30 August 2019 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal
Fewer people would opt for open-plan offices and private offices when offered more agile options, shows research by Workplace Unlimited.
Research carried out by the workplace strategy consultancy and sponsored by Herman Miller and Workplace Trends found that workers "highly prefer" landscaped offices and agile working to the more old-fashioned workplaces.
Homeworking is also rated highly, whereas hot-desking is rated low as a preferred option.
Open-plan and private offices are not the only design options available, and are the least preferred. Landscaped offices and agile working, which are both types of 'open-plan', appear to be more agreeable options to many workers.
Preferences were found to differ by personality. Introverts are more in favour of private offices and least prefer open-plan, agile working and hot-desking compared with extroverts.
There is little difference between introverts and extroverts in the preference for homeworking; both groups rate homeworking relatively high. There were fewer differences for those of more neurotic and less emotionally stable dispositions.
Researchers received approximately 700 survey responses, and two-thirds (68 per cent) of the respondents were in the UK. Half the sample considered their role as management, and 25 per cent said they were technical (including design) operatives.
The participants were asked to rate their preference for a number of office solutions.