The millennials have revolutionized the world with their innovative ideas, recreational interests, and unique lifestyles. How they think and perceive the world differentiates them from Generation X and baby boomers. Millennials like to stand out and reduce clutter around them. They conceived the concept of ‘minimalism’ and wish to adopt it in their daily lives. The word ‘minimalism’ has been derived from Greek philosophy and Japanese Zen. It has now evolved into a lifestyle for many millennials. Over time, this concept has become so popular that many young adults have started incorporating it at their workplaces too.
Minimalist workplaces offer just as many growth opportunities as traditional ones. This type of business space will help your employees feel more at home while providing all the same benefits!
Are you wondering how minimalism is improving the millennials’ lives at work? And, why do they prefer a minimalistic workplace? Let’s dive right into the topic and check out five reasons why they want to stay minimalistic at work.
1- Unfussy Workstations
The primary purpose of minimalism is to de-clutter workspaces. Millennials hate working in an office that is loaded with unwanted stuff. Therefore, it is essential to organize workstations and keep them simple. If there is any paper waste, redundant furniture items, or unused, defective products in a millennial’s office, they will try to dispose them off as soon as they can.
Young professionals of today know that a cluttered office hinders creativity and causes distractions. They prefer working in a productive place, which follows a minimalist approach. Try sticking to essentials only and eliminate all distractions. The young workforce doesn’t feel guilty about removing inessential items from their office. They know that deep commercial junk removal is required at least once a year to keep offices spacious yet creative. An uncluttered office interior is good for everyone’s mental health too.
2- Gadgets and Technology:
Millennials are more likely to have gadgets and technology around them as opposed to pens and paper. They only need technological tools to manage their jobs effectively. They want to reach out quickly to their coworkers and have information ready at their fingertips. That is why most of their data is on their laptopsor mobile phones. They need to plug in all the gadgets, and they’re good to go.
Instead of stacking papers in ‘In and Out’ paper holders, millennials prefer to interact with nature as much as possible. They prefer well-lit offices with plenty of plants. Some millennials build aquariums in their offices too.
3- Cost-effective offices:
Minimalism promotes cost-effective workplaces. Minimalistic places don’t require any extravagant furniture and décor. Chic offices without large desks (typically designed for massive desktops) oversized chairs, ostentatious bookshelves, and personal lockers, are more practical, comfortable, and maintain privacy.
Nowadays, millennials use wicker furniture instead of buying expensive wooden sofas and chairs with upholstery fabric covers for decoration purposes only. This furniture does not require too much maintenance, such as cleaning, changing curtains, etc., and it still looks elegant enough when well-arranged, despite being inexpensive. These young professionals feel more comfortable sitting on carpeted floors and beanbags during their long brainstorming sessions; instead of hiding behind huge desks and oversized chairs.
There’s no need for water fountains and other unnecessary amenities at a minimalist millennial’s office since they prioritize efficiency over comfort when arriving at work every morning.
4 – Streamlined processes:
Millennials are entrepreneurs. They like to be involved in various projects at a time; therefore they need streamlined processes. Millennials know that redundant systems and processes in maximalist organizations consume too much time and slow productivity.
Therefore, millennialsthey devise quick processing systems such as instead of opting for paper-based approvals, they give electronic approvals. Similarly, there’s less bureaucracy at a minimalist millennial’s workplace as there aren’t many layers of workers.
This approach increases employee morale because everybody feels included, even if not everyone has the same job title or responsibilities at work. It also makes it easier for millennials to keep meaning in their work by setting goals and knowing the organization’s vision. Finally, millennials are drawn to minimalistic workplaces because they do not want anything standing between them and what’s essential: impactful work that makes a difference.
5- Make the best use of the tools you’ve got:
Young entrepreneurs believe in this mantra religiously. The concept behind ‘make the best use of resources’ is to improvise and effectively use the existing resources. For example, a millennial will most likely use a shared office space instead of occupying an independent office. Shared spaces are cheap, uncluttered and quick to find. Similarly, work-from-home concept is a massive hit with minimalistic millennials as most of their work is done electronically.
The minimalists are constantly re-evaluating their resources and if they feel that a certain resource is not yielding productive results, they waste no time in removing it.
Start Making Most out of Minimalism Now!
If you’re fed up with working in a chaotic environment, take inspiration and adopt minimalism right now. Start from your desk so you can see things that are distracting and unnecessary. Free yourself from the shackles of pressure by getting rid of any files, paper-based reports, etc. Make sure to organize or discard anything with irrelevant information, and reduce clutter by using different systems such as Post-It Notes on a whiteboard for new ideas.If possible, completely switch to technology.
Minimalism is a concept that millennials identify because they can see it in almost everything. It is a way of life. It includes a clever use of physical space which releases these ambitious young workers from any negativity at work and allows them to explore new things without feeling pressured by others.
It is also becoming an integral part of communities, especially for those who want to be productive and happy; which begs the question how does this apply to your workplace? Are you ready to become a minimalist?
