In the past, opening up office areas to make one large communal working area became very fashionable. This was supposed to promote communication between office staff and therefore improve teamwork. However, in more recent years, open-plan working spaces have been proven, according to Mute and other sources, to reduce output, cause employee stress, lower concentration levels, and reduce vital communication levels.
In order to help your employees function properly and satisfactorily, you may need to provide them with a little privacy, even if it is within their teams. Cutting down noise levels will certainly help with distractions and concentration. However, providing a working environment that is so quiet it is like working in a library will simply diminish communication and make employees paranoid and uncomfortable about drawing attention to themselves.
Finding the right balance can be difficult; however, there are segregations that you can put in place that will provide privacy, define team areas, and produce quiet spaces for employees to work.
#1 Use plants to form barriers
You can enhance the working environment by introducing plants and using them as barriers between desks and workstations. Plants have many benefits, such as purifying the air and providing mental relief, so it makes sense to include them within your office spaces.
Having plants amongst your workers will also make a bland office space look more inviting as well as a pleasant place to work – especially if the plants are healthy and well looked after.
#2 Clever placements of shelves
If you are not fond of masses of greenery, you can use open-back shelving to segregate your workers. Using different shelves or cubes to store items of use as well as the occasional plant. Although this will not cut down on the amount of noise that can be heard, it can create a little bit of privacy for your workers.
#3 Clear lines with glass screens
You can opt for floor-to-ceiling glass screens to keep openness within your open office structure. This is perfect if you want to section off parts of your office space but keep an open feel at the same time. Combine these with internal bifold doors such as those showcased by nowaluminium.co.uk and you can create specific areas for your teams and solo employees to work. These areas can either be closed off completely for total privacy or left open depending on how your employees are working at the time.
Of course, you can still combine this with the first point and ensure that there are copious amounts of foliage and plants to make your office environment a desirable and healthy place to be.
Final thoughts
Although the plan for open office space was a good idea, in practice, it has shown that a compromise needs to take place. This can prove expensive, so it is wise to work with what you have and use different partitioning methods, such as plants, shelving units, and glass offices with folding doors. This will create areas of interest within your office while also helping the health and well-being of your employees.
