We’ve all worked in an open-plan office at some stage in our lives. And if we’re honest, we’ve all dreamed of having our own little private space. No matter how nice your colleagues are, we tend to relish those fleeting moments when the office is empty and silent apart from the gentle hum of air conditioning.

Open mouths and closed blinds

Working in close proximity with other people reveals their soft skills, but it also exposes you to their annoying idiosyncrasies. There’s usually someone who eats with their mouth open, at least one bloke who can’t take a phone call without shouting, and a gossipy junior endlessly going on about weddings and parties. The boss typically has a separate office with venetian blinds that are only ever closed when something bad is about to happen—a visible reminder that even the most egalitarian companies still have a hierarchy.

Yet open-plan offices have a great deal of merit. From the classroom-style setup of post-war companies to modern breakout spaces and hot desks, employers have consistently favoured this working environment. ZACK Group has just moved into new open-plan premises, adopting the same approach as other tech innovators like Trello and Dropbox.

Disclosure, discussion and debate

One commonly-overlooked advantage of an open-plan office is the ability to share ideas and evolve something collaboratively. Bouncing ideas off colleagues is far easier when they’re within earshot, and creatives rarely riff on an idea via email. People in different departments bring alternative perspectives and skillsets, so it makes sense to counsel their opinions. A thirty-second discussion can often be sufficient to answer a query, or resolve an IT gremlin.

Second and third opinions can be crucial in industries like sales or recruitment, as people compare experiences and advise junior colleagues on the best way forward. It’s easier to ask advice from an adjacent desk than it is from six rooms away. Spontaneous interactions build team spirit, which has been proven to influence everything from job satisfaction and performance to sick leave and absenteeism.

Check out ZACK Group’s new headquarters at Bourke Street, Melbourne!

Bring the pink noise and hold the egg mayo

Modern technology offers numerous ways to resolve those time-honoured complaints about open-plan working environments:

•        Uncomfortable silences can be eliminated by playing pink noise through speakers.
•        Zone-controlled soft lighting reduces the headaches and reflections caused by unforgiving strip lights.
•        USB-powered LED bulbs can be illuminated when you’re on the phone or deep in thought, to indicate you don’t want any interruptions.

It’s true that sound-cancelling headphones allow workers to go placidly amid the noise and the haste. However, it’s far better to resolve potential sound issues pre-emptively. Build in acoustic panels, strategically position furniture to give people a degree of privacy, and install soft fabrics to prevent large spaces becoming noisy echo chambers. Clever layouts will allow your company to add more staff in future, which is vital for startups and tech firms.

A well-designed open-plan office brings all sorts of hidden benefits. Hot desking allows staff to work alongside each other most of the time, relocating to a bookable office for meetings or confidential projects while enjoying a change of scenery. Preventing people from eating at their desks banishes the sight and smell of someone dropping egg mayonnaise down their chin to the cafeteria or breakout zone. A liquids-only desk policy can even boost afternoon productivity, by preventing employees from working straight through lunch and being exhausted by 3pm.

There’s a price on your head

Open-plan workspaces are far superior to those dingy 20th century cubicles, with their head-height baffle boards and latent claustrophobia. Open-plan rooms also create the impression of a dynamic company, looking great in marketing literature or as visitors arrive. Facebook’s iconic HQ would be far less photogenic (and photographed) without endless rows of silver Mac screens sweeping across every desk.

Perhaps most importantly, open-plan offices are cheaper. They’re much more cost-effective than a building with dozens of separate rooms and interconnecting corridors, assuming such a place still exists in your CBD. The cost savings achieved on monthly rents can be redirected into salaries, new technology or growing the business.

Ask the experts

If you want to see the benefits of open-plan thinking in action, follow ZACK Group on LinkedIn. We’ve got loads of bright minds working together on digital and IT recruitment, sharing our collective expertise in an airy office environment.