Hi All
I've begun to quite enjoy asking questions and receiving advice from fellow HR professionals.
With this in mind, I would love to know your thoughts/experiences on HR working in an open plan office.
Has any worked in this type of environment and does it work? My main concern is the lack of privacy that will be created.
I've been informed that I will be placed in an open plan office by the Autumn of this year and would really value your opinions.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can comment on this.
Emma
Replies
Hi Emma
Self contained office all the way, here's why.................
When I first started with the company, I was the only member of the HR team in an open plan office. This was really impractical and frustrating, I was sat next to some great guys but they were loud on the phone, constant chatter, interruptions and daily debates. I was forever having to take calls in the corridor or the car, very unproductive and there was just no privacy or peace!!
The directors soon arranged for me and all the HR filing cabinets to move into a self contained office. I now have a window seat with a radiator and am loving it ;)
Regards
Idris
Hi Idris
Thanks for sharing! It sounds like I'm about to experience the opposite to you, I'm currently in a self contained office with all my filing cabinets, a window, air con, radiator etc. In Autumn I'm moving into an open plan office that will include marketing, IT, designers, directors, finance, product development.
Did you find that you were away from your desk for lengthy periods of time dealing with phone calls etc that can't be conducted in an open plan office? I'm interested to know how much time HR professionals spend in their open plan area.
Thanks!
Hi Emma
Good luck with your open plan office. Get a seat next to the finance team, they are usually quiet and number crunching!!
I was taking lengthy calls away from the desk, always searching for a pen to make a quick note, it was all good fun ;)
Idris
Hi Emma,
We have two HR teams; one based in London (in the corner of an open plan office) and the other in Liverpool within a contained office.
The London team have been open plan for two years now and they have coped well. They have a mini safe on the office wall to keep desk/cupboard keys in and only the HR team have the combination for it.
The Liverpool team will be going to an open plan office in the New Year and we have placed a number of stipluations on the move. Solid, secure lockable cabinets and cupboards for HR files and folders etc. Lockable desks to put our working files in. Also, a mini wall safe to keep the keys in. Luckily we we will be in a part of the office with 4 cubicle meeting rooms (two designated for HR use only) separating us from another team. Good luck! I'm sure it will work out.
Hi Joan
Thanks for your comments, I have lockable files etc and so I'm confident I can keep all my files and paperwork under wraps.
I'm interested to know how much time people spend away from the open plan area dealing with sensitive matters. Certain things can't be dealt with in a common area and I've been assured I can have access to a private meeting room for such occasions, it would be good to get an idea of how much of my time will be spent away from my desk.
Emma
Great post Emma! thanks for asking a really interesting question. I worked in a semi-open plan environment and it is nightmare I was forever scuttling off to the corridor outside the toilets to have furtive conversations especially around pay negotiation periods. I have also worked in an office on my own which was a lonely experience but much easier when having private conversations.
I would ask if there is a nearby meeting room where you can pop into as and when you need to.
Regards
Sarah
Hi Sarah
Thanks for your comments, I have been assured I can have a private room and a laptop to take with me so I can go somewhere else as and when necessary, just hope that they don't think I'm doing it too much when they realise just how much is private/sensitive for HR!
Emma
Hi Emma
I've been in a range of situations in terms of where my desk is - in my first HR role where I was setting up the function, I was given an old store room! It was dark, no light and away from most other people although I did have the team of spray painters next door to keep me company! After I persuaded the Directors to give me a window (!) it worked quite well, but I would always make sure I walked round to see people in different areas and held meetings in other places, otherwise I could have felt quite disengaged from everything. In another role I was placed out on a limb again (again I was setting things up so a theme here!), so I made sure I got out an about and arranged meetings away from my desk. I've also had my own private office within an HR department which worked well although people out in the production areas weren't always comfortable coming to the office areas.
In my last corporate role I was in an open office, all the managers of different functions were together. Like other people have commented the plus side was that people tended to keep me in the loop more and would bounce ideas off me, as I was there. This helped me work as a business partner and I felt part of a team. The downsides were that people away from the office wouldn't always come up to the 'management office' and one of my bug bears was that people sitting next to me would email me when it would have been much quicker to talk!
I think the key thing is that HR can have somewhere to have private discussions, work alone at times, but are accessible too and part of a team. For me it has been making sure that I get out and about and talk to people. Sometimes people like to chat to HR but some good coaching questions can tease out specifics and actions! Of course there is always the 'do not disturb' sign to put on your door too, although that never seemed to work for me! On my office door at home I've changed tactics now, my sign says 'come in, I'm already disturbed!'. ;-)
Helen
Hi Helen
Nice to hear from you!
It's been really good getting different people's perspective of open plan working. I set up the current HR function where I work and whilst I spend time walking around different departments to speak with people, I have always enjoyed the fact that I have my own office to retreat to when I need to concentrate on something private/ sensitive.
I like the idea of working around others, I think the things that most concern me are the "meerkats" as described by Clare Dodd who will pop up whenever something takes their interest, people not wanting to come and speak to me in a room full of others and the amount of time I will be spending away from my desk as I have to take phone calls or have meetings in private. I don't want people to be thinking "Where is Emma again?"
I think having created an open door culture for the employees where I work, it's going to be hard to adjust to a new way of working. I guess only time will tell!
Emma
Hi Emma,
For a long time I was in an open plan office and it was good for keeping in touch with the 'shop floor', if someone did want to chat to you in private, it did alert the nosy ones in the office and heads would come up over their monitors like meerkats popping up out of the ground, as they watched the employee and myself walk to a private room.
I have since moved to my own office with my assistant and it makes everyday life easier in the respect that you can take a call without having to talk in code or quietly, which when I was in an open plan office it then made everyone's ears prick.
The downside, which isn't really a big downside, is that people tend to linger much longer after you have dealt with their query but that is only a downside as we are so so busy and don't have the time for too much chit chat - would love to but nothing would ever get done.
I hope this helps.
Clare
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