August 9, 2013—Teknion Corporation just announced the results of its new workplace survey, which can help facilities managers and others who plan and manage office workspaces to see that a balance is necessary between the recent trend toward collaborative workplaces and the established need for quiet places to concentrate.
“We have noticed a major shift towards the collaborative, open environment office over the last several years,” said Steve Delfino, Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Product Management, Teknion. “Collaboration is no doubt an extremely important business tool, but its translation to the office plan may have been a little too extreme. A fine balance between privacy and the degree of openness is needed to be effective. Our workplace survey results indicate that employees, although understanding the benefits of collaboration, are looking for more privacy.”
When asked, “What is the one thing missing most from your office?” survey respondents identified a lack of lounge space, meeting rooms and quiet zones. A full 67% of those in the Education field identified casual spaces as the key missing element, followed by 67% in Law, 54% in Marketing, 52% in Finance and Insurance, 50% in Art and Media, 35% in Science and Research, and 30% in Healthcare.
When survey participants were asked, “What areas of your office do the best meetings or collaboration take place?” casual spaces—primarily lounges—were the preferred answer. Lounges were the first choice of four industries — Art and Media, Education, Law, and Marketing. Meeting Rooms were selected first by three industries: Finance and Insurance, Healthcare, and Science and Research.
“These results are not surprising, as studies continually indicate that the need for employee privacy is growing in step with increased collaboration in open-plan office environments,” says Delfino. “In fact, Gensler’s 2013 U.S. Workplace Survey determines that employees who can effectively focus are 57% more able to collaborate, 88% more able to learn, and 4% more able to socialize in their workplace than their peers who are unable to focus. Distracted employees are obviously not as productive as those with spaces designed for focus work. Our challenge is designing workplaces that effectively support the ability to focus and collaborate simultaneously.”
Teknion conducted its workplace survey at ideacity, “Canada’s Premier Meeting of the Minds,” in June in Toronto. Three-quarters of ideacity attendees are owners/founders of their own businesses, senior managers or executives within an organization. The conference attracts people from a variety of professional backgrounds including architecture and design, finance, investment, banking, technology, science, arts, film academia, and the public and not-for-profit sectors.
Teknion creates furniture that connects people, technology and spaces, holding to what the company calls a simple yet powerful principle: design does matter. Teknion offices and facilities are located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Russia and Malaysia, and clients are served through a network of authorized dealers worldwide. Through 30 years of dedication to innovative and sustainable design, the company offers a diverse portfolio of award-winning office systems, office furniture, ergonomic accessories and architectural products.
For additional information, see Teknion’s FMLink ad.
