Bankwest staff have been road-testing the concept on a pilot floor since April and, although it is in its infancy and on too small a scale to produce tangible results, Sutton says staff feedback has been "overwhelmingly positive".
"I'm not going to say it's for everybody, that everybody is going to be absolutely happy with it - there will be people of my vintage who will probably feel a little bit anxious about it - but by and large the experience people have had has been positive," he says.
Veldhoen & Co's Kamperman acknowledges there remains a level of scepticism from those unfamiliar with the concept.
"The comparison (with hot-desking) is probably one of the first things we have to overcome," he says. "But hot-desking is still the same desk, you just have to share it - so there is an efficiency gain for the organisation, but for the individuals there's nothing to win."
He also acknowledges activity-based working will not produce results unless its implementation is accompanied by education and training programs.
A successful roll-out requires most managers to change their leadership style, he says, which means letting go of the need to see bums on seats and adopting a coaching style of management. Another challenge experienced by employers who adopt ABW is maintaining social cohesion between departments in the long-term.
But he says the teething problems can be overcome with a bit of coaching. For example, concerns that the model could destroy employees' sense of ownership over their workspace are addressed by initiatives such as allowing workers to personalise their laptop sleeves and lockers and scrawl on walls, many covered in floor-to-roof whiteboards.
Kamperman says following the completion of two of Veldhoen's biggest projects, at Microsoft's European offices and Macquarie's Sydney building, both employers reported a material, sustainable improvement in both collaboration and employee engagement. "There's always the question: did it last (beyond) the honeymoon period, and the answer is yes."
In WA, the concept has attracted interest from other organisations, with PricewaterhouseCoopers considering adopting the model in its new offices on St Georges Terrace.
PwC's national director of corporate real estate, Jay Lomax, says: "The important thing about activity-based working from my perspective is not the fit-out, it's more about a way of working. We're trying to provide a space for staff that enables them to collaborate far more effectively, and be more flexible in what they do and how they work," he says.
Source: Rachel Donkin, The West Australian
September 7, 2011