Future workplaces to be more casual, high-tech and fun

You may find yourself working in one of the funky workplaces seen in movies like The Social Network in the near future.

New research by Colliers International has suggested that the growing influence of Gen Y workers will change the design of offices, making them more casual, high-tech, green friendly and fun.

Doug Henry from Colliers said employers were already turning to office design for an edge as the war for talent heated up.

Henry said good pay would always be key to the attraction and retention of staff, but employers could also appeal to Gen Y’s sensitivity to their surroundings.

He said young workers wanted to work for an employer who demonstrated a commitment to social issues and who operated in a less hierarchical structure.

Both these issues had a strong influence on office design.

“The research shows Gen Y workers require continuous and instantaneous feedback from management, yet dislike an authoritative management style,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Henry as saying.

“They want the flexibility to work to their own schedules - to break when they want to break, to leave when they need to leave and arrive when they need to arrive.

“They also seek companionship at work, rather than just colleagues, as they function on a more flexible, social basis,” he added.

The result was more efficient use of space, which could lead to smaller offices.

It also encouraged an arrangement whereby desks were grouped by skills and connections rather than hierarchy, and which included more “fun space” such as lunchrooms.

Henry said there would also be a growing requirement from Gen Y to work remotely and to have the space to socialise with their colleagues.