I think I just saw the future of work. And it is good.
In an amazing new video from The Wall Street Journal, reporter Adam Falk tours LinkedIn’s completely redesigned headquarters. He finds every sort of office space a human could want…plus free lattes.
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LinkedIn’s headquarters in Silicon Valley used to look like any other office. Rows of identical desks and the occasional uninspired conference room.
But after the pandemic, LinkedIn knew it couldn’t bring everyone back into an old-school cubicle farm.
So it completely redesigned its headquarters for a combination of in-person and remote work. (Hint: it looks a lot like WeWork.)
The result: essentially every kind of workspace imaginable, grouped into little pods. Soft chairs, high-backed booths, outdoor seating and, of course, private offices.
I like this variety. The idea is to help people work in different postures throughout their day.
This avoids aches and pains.
I’m experimenting with it myself right now! Instead of the table where I usually sit hunched for hour after hour, I’m in a comfy easy chair for a bit.
I don’t know about you, but my neck is sore just about every day! I’m hoping this helps.
The variety of seating also helps deaden noise. Those high-backed booths block sound a lot better than an open floor full of desks.
When I was working in an office, noise was my nemesis. Co-worker conversations could make it very hard to focus.
And best of all, LinkedIn doesn’t even make employees to come to this beautiful office! Everyone can be remote or in-office for whatever amount of time they like.
I love working from home. Cutting out a commute and avoiding noise make me a lot happier.
But it doesn’t work for everyone. My friend Tim*, who is in sales, hates remote work.
He explained that it’s very hard to get fired up about cold calling when you’re lounging in your living room. And there are lots of Tims, productive workers that love being in an office.
Then there are other people like my friend Jason*. He might enjoy remote work if he were single, but with a small child and a wife who also works remote, peace and quiet are hard to come by.
So any larger company like LinkedIn is wise to have at least some office space to accommodate workers like these.
The one problem I see with LinkedIn’s campus is too few private offices. Sometimes people need a room with a door so they can blot out the world and focus.
I’d also add an optional, free WeWork membership for every employee. This would be great for staffers that don’t live close to headquarters but still need to get out of the house.
And at $299 a month, the cost is nothing for a giant like LinkedIn.
In all, I think LinkedIn did an awesome job! Less pampered workers would be in awe of the glass atria and cozy couches.
I spent many years in grey cubicle farms and never liked it much. I hope this beautiful office serves as a model and we all work better in the future!
What do you think the future of work is? Leave a comment at the bottom and let me know!
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*Not their real names
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