The benefits of millennial office design

Generation Y (otherwise known as 'Millennials', due to their coming of age in the early part of the 21^stCentury) is fast becoming the dominant group of people in the workplace. With a range of ages currently from 21 to around 35, Millennials represent a 'middle generation'; people who have already established themselves in their particular roles and yet still have many more years to go until retirement. Therefore,with the millennial generation constantly growing in the average workplace, it makes sense to cater office design to their particular working needs.

What benefits can a business get from improving their office design?

A key reason for a business to cater their office fit out towards Millennials is that an increasing number of them are judging their job roles by the facilities on offer. A recent survey by an international co-working provider found that over a fifth of British millennials are turning down employers because of the design and layout of their offices.

As time wears on and more businesses become aware of the need to cater their workplace design towards the needs of their employees,where will that leave businesses who are too slow to react? Without talented employees, probably.

Aside from attraction and retention, the benefits of shaping office design towards millennials include:

Stronger collaboration; creating teamwork, trust and camaraderie between employees.Qualities that will doubtless improve the work they produce

Sustainability;designed to make effective use of the resources available, saving the business on running costs.

Productivity and morale; better facilities should mean that employees are able to work better. Doing so will undoubtedly raise their morale and as a happy by-product,their productivity levels will be raised too.

Better client impression; what does the office say about the people who work there? Does it give off the right first impression that is so often the crucial factor in someone evaluating the quality of the service of the company they're meeting with? Along with employee attraction and retention, great office design can work as a great selling point to clients.

Efficient use of space; too much office space is wasted. By reimagining its current design and including new elements, this will help to make the space available to be used more efficiently. More efficient use equals better value for money.

Creating an office fit out for millennials

Millennials generally look for more collaboration in the workplace; their ideal work environment is one that is less linear, boring and walled off. There is more openness and flexibility in the areas in which they accomplish their work. This means that different rooms have to serve different purposes; from the collaboration qualities of an open office, the informal and relaxing surroundings of a breakout room to a quieter environment for important meetings and the need to get on with the work in hand, with little in the way of distraction.

Typical office design trends that cater for millennials include:

Collaboration zones that give employees the opportunity to gather round and work on a project or to brainstorm ideas together. This can be achieved with the addition of a number of design features; from the creation of booths that can bring people together in close vicinity, to informal conference rooms that can seat many more, yet retain the same collaborative style.

An increased level of comfort, which gives employees the opportunity to create their ideal working conditions. We all feel at our most comfortable at home;such an environment allows us to think clearly and be content with whatever it is we're doing. These are feelings that would be of benefit to the workplace.This is why the millennial office needs a more 'homely' feel to it, with couches, lounges, fireplaces, big screen televisions and a stocked kitchen area all part of the design.

Flexibility in the workplace design to give employees the opportunity to move around different parts of the building, depending on whether they need to work in a quiet environment, to collaborate, stand or if they're in need of that extra comfort. This concept can be defined as 'hot desking'; this is an office layout method that takes advantage of flexible technology to create rooms and areas that are designed more for the employee's needs, rather than for the needs of the technology and the work in hand. In hot desking, all that an employee needs to do is to log-on to the Wi-Fi and choose a desk in an area of their choosing;flexibility that will be appreciated by them and as a result, will be reflected in the work they produce and the feelings they hold for their employers.

Better alignment with the ethos and branding of the company. Everyone wants to feel like they're working towards something, contributing to its success. This is why branding is so important in today's business world; it gives the company an identity, something to communicate to clients and its employees. By making the right choices in producing an office design layout that employees respond well to, it will create an environment that everyone will want to be a part of, inspiring and motivating employees during particularly tough days.

The last great thing about millennial office design is that thanks to its flexible nature, it can be easily adapted over time to meet the needs of the next generation of employees. Perfect for those businesses who like to think ahead; by adopting a millennial office design, they'll potentially be serving the needs of their workforce for next couple of decades.

Create a long-term office design solution with us

If you're looking for an office refurbishment company to help you to create a great long-term office design solution, why not let the talented team here at Oaktree Interiors help? For the last three decades, we have been offering advice and assistance to businesses based in numerous industries in order to create bespoke office interiors that balance the fine line between catering for the needs of employees, the business, the clients and the work that needs to be produced.

Please take a look around our website, especially our extensive case studies page which gives a great insight into the many office fit outs we've created for our assorted client base.

If you have any further questions about our office refurbishment services, please feel free to get in touch with our friendly team today by calling 0345 21 86955.Alternatively, you can send an e-mail to hello@oaktreeoffice.com

The Benefits Of Millennial Office Design

What benefits can a business get from improving their office design?

Creating an office fit out for millennials

Create a long-term office design solution with us

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