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Today’s workplace is more versatile and challenging than ever before. The effectiveness of a team depends on the level of understanding and acceptance between its members. As a newbie, you will not only be challenged with learning names, positions, reporting structures of your new coworkers but also recognizing differing attitudes, needs and work standards of the older generation including the Veterans, the Baby Boomers and the Generation X-ers.

New workplace design
Each is own, the old saying says. It certainly shows in the new workplace design. Companies who embrace their young employees’ needs don’t hesitate to invest in wild and creative office design solutions like brightly colored walls, flexible office layouts, adjustable furniture and gadgets targeting the needs of Generation Y. Employers are quickly learning that the Gen Y-ers (or Millennials) differ from Baby Boomers in that we don’t need large, fully furnished offices to be productive.

Instead, we need just enough space to express our personality and call it our own. Hence, the ever growing trend of cubicle design or personalization where we are given the freedom to put up posters on tack boards, display elements of interest on movable shelves, attach photos on magnetic overhead bin doors, draw pictures or leave messages on dry-erase cabinet fronts etc.

All that to make the workplace a better, more home-like place to be.

Flexibility and adjustability are both very important to the young generation workers. While you may be a go-getter kind of person, you still value teamwork and group interaction if you were born after 1980. Movable walls, smaller and more compact storage elements, work tables on casters and puzzle-like furniture systems which can be shuffled around and reconfigured in a matter of minutes according to the current need have all been designed with the Millennial worker in mind.

(please note: photos provided by Forrer Business Interiors and Steelcase)

We Millennials adapt to changing technology much faster than the older generations. We grew up with it. We expect fast Internet connections, the latest software upgrades and the newest equipment to be provided not because we want to look cool (or maybe just a little), but largely because we know that those things will help us produce faster and better results. Isn’t that what employers are looking for in the end?

Optimism is ranked high on the Gen Y’s priority list.

What better way of keeping high morale if not through a flexible schedule and work-life balance. As much as Baby Boomers agreed to the long hours in the office, poor dieting, lack of exercise and not spending enough time with the family scenario, the Millennial worker will not sacrifice friends and family time for work. The new age workplace accommodates the needs of the young professional and educates the older generation on the importance of having access to the on-site gym facilities, slow food (as opposed to fast food) cafeteria options, on-site nursing, daycare and family rooms, even on-site health clinics and regular at-work check ups. More and more businesses also initiate team weight loss and weight management programs that promote healthy living, group effort and fun.

With all the design and technology advances, today’s workplace is nearly a pleasure to come to every day. Motivating, inspiring and fun—if every office could look like this, my job as an interior designer, would be forever done.

Aga is a chief interior designer and owner of Aga Artka Interior Design, LLC. Her design philosophy takes the requirements and the unique character of each project and turns it into a story told with space reflective of the brand and personality of the client.