Think slides instead of stairs, swings to help creative ideas flow, games rooms packed with lunchtime entertainment options and even champagne buttons on desks for workers in a new London office.
Indeed, what initially started out as a tech sector trend to create spaces which better reflected their brand and encouraged employees to think outside of the box, has gone mainstream. Yet while these modern office perks may provide a unique talking point in the office – and even a unique selling point for potential employees, some companies are struggling to strike the right balance between work and play.
“Many of them are questioning the value of these spaces and they are finding what worked for the likes of Google, may not work for them,” says Ram Srinivasan, Vice President and Head Consulting, JLL Canada. “And what’s the reason for this? Culture. All offices need informal spaces for employees to take a break yet not every office needs a pool table.”
What’s behind the playful office?
Office design has evolved rapidly in the last few decades. Traditional office spaces reflected the factory floor and the assembly line model. HBR’s Research during the 1980s indicated 85 percent of people needed spaces to concentrate and focus. Workplaces followed suit and the solution of the day was cellular workspaces, and cubicles.
Through the early to late 1990s, business became more agile. The need for cross-functional collaboration, global connectivity and teamwork increased. A workplace that over-emphasized individual delivery, no longer worked. Workplaces that favored collaboration began producing better results.
The next wave of research at the turn of century, hinted at two things: highly engaged employees were more productive and that Millennials, motivated by a different value system, would form a significant part of the workforce. Companies began to scramble for solutions to engage people, boost productivity and attract the millennial talent pool.
“Injecting a sense of play into the workplace was seen as the answer,” explains Srinivasan. “Office space designs have taken unbridled inspiration from the success of companies such as Google, and their workplaces. Now they’ve become more creative as companies look to stand out from the crowd and not all have been successful. For some employees in open plan offices, playful elements can actually be more of a distraction that hinder productivity.”