Ah, yes. The open office. That enormous spacious place, promoting collaboration. There are no walls and no cubicles, since the company is honest and sincere. Maybe even hip. The morning sun reaches with its rays and tickles you behind your ear through the vast windows. You thoughtfully stroke your hair and get ready for another day in which you are going to be productive. Then a phone rings. And another one. Afterwards comes Vicky from accounting asking you for the receipts from the last business trip. Then you hear Steen from sales trying to persuade someone that your company is the best choice. Afterwards the new PR, Nour, passes by, clicking on the floor with her insanely high heels.
You yet again come to the realization, that the big windows and plants outside are just a façade. The serene open environment that the HR offered you when you signed the contract is as serene and quiet as the Friday’s fishmongers market. And all that maddening buzz around you hinder your productivity in various ways. If that’s a consolation, you are not alone. But how to combat the unfriendly office environment? Here are some tips:
- Go remote. Especially nowadays this could be easily achieved. Some companies like Reddit, went fully remote. You might not take the decisions about the whole company, but even if that’s the case, ask your superiors for at least 1-2 days per week of remote work. In the past we’ve covered topics like work-life balance, pros and cons of working remotely, misconceptions about remote work and many more. Researching deeper into these topics will firstly show you whether or not working remotely is your thing. Secondly, if you like the idea, the research will help you sell it to your boss. Go to a remote co-working space or simply stay at home. Show the world what wonderful and skilled specialist you are. Be productive in silence and why not even while wearing your sweatpants?
- Blow the whistle. According to this study about acoustics at the work place, around 30% of people actively work with the management in their pursuit of peace and quiet. They ask for stuff. And sometime stuff happens. The usual solutions to the problem are several. They include specifically designed quiet places, meeting rooms, phone booths, etc. Yes, phone booths. At a certain company in Denmark there are these padded boxy installations mounted on the walls. Frequently you can see a pair of legs and a torso sticking out of there. The shoulders and up are lost in the womb-like dark and welcoming environment inside the booths. There you can have a private conversation, without any external distraction. You can even cry without anyone noticing.
- Change the place. Let’s take a more bossy perspective. Do you want your employees to be far more focused, less stressed and as a consequence more productive? Listen. What can your keen elven ears hear? Nothing? That’s perfect. But in case you hear the traditional office ruckus, you should do something about it. A simple bookshelf at the wall will significantly reduce the noise level. A carpet will do the same. Some nice padding on the walls will work miracles too, plus you can decorate it the way you like. We know that the hard wood, brass, domed ceilings with painted glass, etc. are cool. But a quiet cozy atmosphere will, in the long run, boost the productivity of the company by a significant margin.
We were surprised with these findings too. But you know what? We listened to our surroundings. Through the open window of our Berlin office we can sporadically hear the roar of an engine or a bird chirping on the chimneys across the street. The main reason is that most of our team works remotely. And so do the programmers who find their dream job through the RemoteМore marketplace.
In case you need a bunch of productive, prescreened IT specialists who love working remotely, you can always check the 5000 profiles we have at our disposal. Or do you want to join the remotely working tribe of developers? Simply register with us and your profile will be exposed to some of the top hiring experts on the lookout for remote work force.
