Most companies now consider collaboration key to progress and performance. They constantly encourage employees to work together and share information. Indeed, open-plan offices seem to be a good way to facilitate collaboration. It’s one of the reasons that managers opt for that kind of workspace. But does that office design work well for workers looking for work privacy?
Giving coworkers easy access to each other can increase collaboration. But it can also be a source of dissatisfaction for workers as they struggle to be productive and make breakthroughs. Too much interaction and not enough work privacy has become a real issue for workers who need to concentrate or just take a break.
According to a Steelcase study conducted by IPSOS, more than 10,500 workers in Europe, North America and Asia confirm that insufficient privacy in the workplace is an issue all over the world. 95% of people surveyed said working privately was important to them, but only 41% said they could do so, and 31% had to leave the office to complete their work.