Millennial workers prefer to work in a quiet, private environment as opposed to the “Open Office” concept that appears in vogue today.  In fact, most workers DO NOT like to work out in the open, with no privacy, constant noise and inability to concentrate on tasks at hand.

BACKGROUND

Many companies in recent years have gone to the open office concept for employees.  The concept was that employees preferred to be all together, have the enhanced ability to collaborate with others and be constantly visible by all members of their team.

Interestingly, nobody seemed to ask the employees if that is what they wanted!  When does the employee have a say in working conditions?  Well, today is a day when that is the case.  Why?  The difficulty in finding good, dependable employees with the skills and talents available, the desire NOT to have to commute in rush hour traffic, either by car, bus or metro-rail are factors which drive employees today.

Working environment is both key and critical for many of today’s workers.  Money is always about factor 7 in any study– work environment always comes out as number one– what is the tone and tenor of the work environment is what the employee wants to know today.

A recent  study by Bospar PR shows that virtual offices beat the open office, bullpen concept each and every time.  Here is what the survey discovered:

• Overhear too many personal conversations—34 percent
• Cannot concentrate—29 percent
• Worry that sensitive information can be leaked—23 percent
• Can’t do their best thinking—21 percent

Additionally,  most workers today prefer to work at home, virtually.  The survey found that commuting was a major factor, but also, the ability to actually achieve more work and production during a normal day was key.

The question then becomes, “Why do we have to have everyone here?”  Rent, parking, internet connectivity are just some factors that one should address in deciding if each employee needs to be present.

OUR ADVICE

Telecommuting and the virtual office concept are ideas that bear careful consideration for many administrative roles.  Obviously, a customer service position which is customer facing in ensuring tangible product sales is not suited for a virtual office environment.  However, there are many other positions that readily lend themselves to being in a virtual office environment.  Think long and hard about requiring employees to be “in the office”.  The benefits may be more expensive than the cost of virtual offices.  If you want help, call us– we have ideas that will not only save you money, but also increase and enhance employee satisfaction.