Click here to view our Office Pods.
Most of the time, we complain about interruptions in meetings, a lack of privacy in the office, and a lack of quiet time. As more businesses begin to integrate their various lines of business, more working spaces are shared. This is a very common scenario in an open floor setup, where you can hear phones ringing, call-outs, chatters, and typing sounds. It was introduced in the early twentieth century to bring an avenue for socialization, but there are instances when uninterrupted time is needed to focus on a task. Extensive planning and meetings require an area where attendees and employees can have their privacy. Productivity and efficacy are still affected in some way.
Certain tasks require full attention and focus, especially when dealing with urgent matters. This is a common occurrence in a fast-paced company, and some employees need complete focus on their specific tasks. Being ‘in the zone’ enables an individual to let his or her mental and physical abilities at full speed, allowing the brain to process more information. This requires a private and conducive space within the workplace.
A separate room for a meeting or project development is ideal, but not every company has one, especially in an open floor set-up. That is when office pods prove to be highly useful to businesses in increasing productivity and improving the efficacy of a team or employee.
The idea of lowering down partitions and jumping into an open floor workspace is to eliminate worker hierarchy and structure discrimination. According to a 2018 study by Harvard Business School researchers, this working arrangement resulted in social withdrawal. Employees preferred digital communication over face-to-face interaction and desired privacy. It has been illustrated that privacy and quiet time are essential in the workplace. Here are the most serious issues with an open floor set-up:
1. Too Much Noise and Distraction Employees frequently complain about too much noise in the office and being easily distracted. Because partitions are being lowered, employees who must work closely on a task must deal with constant interruptions from simple gossip and multiple inquiries. Even when there are cubicles, the sound of chatter and equipment in use lingers. Coworkers watching videos and talking on the phone are also sources of distraction. Because some people are visual and auditory, they are easily annoyed or distracted by these things. In effect, when clients on the other end of a phone call hear these noises, they perceive the company culture as unprofessional. Moreso, because the conference room may only hold a couple of employees, it is usually done in the cubicle. Movements within the office also draw undue attention, and the open floor scenario allows for more time for gossip and rumors. At the end of the day, employees are even more stressed than they were before.
2. Increased Level of Stress How does an open space workplace cause someone stress? It does so in a variety of ways. Aside from excessive noise in the office, some employees find it incredibly difficult to complete an urgent task or discuss it with a superior. Everyone has a different way of dealing with work, and some people are more effective in a quiet and private setting. Can you make a highly important and sensitive call in the office where everyone can hear you? Probably, but not everyone can. Managers may also find it difficult to oversee a team within a crowd of employees. Sudden call-outs cannot be made and confidentialities that can only be shared within the team have to be set aside. According to a Queensland University of Technology study, 90 percent of employees in open floor offices experience increased stress, office conflict, blood pressure, and turnover.
3. Loss of Efficiency and Flexibility There are specific tasks that require a more private and quiet space in order to be completed. Reviewing the budget for the year, working closely with an important client, or developing a new project plan needs more attention than routine tasks. It can be done by a single person or a team, but most of the time a more secure location is what’s needed. Some of the data or information contained in these tasks should not be easily divulged to other employees. This is why the open space scenario does not always work. By having a meeting booth or work pods, these three major issues in an open floor working setup can be addressed. If you’re working in an office, you can find a more suitable and conducive space to complete a task or make a phone call. Office pods are indeed an innovative solution for companies with open floor setup.
Office pods are also known as office work booths. It is a self-contained space that provides employees with privacy within an open workspace. Office pod is another addition to a modern workplace concept. This is suitable for employees who need to work remotely within the office to be more productive.
Literally a ‘room within a room’, it resembles that of a phone booth which has four walls (glasses most of the time), a ceiling, a chair, and some important work tools and pieces of equipment like a computer. These work pods come in different sizes and capacities depending on the purpose. There is a work pod for one or two people, as well as meeting booths for a small huddle of up to six people.
1. Provide Quiet and Uninterrupted Workspace Sometimes, working on a certain project entails a series of tasks or details that must be handled with a smaller margin for error. Drafting a new project proposal, making a very important phone call, or writing new content can be too overwhelming. A little quiet zone can help you complete various tasks in your preferred environment. Your team can continuously work on a project without being interrupted or distracted by background noise or chatter.
To maximize their productivity, you can also configure the environment inside the pod. Work booths are also designed to be adaptable, with the ability to play music or use additional features to boost productivity. The four walls and flexible setup allow you to maximize your skills and potential. In this way, you become more productive and effective with what you have to accomplish.
2. Privacy Too conscious to make or take a phone call? Are you hesitant to go to your team leader’s cubicle when called out? Nobody wants to get a lot of attention in a workplace where ears and eyes are everywhere. In particular, phone calls or your superior’s rage over unfinished tasks do not have to be heard by the entire workforce.
You will not, however, have to deal with workplace privacy issues if you use office pods. You can now call a client without hiding important details and information from snoopers. There is now a private area where you can speak with your clients. For managers, they can now speak with an employee to provide feedback while maintaining confidentiality. Apart from business-related activities, office pods can also serve as a place to relax after a long day of working hard. It can also be a place where you can meditate or pray if you want to be spiritually uplifted while at work. These office pods also do great for a nursing mom or anyone who needs to take a nap.
3. Conducive Meeting and Huddle Space In the traditional corporate scenario, almost every department is assigned to a different office. Every workspace is designed to accommodate the processes and utilization of each division or department. The appearance of an open floor office encourages transparency in all departments’ activities. Although its purpose is admirable, team managers and division leaders were however denied the opportunity to hold private meetings and huddles. It is not that it promotes conspiracy among workers, but there are issues that must be kept within the team or department level. Each of the heads has been given the authority to discuss and address such issues. And that’s how the structure is designed.
Meeting booths help managers and leaders in dealing with and resolving issues within their teams and departments. Aside from that, teams have to discuss specific projects or tasks in which everyone is involved. This type of discussion necessarily requires a private setting in which everyone has an equal chance to speak and be heard.
4. Lower Stress Level Among Employees Being in constant exposure to noise, pressure, and arguments can take a heavy toll on your emotions. Office pods can help you cope with stress management in a variety of ways. When exhausted, office booths serve as your breathing space. This will allow you to regain your focus and clear your mind by shifting your perspective. Retreating for a short time can help you relax and regain your composure.
What Makes Office Pods the Best Solution?
Flexibility Office pods are viewed as keys to flexibility, transforming the workplace into a place that promotes concentration and individuality. It can serve as your complete working space as it can be generally equipped with all of the needed office functionalities. You can move and relocate these pods whenever and wherever needed. Since constructing a separate room for the same purpose would necessitate additional functions, and wall partitions are also expensive, pods are an excellent alternative.
Visual and Sound Insulation One of the most impressive aspects of work pods is visual and sound insulation. Most of the time, when you enter a separate room or space, there is utter silence. It still causes some anxiety because our brain expects an echo or reverberation time. Sudden silence can still be bothersome and unsettling. What office pods have is acoustic absorption, which absorbs sounds and converts them into optimal reverberation, thus eliminating your worries.
Space-Effective Office pods are ideal for offices with limited space as these are highly mobile and easy to install. Instead of building a new room, these work pods take up a small amount of space and are also visually appealing in the workplace.
Peter Meier Inc’s revolutionary set of meeting booths offers the best solutions for open floor office issues. As a fully authorized distributor of Silence Business Solutions (SBS) products throughout the United States, PMI provides businesses with the best office pods. Since 2014, SBS has been the leading manufacturer of high-quality acoustic office pods. There are numerous reasons to go with PMI’s Procyon line. Each meeting booth is intended to improve the office layout. It is also professionally made to achieve privacy and silence, with careful attention paid to function and comfort. All of these office pods have an air filtration system and mounted wheels for mobility and flexibility. There are also designs and colors to complement the company’s style and culture.
There are several meeting booths available in PMI. First is the Procyon Stand Up for taking or making a call without interruptions. A Procyon Seat box is also best for an employee who needs concentration and privacy within the workplace. There are office pods that are designed according to the number of individuals who can utilize them. These are Procyon UNO, DUO, QUATRO, and SIXTO. Procyon Mobility is specially designed with accessibility to a wheelchair through an integrated access ramp. PMI simply brings you the revolutionary working environment with the best office pods you can ever have.
Make a change in your workspace today! For inquiries browse through our website or call 1-800-222-6941!
Office pods are amazing innovations that clearly address major work-related concerns. Although an open floor office intends to remove barriers, it has also introduced productivity and efficacy issues among employees. The emergence of meeting pods has brought about wonderful changes in the corporate world, allowing employees to work and function at their best. It not only provides a solution for business owners, but it also benefits personnel and employees.
