Though some might not be huge fans of the open office layout that many businesses have implemented in recent years, we here at Hawkins International PR have embraced it with open arms! We strive for a truly collaborative culture in our office and that’s why we refuse to let cubicles derail our efforts.The lack of walls and other physical barriers help facilitate constant interaction among our employees. We value this constant interaction because it creates a sense of companionship that ultimately enhances the flow of ideas, the sharing of information, and fosters great teamwork.
Hawkins account supervisor Ashley Fenton summed it up it perfectly, saying, “I love how collaborative our space is….we are talking to each other all day long, building ideas off each other and sharing feedback. The energy is felt from the moment you walk in the door. While we do have an interoffice messaging system in place our floor plan makes it very easy to approach a co-worker.”
In this age of Slack and WhatsApp, we must admit it’s nice to hear people actually talking to one another — a natural byproduct of an open office floor plan. We are of the mindset that if collaboration increases as a result of an open work environment, the opportunities for innovative ideas increases, too!
Understandably, the most common apprehension of adopting an open office layout is the fear of losing privacy. And the truth is that yes, there will be less privacy compared to a traditional office layout. That being said, we believe that the pros far outweigh the cons, and that the tradeoff of less privacy in exchange for increased collaboration is well worth it. In addition, at Hawkins we have been sure to provide a number of conference rooms and meeting places for times when privacy is needed.
Our client SPACES is one of the leading forces in this new wave of collaborative open offices, built on the idea that success breeds more success.SPACES wants to redefine the way people work, and we admire how they’ve cultivated a community of thinkers and achievers.
As our social media coordinator Emily Shearburn said, “I think that SPACES’s focus on collaborative workplace culture sets the standard for what companies need to do in order to ensure their employees maintain a certain level of creativity.
Their co-working spaces allow different companies to share ideas, learn from each other’s successes and, oftentimes, collaborate in order to further their goals.”
Do you work in an open office? What has your experience been like? Let us know what you think in the comment section below, or tweet us at @hipr on Twitter!