Are there any studies that support productivity in an open office environment? The studies referenced in this article and others seem pretty negative overall. Certainly seems to be the trend at most companies these days that I've interacted with. Is it mainly just the cheaper option per square foot?
The Open-Office Trap
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Re: The Open-Office Trap
#42The open/closed office thing seems like chocolate vs. vanilla. Some people love one and hate the other. Some are okay with both. I've worked in both, at several companies. I generally prefer open office plans. Clearly other people don't. Everyone is different. There is no RIGHT answer, just RIGHT for you, or for your team...
It's often not the team who decides. I've also been told (but it's just hearsay) that you can't get the highest LEED certification for your groovy new office complex if you have individual offices, so the PR value of that is factored in as well.
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#43Well, Facebook is building the world's largest open bullpen office, with 2800 workers in 1 room(!) I wonder what they think of this research that shows open office plans being detrimental.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/27/article-2331658-1A...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2584738/Now-T...
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#44I can see how open offices are deeply unproductive for mid to large sized companies. But for a team of Does anyone else have experience with small teams working in open spaces?
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's an interesting point. It reminds me of something Joel Spolsky wrote: Here's the simple algebra. Let's say (as the evidence seems to suggest) that if we interrupt a programmer, even for a minute, we're really blowing away 15 minutes of productivity. For this example, lets put two programmers, Jeff and Mutt, in open cubicles next to each other in a standard Dilbert veal-fattening farm. Mutt can't remember the na…
Conversely, I've been able to save days of employee time by hearing a conversation between two colleagues that had a faulty assumption on our infrastructure setup.
But does a plus that happens once or twice a year outweigh minuses that happen multiple times per day?
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#46I had one experience in an "open office" for approximately six months. It was terrible, constant shuffling of people to acquire the plethora of free food available. Nerf Gun wars and the constant click clack of ping pong approximately 30 ft. away. This article has offered me some vindication in my distaste for the "open office".
Seems like the problem wasn't the open office plan but grown-ups playing with nerf guns and ping pong when they're being paid to work.
The problem is probably closer to these potential noise sources not being properly isolated from the work area, of which open offices are particularly susceptible.
I've only had one work environment that didn't have some type of on-site recreation.
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#47Everyone seems to hate open offices, but since it's all I've ever known, what's the alternative? Everyone get a 4-walled office?
You'd never think you'd hear this, but IMO full height cubicles are a step up from the open office plan without running the bill of true offices.
I was transitioned from a full-height cubicle (in a corner, no less) to a half-height cubicle. I can see from the neck up of the person in the next cube while seated. This was done to "increase collaboration", however myself and my team are placed by a group of people from HR, so it's constantly our recruiters on the phone pre-screening candidates. We never need to interact with them. And I know they are annoyed with us as well when we're talking technical jargon. We both get on each other's nerves and constantly distract each other.
Even if you subscribe to the "open = more collaborative" idea, it only works when you're near people that you interact with daily.
I miss my full-height cubicle, in an area with only people from my department.
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#48Open office plans seem really polarizing on HN, but it surprises me how often people defend them here (or even evangelize them). For software development, it seems like something that has no upside at all (aside from saving money on office space), and tons of downsides. For the people who do prefer them (and also spend most of their time writing code), I would be curious to know the following: (1) How many years have…
I've been happy with open plan offices when the seats are far enough apart. If you open someone's door you are certainly going to interrupt them, but looking at someone's face often lets you know if this is a good time to ask them a question or not. My favorite work environment (where I stayed for 1.5 years) was open plan. My least favorite work environment (2 years) was also open plan where people were packed in.
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#49Yet another argument work working remote. I have to admit, the Basecamp book Remote has completely sold me on remote. I've been remote for two years and never again would I want to work in any office other than my own.
Re: The Open-Office Trap
#50Open office plans seem really polarizing on HN, but it surprises me how often people defend them here (or even evangelize them). For software development, it seems like something that has no upside at all (aside from saving money on office space), and tons of downsides. For the people who do prefer them (and also spend most of their time writing code), I would be curious to know the following: (1) How many years have…
My experience mirrors yours, I've yet to meet (IRL) someone who has actually experienced private (or at least semi-private two-to-an-office) offices who prefers open offices.
All of the boosters I've run into have only known open offices. Having said that, I'm sure someone will chime in here who has experienced both and prefers open offices, but I have to believe such people are in the vast minority based on my completely anecdotal data
Having done both (as I'm old enough to have started working when open offices were pretty rare), it is kind of ridiculous how much less productive (and less happy) I am in an open office and how difficult it is to find a workplace that isn't open office these days.