Office design has come a long way and is evolved drastically over the past few years. Most organizations have already bid farewell to traditional office design and have revamped their spaces according to modern workplace standards. However, there still are some organizations that feature a traditional office design. If you're one of the latter, we suggest you seriously consider modernizing your workplace.
You may want to know why?
Designing a modern office requires extensive time, effort, and most importantly, money, which may be the biggest factor keeping you from revamping your office space.
Both traditional office and modern office design have their own set of pros and cons. Nothing is 100% good or 100% bad. You've got to see where the pros outweigh the cons, which is what we'll be doing in this blog post.
Let's take you through a detailed account of modern offices vs. traditional offices and help you understand which is better and why you should opt for it.
Modern Offices Vs. Traditional Offices
Before we move onto a detailed modern office vs. traditional office account, let's first have a clear understanding of what modern offices and traditional offices are. Modern office design features an open layout, a highly collaborative environment, fewer divisions between employees, and a higher level of employee wellness, among other things. Modern offices have an entirely different vibe (in a good way, of course!). Traditional offices are more simplistic and lack any innovative or creative features. They feature a cubicle layout where all employees are seated in separate cubicles where they work independently.
As we said earlier, modern office design and traditional design both have advantages and disadvantages, but there has got to be some reason why organizations are revamping their workplaces to modernize them, right?
Modern office design has plenty to offer, which is why an increasing number of organizations are seen going out and about revamping their workspaces. Let's look at the various aspects of both types of offices in detail.
Communication and Collaboration
One of the biggest benefits of modern offices is better and more effective communication and collaboration. The most prominent feature of modern office design is an open layout where all the employees are sitting and working together without any divisions as such. Unlike traditional office design, where employees work independently in their respective cubicles, employees are able to communicate and collaborate with each other as they work. The partitions between workstations are usually the same height as the workstation, which makes it possible for the employees to talk as they work. With better communication and collaboration comes better teamwork and higher efficiency.
The employees working in a modern office have a stronger sense of working as a team than in traditional offices, which is great for any organization.
Employee Safety and Well-Being
Another feature that sets modern offices apart is the office furniture, equipment, and policies that are designed to be more employee-centric. Modern offices are equipped with ergonomic furniture and equipment and have policies to ensure employee safety and well-being. On the other hand, traditional offices are equipped with traditional furniture.
Now, this is where the major difference lies. Ergonomic furniture like ergonomic desks and chairs and employee-centric policies promote higher employee comfort, safety, and well-being. The employees are made to feel like a valuable part of the organization and their safety and comfort are prioritized. As a result, employees stay with the organization for longer. Employees working in traditional offices lack this sense of safety and well-being.
Employee Satisfaction
Modern office design offers employees greater flexibility and gives them numerous opportunities to relax during the day. Most modern offices have relaxing rooms where the employees can go during the break to unwind and refresh. In contrast, organizations with a traditional office design expect their employees to work every minute of their shift. There are no break rooms for the employees. Employees working in traditional offices are usually more exhausted and frustrated than those working in modern offices. Modern offices offer a higher level of employee satisfaction, resulting in a highly productive workforce.
Cost
Setting up and maintaining a modern office is costlier than a traditional office. Since modern office space features the latest, innovative furniture, a modern and creative interior, and a thoughtful, employee-centric layout, setting up modern offices is quite expensive. On the other hand, traditional office design is cheap as the organization doesn't have to invest any money in the office design or employee comfort.
Work Environment
While modern office design boosts a highly collaborative and productive work environment, it does present challenges for individuals whose job requires more focus. This is because modern offices have all employees working together in an open space that makes the office very loud. There are no individual cubicles so anyone can stop by for a quick chat which can be quite distracting. Traditional offices are better in this regard as they offer a lot of quiet and privacy where the employees can work in silence with full concentration.
Employee Retention
Employee retention is higher in modern offices than in traditional offices. Employees today are very smart. They're aware of their rights and won't waste a minute switching employers who give them more importance. Modern offices offer the employees a greater sense of safety and well-being, and this results in the employees sticking to the organization for longer.
Employee Morale
Employee morale is an extremely important factor that plays a significant role in the company's success. A happy, satisfied, and dedicated workforce is the company's biggest asset. If the employees are happy and satisfied with their work environment and their employer, they'll be more than willing to go the extra mile. They'll work with more dedication and commitment and deliver better results. However, if the employee isn't comfortable at work and feels exhausted and unsafe, they'll be constantly distracted, and this will reflect in their productivity and efficiency. Employees will be more stressed if the working conditions aren't favorable for them. As a result, they won't deliver the highest quality results.
This is another area where modern office designs get the edge. Since the primary focus of a modern office design is employee comfort, safety, and satisfaction, the employees working in modern offices appear happier. Happy employees are the most productive and deliver the best results!
The problem with a traditional office design is that the offices aren't designed keeping in mind the needs of the employees. Modern offices are designed to be employee-centric with a belief that productivity will follow naturally!
Brand Image
If you wish to enhance your brand's image, you've got a better chance of showing your best to your clients with a modern office design. Modern offices are designed according to the company's values, and the clients can instantly taste what the company has to offer. A client walking into a modern office will instantly know what to expect. However, traditional offices lack big time when it comes to branding. Traditional offices are just walled offices with little or no touch of customization and personalization. When a client visits a traditional office, all they'll feel is walking into any office with no vibe at all!
What's Better?
The pros of modern offices definitely outweigh the cons. Modern office design is superior to traditional office design in numerous aspects. Although setting up a modern office is costlier and more cumbersome, it's every bit worth it!
Getting Started
Now that you know modern office design is better for your business, you may want to know how and where to start. The journey won't be easy, but we can promise you that it'll be highly rewarding.
Set a Budget
The first thing that you need to do when planning to modernize your office space is set a budget. The options are endless if the budget isn't an issue. Once you know how much you can spare to spend, you can then start by listing out where you can cut costs and where you can't compromise.
Get Your Employees Onboard
The transition period won't be easy for the employees as there will be distraction and disturbance while the office is being redesigned. It's important to talk to your employees about your plan, the timelines, and how you plan to take things moving forward. When your employees feel that they're important enough for you to consider sharing your plans with them, you'll be surprised at the extent to which they'll be willing to facilitate you in your journey.
Hire the Right Professionals
Working with the right professionals can make the office redesigning journey less stressful and a lot smoother for you and your employees. Instead of hiring individual contractors for every job, hire one company and have them take care of everything for your new office.
Closing Word
In the comparison between modern and traditional offices, modern offices stand out for all the right reasons. Modern office design is a win-win for everyone – you, your employees, and your business!
