Millennials have changed the business world in so many ways and the design sensibilities of the modern workplace are one of them. After all, millennials now make more than one-third of the global workforce and it’s natural for the modern office to adjust to their likes and needs. New office design trends continue to emerge and embracing them is a great way to win over your millennial staff. Here are five of these trends you simply have to know about.
No cubicles
Long gone are the days when employees worked in high-walled cubicles. Employers who want to keep their employees happy and attract talent to their business won’t be able to do so by holding onto these things. Millennials prefer working in an open office and being able to communicate with their co-workers and having them be shut down in a cubicle only creates stress and makes them less productive. Instead of using the cubicle system, it’s a good idea to establish zones that encourage both productivity and communication. For example, you can create quiet zones with noise-cancelling panels and separate zones for those whose job includes making phone calls.
Integration of oxygen
Millennials understand just how important it is to keep the air inside the office fresh and that’s why they prefer operating from offices with plenty of greenery. Although many businesses have decorative greenery, it’s important to introduce live plants that’ll integrate oxygen into the office design. Studies have shown that adding plants in the office can help reduce stress and even result in fewer sick days. Not to mention that employees who work in offices with greenery tend to be more productive. The visual appeal of office plants shouldn’t be underestimated either as they can add much-needed style to almost every workplace. Most popular office plants include Peace Lily, Spider Plant, and Aloe.
Comfy furniture
With employees now spending so much time in the office, it’s natural for them to want to have comfy and accessible furniture. Everyone enjoys walking into an office that has an attractive and comfortable appearance, which is exactly why choosing the right chairs, desks and pedestals for your office is a must. Besides making your employees happy, quality office furniture should also help them stay productive and motivated to get their work done. With so many employees now dealing with back issues, choosing the right chairs is even more important. If you opt for quality furniture, you’ll help your employees maintain good posture and reduce the number of sick days.
More natural light
Artificial lighting just isn’t cutting it in the modern workplace. More and more employees complain about the lighting in their workplaces, stating that it negatively affects their productivity. Not only that artificial lighting creates heat but it also causes stress, making employees unable to focus on the task at hand. Modern employees prefer letting in plenty of natural light and avoiding both incandescent and LED lights whenever they can. Although not every company has room to install more windows in their buildings, it’s still a good idea to rearrange desks in the office to utilize sunlight as much as possible.
Break rooms
Studies have shown that taking regular breaks helps restore motivation and prevent “decision fatigue” something every modern employee faces on a daily basis. However, there’s no point in having your employees spend their breaks scrolling through their social media feeds. Instead, they’re supposed to leave their desk and socialize with their co-workers. This is exactly why millennial employees prefer having a break room where they can completely forget about their work and recharge their batteries. The best part of it is that designing a break room shouldn’t be tough. As long as you use comfy seating and stuff such as TVs and video game consoles, you’ll have nothing to worry about.
There’s no doubt millennials have changed the modern workplace for good. All these changes have been made for the right reasons and staying on top of the latest office design trends should help millennial staff feel happy and get more work done.
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