Millenials are changing and shaping the modern workplace as everyone seems to be making their office cool to attract them. It’s estimated that they will outnumber baby boomers in workplaces by the year 2020.

Tech firms are leading the pack in developing new office design concepts that are more appealing to millennials. More companies are using these concepts to help boost productivity and improve employee retention.

But, before you redesign your office to attract the millennial workforce, keep in mind that poor office design costs U.S. businesses about $330 billion each year due to reduced workplace productivity.

So, if you’re planning to revamp your office, here are a few design concepts to consider.

1. Wellness Space

More companies are finding ways to add wellness to work to ensure their employees are active and healthy. One of this ways is through the addition of standing desks to improve the optimum ratio of activity.

Some offices have kitchens that employees can use to cook and enjoy meals together. Yoga and meditation are also becoming the norm in many workplaces with employers offering spaces for these activities.

2. Collaborative Spaces

Traditionally, employees were restricted to one desk or office, and this affected productivity. With the new office design concepts, modern offices combine cubicle banks, private offices, and open floor plans to ensure workers enjoy improve accessibility.

There are communal areas for those who want a place to vent after hours of working and sound-proof rooms for employees that want to focus on solo work. The end result is a modern hybrid office that features different spaces to give employees the autonomy to move around easily.

Offices feature more glass and have places for impromptu and casual meetings to boost engagement and save time.

3. The Fun Factor

Offices are no longer places where you come to file papers, crunch numbers and pound the computer keyboard over and over. Now, employees have their fun areas to unwind and let loose.

Scotiabank in Canada offers a bowling alley for their employees while Burton, a snowboard giant, has a skate park behind their office. Some offices have pool tables, music rooms, karaoke lounges, Lego rooms, and indoor running tracks.

These activities allow workers to break free from the usual grind and re-energize for the day’s work.

4. Deliberate Furniture Designs

Here, tech companies are at it again, and Google is a great example when it comes to quirky and fun office furniture designs. Typically, the essence of these designs is to reduce the number of hours employees spend sitting.

These designs are achieved in varied ways. French designer Benoît Malta’s way is even quirkier. He believes that creating less comfortable chair designs will make people get up more often. If they remain seated, they’re forced to do it actively.

Another deliberate design is whereby furniture comes with a lamp that turns itself on or off depending on the time of the day, so you have to get up and reset it.

Office Design Concepts – The Takeaway

Creating a space that is appealing to employees is an important investment in securing your workforce. Millenials are fueling the push for creative and fun designs in the workplace, phasing out the traditional concepts that don’t boost productivity.

When done right, office design can be a powerful tool for branding and productivity. Employees spend most of their time in the office, so it’s wise to create something that’s functional, accessible, comfortable and inviting.

Do you need help redesigning your workplace? We’re here to help, so feel free to contact us.