Workplace culture changes
Today’s office is nothing like its predecessors. You can stand or sit, question the boss, have fun and use social media at any time
he modern office is a bit like an airport, with workers constantly flying in and flying out. It was only a couple of generations ago that the typical office featured male bosses sitting at enormous oak desks in grand offices under figurative glass ceilings while, outside, the ladies in the typing pool tapped away on enormous Remington keyboards; their work carefully scrutinised for errors.
Male workers straightened their ties, polished their cufflinks and refilled fountain pens while waiting for smoko time to roll around again.
That description is probably a little sweeping and simplistic but there is no doubt the world of work began a significant cycle of change when widespread use of word processors and computers first came about in the 1980s and 1990s. A revolution was under way and that exploded with the advent of the internet showing little sign of slowing down, with more technological innovation every day, every month and every year.
When Facebook — launched by tech innovator Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, first arrived on the New Zealand scene, managers — by now of all genders — often banned its use at work, outside of lunchtime and breaks, anxious that staff were using it for chatting with friends or for catching up on entertainment and sporting news.
Now, however, the use of social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn Twitter and Instagram are an integral part of many job descriptions.
Those early up- takers of the world’s most popular social network, and young people who grew up with it are our social media gurus. They’re carrying out jobs specifically designed around promoting an employers’ business online, using desktops, laptops, tablets — and of course, the ubiquitous mobile telephonic device, from which none of us can bear to be parted.
Today’s office looks nothing like its predecessors. Open- plan is the norm and individual offices are becoming rare. There are standing desks for those who prefer not to sit, while some employers even install gym equipment such as treadmills for staff who are true multitaskers. Hot desks can be found in many offices and silent rooms cater for employees needing a break from the constant cacophony of electronic sounds and the murmur of voices.
Hierarchy is not such a big deal anymore — or at least it isn’t meant to be. The chain of command is often much less clearly defined and, in many industries, everybody i s expected to turn their hands to any roles with versatility seen as key to a company or project’s success.
Team building is the buzz phrase of our era, and meetings take place well away from the boardroom table and can involve people tuning in from all over the world. Oddly, the need for meetings seems to have grown exponentially with our increasingly informal communication lines.
Bosses are continually looking for new ways in which to engage with staff and, for their part, employees expect to know what’s happening in their workplace. Communication is everything.
Trade Me, the online auction site that was a runaway success for its founder, Sam Morgan, is one such employer.
“We work hard to hire the right people. We value energy, optimism, flexibility, creativity, and a nonserious streak. We’re informal but focused, and much more interested in ideas and how things get done than the clothes people wear,” it says.
At Trade Me’s Wellington headquarters, employees can use a slide that connects the three floors if they don’t fancy taking the stairs, and a kitsch Kiwiana vibe pervades the building. Like many big companies Trade Me knows the value of keeping good people — so they provide good coffee.
With all this change going on, and work becoming so much fun, there’s another group of people who no longer embark on a daily commute.
They’re workers, in what has come to be known as the gig economy. This means freelancing, moving from job to job, yet often not darkening a single employer’s door from one week to another. This army works from home and from their local cafes, where the Wi- Fi is free — seemingly unbothered by chatter at other tables.
Marketing consultant Simon McManus was an early embracer of social media, and has grown his busi- ness substantially by harnessing the power of Twitter and Facebook.
“Even when I was working on my own, from home, I didn’t really feel isolated or identify as being lonely because I was still interacting with people all the time.”
Having said that, McManus recently moved into shared office space in the CBD, with a Travel PR firm, and it’s a step he doesn’t regret.
“It does actually feel good catching the train to work and keeping a routine.
“The people I’m sharing with say that I’ve been a positive influence so I must be doing something right!” he says
McManus is an avid user of Skype and email but still prefers face- to- face meetings in certain circumstances.
“With Skype you can’t always read the body language of the person you’re talking to, and a smiley face on an email will only go so far.”