Some people need it extremely quiet so that they can concentrate, others need it cool, others warm and others need constant exchange. The different ways of working and constellations in offices can make for productivity, but also for tension. Here we explain why we at Appmatics prefer an open-plan office.
At Appmatics, we specifically chose an office space where the vast majority of employees share the room. This was a conscious decision that was preceded by some thought.
Large vs. small
If you read up on the subject, the advantages of open-plan offices are mainly economic: Vacancies are avoided, planning is more economical and rational. Large spaces can be scaled better: Office furniture can be bought in bulk and it is easier to create a technological infrastructure that is accessible to all employees. In single or multi-person offices, there is often effectively no more space available for people. The biggest advantage of these small office designs is primarily the reduced noise, which makes for less stress, as well as the reduced potential for distraction.
Yes, an open-plan office can be stressful, as the volume, smells and different interpretations of rules demand a permanent confrontation with the wishes and needs of the people around you. To compensate for this shortcoming of open-plan offices, it is recommended, for example, to set up retreats that can be flexibly occupied by employees in order to focus on specific projects. Conversation or telephone booths can also be helpful in avoiding unnecessary noise pollution. "In good room concepts, zones are created for different tasks, for example, rooms for quiet work, teamwork and telephoning," says Christian Lorenz from the German Association for Personnel Management in an article in the WELT.
Our decision for an open plan office
When planning our business premises, we were faced with a decision: How many individual offices, how many rooms, how many people in one space? Small communities or the big picture? We decided on the open-plan office because we find that it improves communication and the team's sense of community. For us, open-plan offices are great levellers, because many different people work side by side, agree on common rules and exchange information through short communication channels.
Our testers always have to deal with complex problems that often cannot be solved alone. Team spirit and teamwork are incredibly important when it comes to reproducing bugs and ultimately finding the sources of errors. Then it is a great advantage if friendly colleagues can give you the necessary nudge in the right direction. The direct personal contact and conversations naturally lead to a louder background noise. Our way of dealing with this is to opt for noise officers. Here, the employees:inside choose for themselves from whom they can best receive the appeal for quiet. In the event of noise explosions, the noise officers then ensure that the noise level returns to bearable levels.
Appmatics Office Culture
Modern offices must strike a balance between the need for privacy and creative collaboration. In open-plan offices, employers are required by law to comply with certain specifications for room dimensions and movement possibilities as well as occupational health and safety. In this sense, they actually have something ahead of the small offices. So it is not the space per person that is the challenge, but dealing with noise, temperature, ventilation and odours. Compromises have to be found here that the staff can live with. For us, the advantages of equal treatment, communication and community outweigh this process of finding compromises, because in practice we see that problems are solved more quickly, the exchange works better and the interaction between colleagues remains constructive and social.
