When planning your business, there are a lot of things to consider and options to weigh. Who to hire, where to plant your roots and how to set up the office are just a few of those thoughts. When planning the layout of your office, do you want an open or closed concept? There are pros and cons for each depending on your office culture, the feel you’re looking for in the workplace and the type of personalities. Here are the pros and cons of having an open office vs. a closed office.

FOR AN OPEN OFFICE:

Cost:
An open office concept is much cheaper and can make better use of the space. With closed offices, the space can seem smaller and you can lose precious square footage.

Communication:
The open concept allows better and more efficient communication between employees. If your business involves a lot of co-working and collaboration, the open concept is a great option. It can also benefit introverts and help them work better and communicate with their colleagues.

Culture:
An open concept office can help to break down the hierarchy and create a more collaborative environment, everyone is equal and on the same “level”.

Better flow of energy:
Not only does an open concept help to make better use of the space, there’s also a better flow of energy and creativity when employees are in the same space and able to communicate and collaborate with ease.

Happier Employees:
There are many studies showing that people who work in open offices are happier and enjoy going to work every day. Who wouldn’t want that?

AGAINST AN OPEN CONCEPT:

No privacy:
With an open concept, there is very little privacy or walls to hide behind. When planning an open concept office, it’s a great idea to offer conference or meeting rooms where people can use for phone calls, internal meetings or meetings with clients.

Louder:
If your employees will be making a lot of phone calls or meetings, the office can get pretty noisy.

More interruptions:
Someone might be watching a funny video, the person at the desk next door might be meeting with a client or there might be some employees brainstorming and working together. You can’t close the door and escape from the interruptions. This is where co-working spaces come in handy to create privacy for employees and clients.

Ultimately, the layout of your office is up to you and what works for your company. Every layout will have its pros and cons. Give us a call if you have any questions or would like to learn more about office layouts and talk through what you’re looking for.

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