Millennials Changing the Workplace Game

Nov 29, 2017 - Sarah Conway

Millennials – you’ve heard of them.  You are probably one of them.  They are the generation of young, tech-savvy adults ages 18-34, running the show these days and paving the way for future gens.  Accounting for 27% of our region’s population, San Diego actually has the highest concentration of millennials in the country. That means that they’re a big deal for us, and we should pay attention to them.  What do they want besides gram-worthy experiences?  Really cool office spaces. These young professionals seek a different kind of workspace, and are therefore changing the way offices are built throughout SD.

So what do millennials want in an office space?

• A social space – millennials are all about socializing 24/7 via in-person or online.
• Collaboration space – socialization + co-working = great ideas.
• Fitness centers – a place to de-stress, play some ping-pong and brainstorm.
• Free food and happy hours – need I say more?

Businesses in San Diego are starting to seriously consider millennials’ workspace preferences and directly market these specially designed office spaces to them. Many architects point to WeWork, the co-working space giant which has two San Diego locations. Offices like this include large kitchens, amphitheaters, courtyard parks, delis, gyms and lots of natural light.

Despite these new additions to the workplace, however, office space is actually decreasing in size. Businesses are accommodating what millennials want by lessening the amount of office space devoted to work. These designs include open area workspaces, opposed to private offices.

Millennials are changing the way the world functions with their skills in tech and biotech. And now they’re changing the way San Diego runs their businesses.

For more info about millennials’ impact on SD, click here.