The millennial generation, in the age group of 18 to 35 has started dominating today’s workforce like never before. As technological developments propel the workforce forward, there has been a paradigm shift in the work culture. With the ability to connect from anywhere at any time, millennials are beginning to experience increased flexibility and autonomy in their work. Most millennials prefer working in a group, which offers a sense of unity and collaboration over division and competition. Such desires are instrumental in the development of a community and ensure that the family and personal pursuits are priorities in their lives. This has resulted in their work-life integration preference. They measure productivity by work completed and not by time spent in the office or at their desk to get the job done. These beliefs have begun to create a paradigm shift in the design and evolution of the modern workplace.
As a result, traditional office space, with permanent layouts dedicated to focused productivity are giving way to modular layouts, with components that can be mixed and matched to offer an innumerable combination of collaborative work experiences. This evolution translates to workspaces that offer superior flexibility while allowing community-based collaboration, which millennials find comfort, meaning, and pleasure. In many cases, these spaces are informal settings such as lounges, collaboration areas, and break-out rooms. There are agile workspaces such as hot desking, teleworking, adjustable desks where one can stand and work.
Additionally, with the use of technology, employees have the flexibility to further collaborate with their peers by bringing their own personal clouds and applications to the workplace. By harnessing the power of communication, technologies like Microsoft office and Google G-suite, organizations are managing complex schedule and combine best in class productivity tools with cloud services that help take creativity and collaboration to new heights.
The workplace of the future will span over multiple spaces and corners that will help spur creativity, innovation, collaboration, and engagement.
