Millennials account for a significant proportion of today’s workforce all over the world. Now, with the emergence of Generation Z, it is extremely likely that workplace environments around the world will be dominated by these younger workers in the days to come.

Physical space has a serious impact on how employees perceive and respond to their working environment.

Today’s emerging workforce expects their workplaces to embrace advanced technology and provide a platform that allows them to be more creative, productive, and flexible.

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Consequently, the concept of agile workplaces has been developed by interior office designers. These work environments feature seamless integration of technologies, are suitable for on-the-go lifestyles, and combine different work areas to foster privacy and collaboration.

What does the Younger Workforce Want?

Following an employee exodus, the accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers commissioned a report to find out why a high percentage of young employees were quitting the organization.

It was found out that millennials believe that rewards should be earned at work not by spending long hours in the office, but by delivering quality work. It was also revealed that millennials prefer working in flexible working hours, with a group of like-minded people.

These days, it is rare to find offices that work nine to five. Telecommuting has emerged as a popular option, creating more choices and flexibility in terms of when and where the work is performed. Being extremely tech-savvy, the younger workforce expects modern technologies such as cloud computing, smart buildings, automated software, wi-fi, etc.

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According to office design experts, Kirei, maintaining a proper work-life balance is more important for today’s young workers than a bulging salary or fancy job title. Many of today’s employees understand this growing trend and are ready to invest in creating a frictionless digital experience so that they can attract and retain top talent.

This modern workforce also has a taste for unconventional designs and an environment that takes care of their health and wellbeing. This is why it has become important for companies to embed biophilic elements, mobile offices, and ergonomic furniture in their workplace designs.

Also, with the global push towards going green becoming stronger by the day, it is also important to create a sustainable workplace that has a minimum negative impact on the planet.

The culture and mindset of younger generations is reflected by the agile working practices. As a result, many offices have already started transitioning into agile office designs and completely transform the way they operate.

What is an Agile Office?

The primary objective of an agile office is to build an environment where employees can be more productive and enjoy the freedom of choice and more autonomy. Essentially, this working methodology involves getting rid of the traditional office space and completely changing the way operations are conducted.

Hot-desking, office hoteling, and activity-based working (ABW) are the three categories of agile working. Though all of them dispense with dedicated desk space, the working principles are slightly different. Activity-based working involves a free address protocol where employees reserve equipment, rooms, and desks. Depending on their activity, they often move from one place to another.

Operating on a first come first served basis, hot-desking provides the flexibility for workers to move around the office provided a free workstation is available. Finally, the office hoteling system allows employees to book the space in advance and they have to occupy that particular space for the scheduled block of time.

Benefits of Agile Working:

• Higher productivity and efficiency
• Flexible working environment
• Better work-life balance
• Higher job satisfaction
• Higher creativity and innovation
• Appeals to the younger generation
• Promotes employee health and wellbeing
• Reduces carbon footprint
• Optimum utilization of office space
• The reduced commercial property cost
• Attracts and retains top talent