Reading Comprehension Test (RA2) (10 points)
Name: Miguel Caballero Vidal
Date: 9/10/2023
Read both articles and choose the correct option.
Picnic tables and Xbox
Digital start-up GoCardless is typical of a millennial-friendly workplace. Its open-plan office in
a warehouse in East London centres on a hub of picnic tables and an Xbox. Its 50-strong
team is frequently treated to lunch and monthly company evenings.
For 28-year-old co-founder Hiroki Takeuchi, these perks are not just gloss and gimmicks.
'The way we built the environment is just the way we wanted to work ourselves,' he says. Mr
Takeuchi is one of a new generation of chief executives creating a workplace that blends the
office and the home while forking out on a healthy 'social budget' to promote team
interaction.
'In a way, it's rooted in work and play not being necessarily completely separate things. We
want this office to be somewhere you enjoy your time. Not somewhere you come for a set
number of hours and then go home as quickly as you can,' he says.
At a time when technology allows individuals to work almost anywhere, companies need to
give a younger digitally literate generation a good reason to come into the office. This is
where stylish physical environments play a role.
The trend has been led by U.S. tech firms, such as Google and Facebook, that focused on
the innovative use of office space when they could no longer compete for young talent on
salary and on the previous generation's sweetener of the company car. What they are
competing on now is really attractive community-based workplaces.
But employers should think carefully before opting for a fully open-plan office. People think
young people want the office to be a constant brainstorm. But even for highly collaborative,
creative work, you still need space to focus.
Contrary to expectations, technology has not led to the death of the office but has raised the
need for better designed workplaces.
Employers are enticing staff with informal workspaces
In Poland today leading companies, competing for the most talented employees, want to
attract and retain their staff with work environments a cut above traditional offices.
Many Polish millennials – those born in the 1980s and 1990s – like their counterparts in
other European countries, are adopting a different approach to their careers. They value
teamwork and creativity and are not used to strict hierarchical management. A small but
growing number of office developers are attempting to capture this spirit.
The less formal approach to workplace design, now common among high-tech companies in
the USA, is a new phenomenon in Central and Eastern Europe. Companies there are now
mimicking Google and Facebook. Their offices include areas designed for different types of
work, such as creative spaces with walls for writing notes; 'silence boxes', where people can
concentrate in peace, as well as relaxation rooms with games consoles and spacious
kitchens with full fridges.
The office has to support creativity, conversations and teamwork. Companies have noticed
that their workers are much more efficient if no one imposes where they have to work.
Last year KPMG moved its offices to the brand new Gdanski Business Centre. KPMG's
website stated that the move was 'not only a change of address but also a step forward in
thinking about the company as a workplace'. Indeed, its Warsaw employees brag about
having new spacious kitchens, modern conference rooms and a large rooftop terrace.
Standard facilities in modern office blocks today in Warsaw include restaurants, hotel-like
lounges in the reception, cycle racks and showers. The new Warsaw Spire, the second
tallest building in the Polish capital, offers renters not only 100,000 sq metres of office space
but also a green area with ponds, an amphitheatre, art galleries and cafés.
1 Go Cardless is a
a) large, long-established corporation. Answer: _C__
b) small manufacturer with warehouses in London.
c) small tech company with young staff .
2 The company owners regularly
a) pay for staff meals and social events. Answer: _A__
b) organise picnics for staff in the office.
c) organise computer games competitions.
3 A ‘healthy social budget’ means that the company
a) contributes to employee gym membership.
b) spends a lot on entertaining staff. Answer: _B__
c) works hard to make the office feel like home.
4 Hiroki Takeuchi wants the employees to
a) like their work environment.
b) spend less time at the office. Answer: _A__
c) come into the office more regularly.
5 Tech companies want to attract good staff by offering
a) innovative technologies.
b) higher salaries and company cars. Answer: __C_
c) better-designed offices.
6 Major companies in Poland are competing with each other for
a) the best office spaces.
b) the most talented staff. Answer: _B__
c) staff from the European Union.
7 Younger Polish workers
a) do not like companies with strict hierarchies.
b) are not accustomed to hierarchies at work. Answer: _B__
c) are not accustomed to creative work in teams.
8 Companies in Central and Eastern Europe are starting to
a) introduce high-tech office equipment from the USA.
b) adapt western-style offices to be more suitable for their needs. Answer: _C__
c) design more informal offices for various type of tasks.
9 The concept of ‘silence boxes’ are spaces where staff can
a) work alone on tasks.
b) relax and sleep if they need to. Answer: _A__
c) play games without disturbing colleagues.
10 Companies have found that workers are
a) more productive if they are not restricted by where they work.
b) prepared to leave their jobs if they find a nicer office to work in. Answer: A___
c) happier in modern offices that support creativity and teamwork.
