Open Plan Vs Private Office Spaces

Open Plan Vs Private Office Spaces

Indeed this can be a difficult decision to make, there are numerous things to consider and there is no right or wrong answer. So, to give you a helping hand, here's a list of Pros and Cons for open plan offices and private office spaces.

The Pros Of Open Plan

• Break Down Walls.
  If you're searching for a way to boost collaboration, many businesses consider using an open plan office environment. Collaboration can be much more important for different areas of work, for example sales and marketing could potentially find lots of advantages from an open office layout with a team working together to complete tasks.

• Maximise Space.
  If you're trying to maximise the amount of space in your office environment, sometimes opening up the office area can provide you with lots of space for your employees.

The Cons Of Open Plan

• Open Plan Offices Can Be Noisy.
  Whilst indeed open plan offices can be great for collaboration, if your employees have to wear noise cancelling headphones in order to cope with the noise levels, the advantages regarding collaboration could be lost.
  
  However, if you're in an office space with a no headphones policy, the noise levels could be very distracting for employees. Whilst acoustic furniture could help, some employees might be frequently distracted during their working day due to the noise generated from things such as typing on keyboards, co-workers talking on their phones, or people moving about the office.

• A 'Breeding Ground' For Contagious Illnesses.
  A business that opts for the open plan office layout could potentially see a rise in the number of sick-days employees are taking.
  
  Illnesses such as the common cold can spread very easily. Did you know that “Flu viruses capable of being transferred to hands and causing an infection can survive on hard surfaces for 24 hours"? [Source: NHS]

The Pros Of Private Office Spaces

• Privacy
  With a private office space, one of the advantages is the privacy gained from such an office area. If an employee needs to make confidential phone calls, or a phone call containing sensitive information, they don't need to take time out of their day to find space to make the call, or book a meeting room in order to take the call in privacy.
  
  Additionally, the privacy could reduce noise disturbances, which would be fantastic news for employees who find it easier to concentrate on tasks when in a quiet environment. However, those who find it easy to concentrate with background noise could opt to listen to some quiet music through headphones.

• Space To Focus
  With open plan offices, some people create a 'virtual office' using noise cancelling headphones, or by using a traffic light system to tell co-workers if they are too busy to be disturbed. However, with a private office, you can close your door and give yourself some privacy to focus on projects which need your attention.

The Cons Of Private Office Spaces

• Communication Issues
  Private office spaces could potentially lead to issues surrounding communication. If somebody wanted to discuss things with a co-worker, one would have to send an email, call their office phone, or leave their own workstation and knock on their co-worker's door. If an employee chose to walk to their co-worker's office and their co-worker was busy, that could be a lot of wasted time.

• Collaboration Could Suffer
  With an open plan office, co-workers can collaborate whilst remaining at their workstation, however in a private office situation, collaboration time would have to be scheduled for a designated space such as a meeting room or collaboration room.
  
  Additionally, the potential for cross-department ideas could suffer, with employees from different departments only interacting in the breakout room.

Professional Office Design Services From The Oaktree Interiors Team

If you're searching for a professional service for office design in Egham or the surrounding areas, get in touch with the friendly and dedicated Oaktree Interiors team.

Our in-house design team can produce practical and cost-effective proposals that meet with the long-term aspirations of your business. We have no house style and as such all of our imaginative and environmentally friendly ideas are created to meet the individual needs of your business.

Interested In Our Office Design Services? Request A Free Consultation Today!

If you're interested in our services for office design in Egham and would like to request a free consultation, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the Oaktree team today!

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