By 2025 it’s predicted that Millennials will make up 75% of the global workforce and their motivation at work is very different from previous generations.
A work life balance, a sense of purpose and increased flexible working are key for this age group.
To get to grips with how workplace design strategies need to change – and how they are already adapting – Desso and Tarkett invited trend forecaster, Scarlet Opus, to share insight into the trends that define a Millennial working environment.
Born between 1983 and 2001, the Millennial generation has a wealth of technology at their fingertips – this is a generation that is constantly connected, but also creative and resourceful.
For Millennials, the lines between work and social life have now blurred so much that workspaces need to reflect this changing landscape in order to retain growing talent.
Scarlet Opus outlines how the workplace is changing and what this means for our future.
More time for play
Where high salaries and bonuses were once the only requirements to maintain a happy workforce, now there are other factors at play. Millennials’ attachment to their smartphones and social media accounts has changed the way in which we communicate.
Instant and constant communication is encouraging collaboration in a way that we have never seen before – helping to solve problems and spark creativity.
This trend for socialising can be seen in modern office design, aiming to give a sense of freedom and encouragement to an increasingly honest workforce.
So what does a playful office design look like? For Wild Card in California it looks like a 20-seat cinema, while Mojang in Sweden has a gaming room. Crucially, open and sociable spaces give an informal layout and this has even translated to corporate policy, with companies such as Morgan Stanley Investment Bank now allowing workers to wear jeans to work – a more relaxed ‘dress-down’ everyday approach.
Increasingly, work is now transcending from a corporate atmosphere to a space where employees can relax and have fun.
A sense of community
One thing that social media has taught us is the importance of creating communities – both online and offline. There is a growing awareness that when Millennials feel included, they are more likely to stay at a company and this is being reflected in workplace design.
A separate area where groups can come together and share food, space and ideas helps to create a sense of belonging – a benefit that eating ‘al desko’ could never replicate. Eating together leads to learning together, which ultimately means we succeed together. Communal space dining tends to replicate eating together at home; helping to create a sense of belonging and built meaningful relationships.
A shared space also encourages a feeling of democracy and equality among a workforce – essential for keeping Millennials interested in a competitive landscape.
Endless options
Having the freedom of choice is empowering. Which is why providing multiple areas within the same workplace can be beneficial in retaining a Millennial workforce.
Moving away from vast, open-plan offices and turning to multi-faceted spaces is designed to provide a distraction-free environment, encouraging movement between employees. The chance encounters that open-plan offices catered for previously have evolved holistically with additional opportunities meaning it’s possible to work quietly in one area before collaborating in the next.
Through the lateral movement of ideas, physical movement between zones is also created. Evidence now suggesting that sitting is the new smoking is changing the way that the workplace is designed – this time with health and wellbeing in mind. Standing desks with bar height tables, standing and walking meetings are just the beginning – and expected to grow in popularity as employers become more worried about Millennial health.
Personalisation
Hot-desking, once the very essence of the modern workplace, now comes with a set of limitations. Although the freedom of movement can encourage collaboration, a nomadic working style can stifle our personalities and means we can’t wholly express ourselves through design.
Collaborative spaces have now transitioned to communal zones, and increasingly we are creating cosy hubs – or a home away from home. In a backlash against consumerism, more and more workers are looking to customise their own spaces and distance themselves from mass-produced goods that look the same.
Recently, Desso architects and designers are turning to personalised flooring, as more design options are available now than ever before. Different colours and patterns can be rearranged to zone individual areas and encourage a sense of belonging. Natural looking materials are still firmly on the radar for helping to bring the outside in and placing a strong emphasis on employees’ health and wellbeing.
Home sweet home
Staying firmly away from a traditional office layout, homely spaces encourage workers to relax, which in turn, results in a more productive, less anxious environment.
Cosy hubs – or professional nesting areas – are easy to replicate, as subtle changes in colour, fabric, furniture, lighting and accessories can add to a comfortable and familiar space.
Recreating a homely atmosphere at work isn’t a new concept for start-up companies, as experimentation with styling, layout and furniture selection is proving key to a happy and relaxed workforce. With office furniture now designed to offer self-contained, standalone solutions, workers can feel at home, with everything they need within reach.
Where innovative companies like Airbnb lead, others inevitably follow. Its San Francisco headquarters has styled its meeting rooms into different rooms in the home – including a meeting room that looks like a kitchen. ampills.com. Not only does this fit the ‘home away from home’ trend, it also fits with its brand message – “don’t go there, live there”.
Future direction
The transition of the traditional office to a space that encourages collaboration in shared areas but retains a sense of personalisation, has been subtle but still significant.
The more forward-thinking companies are recognising that, in order to retain a millennial workforce, they need to give them the freedom to express themselves through design. Welcome to the new workplace, where function and beauty now sit side-by-side, with a mix of natural materials and craftsmanship, and the highly technical advances that have come to define a generation.