First in, gets best workspace

The days of having a desk to yourself may be numbered, as offices switch to activity-based working. Joel Ngeaw, Kai Ping Lew and Catherine Harris report.

A FASCINATING insight into the way we work and think can be gained from looking at office floor plans.

In the 1960s, post-war office workers worked at desks in straight lines. In the following decade, the desk arrangements of staff grew as organically as the pot plants, and by the 80s open-plan offices were all the rage. But a decade later, the need to keep computer cables untangled led back to those straight lines.

Now, with the advent of wifi, workplaces are changing again. Freed from cabling constraints, offices are opting for a design which promotes smaller floorplans and better working relations.

It is called ‘‘activity-based working’’ or ABW, in which employees share desks and collaborative spaces.

Desks still dominate but are no longer assigned. Instead employees plug their laptop into a computer screen at a desk of their choosing.

They are arranged in zones, including quiet areas for those needing to work without distraction or in clusters allowing teams to work together on projects. Some desks are elevated for those who want to stand while they work, and a ‘‘clear desk’’ policy means lockers replace desk drawers and storage. Those who don’t need a desk have the option of lounging in more informal settings or meeting with clients if privacy is not an issue.

ABW is really a progression from ‘‘hot-desking,’’ a term that emerged in the 1990s for staff without dedicated desks.

It also acknowledges that with mobile technology, people can work from almost anywhere.

Tim Hooson, principal at architectural firm Jasmax, says ABW recognises that people naturally undertake activities in specific areas in their daily lives.

‘‘You cook in the kitchen, you wash in the bathroom and you sleep in the bedroom. It’s picking up on this model and starting to reflect that into the workplace.’’

Undeniably, ABW also allows businesses to reduce space and cut costs and that’s one of the reasons it can be viewed with suspicion by staff who are used to their own dedicated space, replete with their favourite photos and chairs.

But Hooson, who has helped introduce ABW in a number of companies including dairy giant Fonterra in Auckland, says the system is about optimising the performance of workers, rather than merely maximising the use of assets.

The complexities of modern management means organisations are actively trying to drive networking and collaboration, he says.

‘‘How can we empower people to come together when they need to, not when management tells them?’’

Chris Till, chief executive at Human Resource Institute New Zealand, says New Zealand organisations are cottoning on to the idea that they need to invest in people, technology and leadership.

‘‘Investing in real estate really just ties you up and reduces your liquidity and your flexibility.’’

Large companies to move to ABW include Vodafone, ASB and AMP. Vodafone is already considered an old hand, implementing the system in 2005.

Vodafone’s head of human resources Jan Bibby says the environment has allowed the telecommunications company to cut costs by reducing its office space, make better use of its infrastructure and reduce its carbon footprint.

AMP turned to activity-based working when it merged with AXA in 2011.

It was a means to integrate staff from both companies, says James Georgeson, AMP’s strategy director and chief risk officer.

‘‘The practice helped us to drive a new culture by breaking down the barriers that existed when we brought together two companies.’’

The move encouraged staff to work together, especially when large numbers of people were involved on a project.

This increase in collaboration is one of the main drivers for companies making the switch away from a traditional office.

ASB, which introduced ABW in the middle of last year when it moved its headquarters into the North Wharf building in Auckland, says staff interaction is much tighter, if only because they are more likely to bump into each other on a regular basis.

‘‘There are efficiency and productivity gains from being able to resolve issues quickly and easily as there is less distance between managers and their team members,’’ says ASB spokesman Roger Beaumont.

Till agrees. ‘‘Imagine your chief executive just wondering around and working in different places and they are becoming available. It becomes part of the natural way of working where the leader is visible.

‘‘That helps to build trust and visibility. In New Zealand, organisations love to see their leaders and be a part of what they are doing.’’

However, ABW also has its drawbacks.

Beaumont says it can be distracting having people constantly coming and going, and research by Rachel Morrison, a senior lecturer on organisational behaviour at AUT University, found that difficult or toxic relationships were more prevalent in ABW offices.

‘‘Small things, both good and bad, about a colleague have the potential to become amplified when employees don’t really have an option to shut them out when they want to,’’ Morrison says.

ABW also removes people’s ability to ‘‘claim’’ their office by

‘You cook in the kitchen, you wash in the bathroom and you sleep in the bedroom. It’s picking up on this model and starting to reflect that into the workplace.’