High-performance employees need quieter work spaces • Hacker News Board

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#41

Post by taurath » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:41 PM UTC

organsnyder wrote: post #13

solaris_7 wrote: post #8

The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…

The collaborative nature of my open office environment helps me to generate tons of great ideas that I'll never have the focus to implement.

Why don't you just stay late or come in early, don't you care about the company?!!

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#42

Post by nsxwolf » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:44 PM UTC

I made the mistake of thinking "open plan" meant low-walled cubes. Because I've been working longer than this fad existed. I think we had even used the term back then. I didn't get why people were suddenly whining about them.

Then I saw a real "open plan" office.

Holy shit. Why aren't workers violently revolting?

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#43

Post by iamdave » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:53 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #38

ConceptJunkie wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those fabric cubicles absorb a lot of sound. I miss them.

Cubicles where original marketed as "Action Offices" there is a book on the history of them called Cubed: A secret history of the workplace. The creator of them came to regret his creation as they where subverted in a direction he never expected. I've often wondered what a modern cubicle if designed today would look like, we've done wonders in computer modeling and such since even sound dampening designs would be muc…

A desk with a single wall in the front, behind where your displays would sit, and a frosted glass pane demarcating rows. "We're not an open design", but you don't exactly have anything remotely resembling a private workspace either.

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#44

Post by ratsz » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:56 PM UTC

mason240 wrote: post #19

solaris_7 wrote: post #8

The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…

Our company is currently relocating to new office, and they want an open office plan in the space. We will pack in tight, and our cube walls will all be 3.5 feet high. We have adjustable standing desks that will coming with us, so when standing we will towering over every one and I already know it's going to be awkward for me. The best part is our 5 person IT team will be right next to 25 people who work phones for c…

Be lucky you have cube walls. Many open plans don't even have those!

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#45

Post by jaderobbins1 » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:57 PM UTC

drcongo wrote: post #17

I find it very odd that these articles make the front page of HN on an almost daily basis. I'm currently working at home with twin toddlers with chicken pox playing at full volume, yet I'm having little trouble concentrating. Why do techs seem to obsess over this so much?

Because everyone is different?!

I know of a couple coworkers that do not have trouble concentrating in our open office, while I continually struggle to get deep thought done.

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#46

Post by ww520 » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:58 PM UTC

solaris_7 wrote: post #8

The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…

Because the $ in per sqft is easy to measure while the $ in employee productivity is hard to measure.

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#47

Post by ashark » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 5:59 PM UTC

solaris_7 wrote: post #8

The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…

I think that, among other reasons for its existence, open offices (especially when coupled with office-having supervisors) are one of many weapons arrayed against programmers to keep them from properly entering the professional (high-middle) class, or even (following Fussell's categories here) high-prole. Middle or (ideally) mid-prole only.

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#48

Post by iamacynic » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 6:01 PM UTC

throwaywgsid wrote: post #22

The most obvious and effective sounding way to divide offices is per-team. That way groups of people working on the same thing can talk easily. My current company has every dev and most managers in the same room. 7 scrum teams, over 60 people in one room. It's madness and I can't fucking stand the noise. You get written up for talking "excessively" during work hours because 3/4 the company can hear you when you try t…

uh well, you still work there don't you? that's why. because it's cheaper and you still need the paycheck.

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#49

Post by ww520 » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 6:03 PM UTC

watmough wrote: post #21

There's no mention of the bare fact that: * Cubicles are 'furniture' and therefore receive advantageous tax treatment (accelerated depreciation, increasing profits), * Walls, not so much.

Just build floor to ceiling thick walled cubicle, getting the benefits of both sides.

Re: High-performance employees need quieter work spaces

#50

Post by Bahamut » Wed, Mar 22, 2017, 6:04 PM UTC

solaris_7 wrote: post #8

The obsession for open plan offices continues to amaze me. Companies that invest huge amounts in staffing and other strategic programmes don't seem to spend much time challenging the default suggestion that 'openness = collaboration'. This article mentions high performance employees - but most knowledge workers (designers, programmers etc.) that I know all struggle with open plan office environments irrespective of t…

One also has to wonder if a non-trivial percentage of engineers also end up as not high performers as a direct result of being in an open office and not having their own private spaces.

I recommend private offices for engineers so they can get heads down and do their work, but sadly that suggestion tends to get ignored :( .