How Your Office Layout Affects Productivity
Open, cellular, or team layout: real research on how office design affects motivation, focus, and collaboration, and how to find the right fit.
A study published in the Journal of Public Affairs found that office design is essential to motivate employees. Once an employee feels comfortable and happy in a space, efficiency increases dramatically. Employers and employees are beginning to truly understand the importance of office layout in relation to productivity and overall happiness.
Layout obviously depends on the positions and roles of employees, and finding the right choice can be a difficult, confusing process. Harvard Business Review found in 2015 that people who work in communal spaces report levels of thriving that approach an average of 6 on a 7-point scale. But a well-known cautionary tale tells of a law firm that tried communal spaces and had to revert back to cubicles after the layout increased distractions and stress levels for their team.
Three Common Office Layouts
Communal Space (Open Office)
Perfect for businesses that thrive on collaboration. These spaces let staff meet and talk through needs, successes, and strategies, and allow people from different departments to exchange ideas and work together toward company-wide improvement.
Cellular Office (Mostly Private)
Works well for more solitary work. These spaces allow for a focused, private environment, along with uninterrupted meetings and private conversations with team members or clients.
Team Office (Half and Half)
Encourages different office types in sectionals or floors, letting employees work easily in teams on similar projects. This type of office space enables collaboration and teamwork while still offering singular offices and meeting spaces.
Layout and color both shape how a space actually feels to work in.
See also: How Office Color Can Affect Your Company's Mood →Find the Right Layout for Your Team
A local tenant rep can help you find space built for how your team actually works.
Find My Space, FreeLooking for office, industrial, or retail space? TenantBase can connect you with a local tenant-rep broker.