In recent years, many employers have replaced drab, grey cubicle setups for open-offices to foster more collaborative, equal and efficient environments.
But a recent study shows the open-office design isn’t all that appealing to employees.
Oxford Economics, with Plantronics, surveyed some 600 non-executive employees to identify challenges of the modern workplace.
Twenty-nine percent of surveyed employees said they value the ability to focus and work without interruptions over anything else in their professional environment. Fourteen percent said having their own space to work is most important.
The most affected by noise, according to the report, are millennials, who claim to take steps like listening to music or leaving their desks to block out office sounds. Escaping background distractions improves the millennial respondent's overall mood and productivity, the survey reveals.
Other key aspects of the modern workplace—including free food and natural lighting—pose little to no importance to employees, the survey suggests.