The office experience has dramatically changed: 1986-2016 (infographic)

23 Jun 2016

Companies have completely overhauled how they satisfy their employees since the turn of the millennium, but how different was the workplace 30 years ago?

Tech companies are the forces driving the changing workplace, with the likes of Google and Facebook famous for their relaxed approach to encouraging better performances from employees.

While obvious things like business attire have gradually vanished from the average office, so too have cubicles in some parts.

Entertainment in break rooms is provided by arcade games, table tennis or table football, while the food in the company canteen has perhaps never been better.

But how has it all changed? Avanti has made a nice little infographic on the various shifts, noting first of all the burgeoning ‘standing desks’ scene.

Companies’ use of space is now all the more elaborate, no doubt helped by the introduction, and adoption, of cloud. No longer are horrid filing cabinets the dominant feature as more and more companies transfer their storage into a digital, rather than tangible, reality.

Messaging apps like Slack, WhatsApp or Facebook are now where the gossip flourishes, rather than the coffee machine or water cooler. This makes it a lot easier to share content – something the 21st-century worker seems simply addicted to.

Other extravagances like rooftop gardens are heavily dependent on the company you work for, and the climate you work in, but it’s fair to say workers of today wold probably be horrified with what workers in the 1980s had to deal with.

The Office

Modern office image via Shutterstock

Gordon Hunt
By Gordon Hunt

Gordon Hunt joined Silicon Republic in October 2014 as a journalist. He spends most of his time avoiding conversations about music, appreciating even the least creative pun and rueing the day he panicked when meeting Paul McGrath. His favourite thing on the internet is the ‘Random Article’ link on Wikipedia.

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