Have you heard the news? In 2020, open offices are going out of style. Businesses are realizing their employees need more privacy, leading to a surging interest in office partition panels and other privacy solutions. Whether it’s physical barriers or sound-blocking materials, many employees are turning to modern furniture for fewer distractions in their workplace environment.
If you want to prepare your employees for success and push your office ahead of the pack, you should consider incorporating privacy into your office plan. Your business could likely benefit in a number of ways.
The Traditional Open Office Isn’t Working
Open offices were originally supposed to promote collaboration and reduce expenses. But instead, many employees are finding that these designs interfere with productivity. Privacy and noise levels are negatively impacted when employees do not have sufficient privacy at work.
In addition, the much-touted interaction benefits of a wide-open office may be a myth. A 2018 study by Harvard Business School found that open offices reduce face-to-face interaction by about 70%.
A survey by enterprise software strategist William Belk found that 58% of high-performance employees said they needed more private spaces for problem-solving, and 54% said their office environment was “too distracting.” Easier communication between employees doesn’t make up for the lack of a quiet environment for thinking.
Some employees may even experience sensory overload in an overly noisy office. If you want your employees to perform at their best, you may need to create a less open-feeling environment where high performers can concentrate. Low noise levels and fewer distractions can help employees at all levels.
However, that doesn’t mean the open office is dead. Some open designs just need a bit of adjustment to help employees be at their best.
Creating Privacy in an Open Design
Lots of modern furniture options come with features that create privacy or reduce distractions. Most of the features boil down to some kind of partition that may provide visual privacy or block excessive noise. You don’t need the rest of the office listening in on your calls, and your coworkers likely don’t want to be distracted by your voice either.
One popular privacy solution is office partition panels. These innovations allow you to create more privacy for employees who are focusing on difficult tasks. Adjustable screens can provide a visual barrier that eliminates distractions. At the same time, they still allow for the beautiful, simple sightlines that many people love about open offices.
Office partition panels can also help your business adjust to changes and growth. Many privacy screen options can help with this issue by creating adjustable divisions between spaces. If you need to add or subtract space for your employees, you might not need to do much more than adjust the panels dividing up space.
Partition Panels at Everett Office Furniture
Prefix System
The Prefix office system is designed to give office workers a customized office space that suits individual privacy and collaboration needs. This product line is perfect for nearly any office environment.
Prefix offers various panel heights so you can choose how much of partition you want. Sliding and lockable hinged door overheads allow you to customize your workspace to your privacy needs.
The Prefix office furniture system is also designed to fit your aesthetic. You can coordinate your panels with overhead shelves, cabinets, bookcases, storage centers, and more. We offer laminate worksurfaces in a wide range of shapes and sizes, with both solid and woodgrain edge band trims.
Compile System
Our Compile system is simple and flexible. These office partition panels offer extensive privacy, with plenty of space for employees to customize their surroundings. In addition to generous panels, this system includes aluminum raceway covers that can easily lock into place or be removed for power and data access.
Compile furniture can easily adapt to changes in your workforce. We ship Compile panels with pre-assembled “Quick Connect,” making it one of the easiest systems to set up. This office partitions system also includes overhead storage mounting to maintain a soft visual appearance.
This Compile system provides a clean appearance from top to bottom, promoting a workspace environment with minimal distractions. With Compile, it’s all about simplicity so employees can get back to work.
Emerge
Emerge is the ideal frame and tile solution for many offices. Designed with flexibility in mind, this office space division system is easy to install and reconfigure. It’s also engineered to last with solid steel frames and interchangeable fabric tiles.
With Emerge, you can stack up to 3 frames in 15 inch increments from the Emerge Base Panel. This allows you to create more private offices or more open environments with moderate privacy. You can also add additional organizational features, like overhead storage, to increase functionality in your work area.
Emerge Frame & Tile comes in an extensive selection of finishes. You can choose fabric, laminate, and glass options that coordinate with the existing color scheme in your workplace. Many employees find that they love the appearance of their new Emerge Frame & Tile office space.
The Best Privacy Options for Your Office
Office partition panels are a modern, flexible way to create privacy in any office. Whether you need to put down your head and work or discuss projects with colleagues, an adaptable partition panel may be just what you need. Now you just need to get yourself to a local office furniture store that can offer the quality you need.
Everett Office Furniture is your local source of high-quality used and new furniture. We offer a wide variety of adaptable and ergonomic furniture options for every workplace, from corporate offices to healthcare facilities and education environments. We work to promote adaptability, health, and privacy in our beloved Snohomish county community.
Our company offers an in-house design team for customized recommendations, computer space planning, and ergonomic evaluations. Explore more of our furniture collection online or contact us today to get started transforming your office.