Comments on: How is Generation Y Transforming the Workplace? http://www.hoklife.com/2012/08/28/how-is-generation-y-transforming-the-workplace/ Meet the HOK people behind the projects Mon, 20 May 2013 17:17:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Rick Galbraith http://www.hoklife.com/2012/08/28/how-is-generation-y-transforming-the-workplace/comment-page-1/#comment-13423 Rick Galbraith Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:24:31 +0000 http://www.hoklife.com/?p=28560#comment-13423 I was fortunate to read this post on the Linkedin AWE group site. The insight provided by each of the participants summarizes beautifully the wants and needs of prospects considering how our furniture can address these. Thank You! I was fortunate to read this post on the Linkedin AWE group site. The insight provided by each of the participants summarizes beautifully the wants and needs of prospects considering how our furniture can address these.
Thank You!

]]> By: Annie Bergeron http://www.hoklife.com/2012/08/28/how-is-generation-y-transforming-the-workplace/comment-page-1/#comment-13353 Annie Bergeron Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:31:59 +0000 http://www.hoklife.com/?p=28560#comment-13353 Annie, HOK Toronto office I've been collaborating with Google for the last year designing their new Toronto office. Contrary to public opinion, Google is not a no-rules no-walls workspace: even THEY have design guidelines. Basing a discussion on that flawed premise doesn't allow us to see why they truly are forward thinking. Google strives to provide a variety of work settings that suit different work styles and demographics. That demographic happens to be on the younger male side (hence the foosball tables and x-box!) but the reality is that they provide different work environments to suit different tasks, as any human requires. At Google, informal collaboration is encouraged with the ususal play/food/coffee/lounge areas, focused collaboration happens in closed meeting spaces (whether casually of formally furnished), and heads down work happens at the workstation, the library or small break-out and phone rooms: not rocket science. From my point of view, the greatest differentiator between the older generations and Gen Y is the expectation of mobility and technology integration and that is where Google excels. Every meeting rooms is fully outfitted with videoconferencing technology, from a one person phone room to a 150 person training space. Every meeting table is designed so no one every carries around any cables: a large trough in the table itself houses all power/cables that might be required by the users, all ready for plug-in (on top of wireless everywhere of course). I could go on and on… In short, Google employees have the technological flexibility to fully make use of their full office and beyond. Baby Boomers have evolved in the work place with the expectation that one has to be plugged in to be fully effective. Form a technology point of view, they are too often proved right by poorly supported work environments and poorly planned technology deployment. Gen Y has grown up mobile, therefore doesn’t find any comfort or re-assurance in a plugged-in physical environment, and they EXPECT their work-place to prove them right! From my experience, that is what Google delivers, and why they are such and employer of choice for that demographic and why they are so often named as an example of a forward thinking work place. Annie, HOK Toronto office

I’ve been collaborating with Google for the last year designing their new Toronto office. Contrary to public opinion, Google is not a no-rules no-walls workspace: even THEY have design guidelines. Basing a discussion on that flawed premise doesn’t allow us to see why they truly are forward thinking. Google strives to provide a variety of work settings that suit different work styles and demographics. That demographic happens to be on the younger male side (hence the foosball tables and x-box!) but the reality is that they provide different work environments to suit different tasks, as any human requires. At Google, informal collaboration is encouraged with the ususal play/food/coffee/lounge areas, focused collaboration happens in closed meeting spaces (whether casually of formally furnished), and heads down work happens at the workstation, the library or small break-out and phone rooms: not rocket science.

From my point of view, the greatest differentiator between the older generations and Gen Y is the expectation of mobility and technology integration and that is where Google excels. Every meeting rooms is fully outfitted with videoconferencing technology, from a one person phone room to a 150 person training space. Every meeting table is designed so no one every carries around any cables: a large trough in the table itself houses all power/cables that might be required by the users, all ready for plug-in (on top of wireless everywhere of course). I could go on and on… In short, Google employees have the technological flexibility to fully make use of their full office and beyond.

Baby Boomers have evolved in the work place with the expectation that one has to be plugged in to be fully effective. Form a technology point of view, they are too often proved right by poorly supported work environments and poorly planned technology deployment. Gen Y has grown up mobile, therefore doesn’t find any comfort or re-assurance in a plugged-in physical environment, and they EXPECT their work-place to prove them right! From my experience, that is what Google delivers, and why they are such and employer of choice for that demographic and why they are so often named as an example of a forward thinking work place.

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