Over the last few years, a growing number of businesses – from small start-ups to monoliths like Google, Twitter and Microsoft – have shifted towards collaborative office spaces as a way to foster both informal and formal interaction, knowledge sharing, and teamwork.
However, more and better collaboration isn’t the only reward of a collaborative office space. There are several other benefits, including:
- Lower Utility and Heating Bills
Compared to a traditional layout, a collaborative office space can dramatically lower utility and heating bills. This is because there are fewer walls, cubicles and other barriers to block out light and air flow.
- Supports a “Flatter” Structure
Many businesses are moving towards a “flatter” work structure, where politics and seniority don’t keep newer or less experienced employees from having a say on both big issues and small decisions. In many ways, a collaborative office space is the physical expression of this more democratic approach and philosophy.
- Reduces Turnover
According to research published in the journal Organization Science, employees who feel isolated at work are much more likely to quit. A collaborative office space makes this kind of bullying behavior easier to spot (or if you wish: tougher to hide), and as such supervisors and managers can intervene as necessary.
- Improves Space Utilization
Many offices have areas or zones that are heavily or sometimes over-used, while others are under-used. A collaborative office space enables vastly improved space utilization, which means that businesses can afford to reduce the size of their real estate footprint, but without diminishing productivity or their employees’ job satisfaction.
- Boosts Image & Branding
Let’s face it: collaborative office spaces are very impressive to behold, and send a message that a business is innovative and progressive. By no means are these superficial characteristics. They’re necessary for everything from recruiting top talent, to winning over new customers. A collaborative office space contributes to these key objectives.
The Bottom Line
Deciding that a collaborative office space makes sense for your business is a smart move. However, not all collaborative spaces are created or designed equally, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” template. It’s important to take into consideration many other factors; most importantly, the workflow and work experience needs of your employees, and the future growth plans of your business as a whole.
At Key Interiors, we have over 30 years of experience helping businesses design the ideal office space – including those that have a bold, central and innovative collaborative component. Contact us today for your free consultation. We’ll help you ask and answer all of the questions you need to make the process successful, stress free and rewarding!
