation. Some like it, others curse it. Large open spaces can create a creative work atmosphere and provide a strong team feeling. However, it can also get noisy quickly and some team members are more productive when they are in a quiet work environment. Open space solutions are particularly suited to departments or larger teams that place a high value on partnership and cross-functional collaboration.
Advantages
- Team spirit is strengthened
- New team members are integrated immediately
- Fast and flexible communication channels
- More flexible usage options
Disadvantages
- Team members feel stressed more quickly
- Low privacy
- Volume
- Productivity impaired
2. combination office
A combination office combines single or multi-person offices and open spaces that can be used communally for meetings, for example. Many companies use glass walls in individual offices, which provides bright illumination and more openness. Combined offices create a good mix of concentrated work and communication.
Advantages
- Sufficient space between concentrated work and teamwork
- Privacy remains guaranteed
- Targeted communication according to need is possible
Disadvantages
- High space requirement per workstation
- Relatively high costs
- Low flexibility
- Hierarchy through exclusion of managers
3. desk sharing or free choice of seat
With the desk sharing concept, no team member has a fixed desk, but everyone shares the available desks. Thus, the desk can be freely chosen every day. This is already the standard at large companies such as Siemens, Lufthansa and ADAC. As a result, desks and workspace are used efficiently and flexibility increases.
Flexible workstation booking, Fex Desk and Hot Desk also ensure a clean working environment, as all personal belongings are taken away or stored in lockers at the end of the day. To apply desk sharing, good organization is important beforehand to avoid overlaps and lack of space.
The basic equipment per desk should be provided. True to the motto "plug and play", employees can connect their computer and start working.
Advantages
- Save space & costs through efficient room distribution
- It allows team members more flexibility & creativity in choosing their work environment
- Fast and flexible communication
- One can group according to the current team cooperation
Disadvantages
- No personal workstation
- Greater organizational effort
- Competitive thinking in the choice of jobs
4. hybrid work
More and more companies are offering team members the opportunity to work from home, in a coworking space or on the road. Many tasks and jobs can now be done online on a laptop or smartphone, making a fixed workstation in the office no longer an absolute necessity.
Hybrid Work is a great way to give team members more flexibility. It gives them the freedom to decide where they want to work - in the office, from home, or a mix of both. For example, some work can be done in the home office, while team meetings can be held in the office. Unlike Fully Remote Work, team members can come to the office at any time. With this work concept, good workplace management is also important.
Advantages
- Increased productivity
- Much flexibility
- Employee satisfaction increases
- You save the time-consuming trip to the office
- Good balance between focus time and sharing with each other in the office
Disadvantages
- When you work out a lot from home or non-office environments, the line between free time and work can quickly blur
- Managers must have trust in their employees, otherwise resentment quickly arises
- There is an increased dependence on technology and the IT department must ensure the security of the company's data
