“Competition has become more fierce, especially in economic downturn,” says Boden. “[With] increased margin and pricing pressures, 24/7 operation [and] access to information is critical.”
This increased competition has caused the rules of work to change drastically. Instead of working the once typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday job, workers now have nontraditional work hours at both their office and home. There is no “clock out” time for workers anymore, and that’s due in large part to modern technology. Mobile devices capable of internet access make it easier for workers to do their jobs at the “ding” of an incoming email from their boss on their Blackberries.
Because technological advancements have made access to information much more feasible, technology has itself become a main driver of workforce change. It has become a status symbol, especially for younger workers, giving them an edge over seasoned workers who may not be as tech savvy.
Changes in generational demographics have also influenced today’s workforce. With a changing mix of workers, diversity in attitudes and beliefs about motivation, technology, career development, and work-life balance can pose challenges between workers.
“People communicate based on their generational background,” says Boden. “Young workers are willing to take risks and try new ideas and concepts. Seasoned workers are all about entitlement and want privacy.”
In addition to multiple generations in the workforce, other demographics including gender and race will create differences among workers. The number of women and minorities are expected to rise and create a very different workforce within the next five to ten years.
“People are complicated,” she continues. “[This leads to a] more diverse workplace and a more complex workforce.”
But these differences have added value to the collaborative method of work, as having different perspectives can create positive outcomes in group projects.
Environmental Issues
And as a result of generations both past and present, environmental issues have affected how workspaces are designed. Rising costs of commuting to work, polluting the environment, and ineffective building design are all problems that have resulted out of current building designs. These issues are leading designers to create workspaces that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
How can architectural and design specialists adjust to these changes? And how can they effectively design workspaces that will attract and retain employees?
Designers must first acknowledge that effective work design calls for two necessary elements: space for individual work and space for collaboration.
Patricia Taylor Marais, Director of Interior Design for Commonwealth Architects in Richmond, discusses how this need for both individual and collaborative spaces has changed workspace design.
“Personal work stations have a smaller footprint,” she says. “Vendors are coming up with very creative ways to accessorize those smaller work stations by consolidating storage needs—personal storage versus task-oriented, immediately-accessed work areas. They’ve really refined the personal work zone. In terms of overall office plan, there are more communal plans designed.”
Designers must also contemplate the impact of strategic organization in the workspaces they design. Workspaces must support the diverse workforce of today by allowing easy access to modern technology to increase productivity.
“We collaborate with specialty consultants more than we ever have before primarily because of technological advances,” explains Marais. “Telecommunication, teleconferencing—those are space requirements.”
Talk to Me
Randy Alberson, co-owner of Smarter Interiors in Richmond, notes how these modes of communication, and the effect of generational differences on them, have impacted how designers create suitable workspaces for is clients.
“The way people communicate is different from many, many years ago,” he explains. “Employees of today are going to face situations that our grandparents couldn’t imagine. But in the end it is going to come back to the same thing: it’s about people sitting down face to face and talking. You want to feel like you’re in your living room and be comfortable.”
But most important, designers must design workspaces to attract, educate, and retain clients’ employees. They must implement drivers of worker satisfaction and prepare for the future needs of organization by means of the education and development of the workforce.
Marais has witnessed how an attractive workspace affects the futures of her clients’ employees.
“The younger workforce has greater expectations of their work environments,” she says. “So what we found is that companies are having to modify their interior environment to recruit more talented younger professionals. “In terms of the environment, the spaces are more exciting, more invigorating, to generate more creative collaborative communication. ”
It is imperative that when designing workspaces for their clients, designers consider the drivers of workforce change as well as their clients’ needs, which are constantly evolving, and must predict the future through efficient workspace design.
“It is our job to anticipate the needs of the customer, even when they don’t realize it,” says Alberson. “We have to be able to set them up for the future. We’re the experts; we come in and we tell them this is where you need be.”
The Greater Richmond Grid, Voume 1, Issue 1, Summer 2009
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