As a growing gap emerges between best employers and other companies, senior leaders and HR teams need to look at the changing workplaces to understand the deeper trends plus how to respond.

1. 1
New HR Insights from Workplace Designs
Workplace Visits & Presentations: EX Summit - Sydney 2018
Damien Hutchens
Graphic by Carolien Smit
Images & ideas in this presentation are based on presentations, site tours and website information.
Sites visited are from small- and large- category winners of Best Places to Work
Author acknowledges generosity and goodwill of Intuit, Abbvie, Dropbox, Kernel and Amicus
WORKPLACE OF
THE FUTURE

2. 2
Growing gap between the ‘top 20’ companies and laggards
Gap isn’t confined to digital giants & big brands. Any company not actively making a
‘better workplace’ for people will be left behind, as economy recovers & mobility rises.
More choice, more flex
Each top-20 company has created ways to give
people more choice. They are designing
workplaces around people’s daily working
needs rather than functions or company
processes, creating a de-facto signal in talent
market on companies care for it’s people
Office mimics Home & Cafes
Top firms use evidence-based research to
redesign workplace resulting in a mix of
formal & informal work spaces to stimulate
relaxation, creativity and social-work etc.
Some spaces mimic design of home and
cafes.
‘Activity Based’ working (ABW)
Many Top 20 firms reshape workplace around
work types. This Activity Based Working
cuts office into zones for specific work
patterns, some with clear rules or principles
e.g. no phones or talk in ‘The Library’. But
not all top-20 companies have adopted yet.
Linking Facilities, HR & Wellness
Firms like Intuit & Atlassian have moved both
Workplace & Wellbeing into HR, to boost EX
solutions. Sydney property designers report
that HR is a big player in workplace
decisions, sometimes even leading the project
team.
Office as Strategy/Culture Lever
Employers now use site design to drive
strategy & culture change using new office
designs to reset existing company
patterns. Building & space seen to ‘nudge’
behaviour & collaboration patterns
encouraging new, better
Plus agile, inclusive
All leading companies have a vibrant diversity
agenda within their industry. They also moved
substantially on work-flexibility offerings for
many/most employee groups, usually linked
to maturing attitudes around mobile/agile work
practices

3. 3
Trained people on the change using
crates before moving to ABW-office
Helped Abbvie become top-20 firm,
but they still lost people in the change
Abbvie designed an activity-based workplace to attract top
talent to their growing pharmaceutical services firm
Introduced Activity Based Working to
drive product & service innovation
Consulted  created 6 zones that
reflected people’s needs
Text
Text
ABBVIE
Goals/Strategy:
• Start-up 2013
• Foster agility & innovation
• Attract best talent
Industry:
• Pharmaceutical services
• >300 FTE
Key Features:
• 6x Different zones, some
with rules (based on
airport names)
• No allocated desks but
often teams
• Use Chat-program to find
people
• Big change program to get
people to understand
ABW; Started with crates
Note: xx
Source: Conference Presentation & Follow-up discussion (June 2018)
Employee Experience
• Top Employer Rank = #18


4. 4
Democratic, funded ‘Engagement
Council’ drives workplace
Wellbeing & Workplace Manger is
accountable for work-EX & programs
INTUIT designed a system of modern workplaces with local
identity, to attract top ICT talent to their $40B business
Modern workplace with mix of casual
& traditional work space but no ABW
Each pod of desks has breakaway
space…plus great social spaces
INTUIT
Goals/Strategy:
• Silicon Valley top-talent;
Innovative culture
• Local: less competitive,
78% millenials
Industry:
• ICT - #5 Global, $40B
• ~130 FTE in Sydney office
Key Features:
• Workplace & Wellbeing
Mgr reports to both HR &
Global workplace lead
• Team consulted but didn’t
want ABW…wanted to
work in own teams, so:
• Enhanced office plus some
traditional design e.g. each
traditional ‘pod’ of desks
linked to a collaboration
space
• Engagement Council is
‘elected’ then funded to
ensure healthy, engaged
team
Note: Intuit has a strict global workplace design guide but allows a local ‘flavor’ in each office
Source: Site tour and presentation (June 2018);
Employee Experience
• Top Employer Rank = #2


5. 5
Nightly clear-desk policies, no desk
allocation and privacy ‘Pod’
Smart design creates new spaces for
multiple or flexible uses
Kernel acquired & designed a lean, green flex-workplace to
house their small tenant-services team for agile working
Premium location & industrial design
on low budget shows team nous
Every non-ICT resource is recycled &
bought cheaply, embodying values
KERNEL
PROPERTY
Goals/Strategy:
• Maximise ROI of property
• Deploy teams talents
• Find a new site 
showcase talents for
smart, lean property
• Agile, flexible working
• Lean and Sustainable
Industry:
• Real- estate: Tennant-
advisory company; 14 FTE
Key Features:
• Acquired old generator
rooms for “storage” rent $$
• Turned into showcase for
skills; Now get offers to
showcase products
• 30% ‘Absenteeism’ due to
agile working
• Added ‘balcony’ for zero-
rent
• New designers now offer
products: Pod, Lounge
Note: Further detail see “Kernel Property – Transformation of the Generator Room’
Source: Kern site tour and presentation (June 2018);
Employee Experience
• Staff highly engaged
• Low <5%turnover
• Design & ‘green’ awards


6. 6
Anywhere workers use Surface-Pro &
VC to work with colleagues & clients
Amicus applies new empirical work
design toolkit to own people and office
Amicus designed 3 light, scalable & appealing workplaces
for their small design team, to work flexibly across 3 states
Deliberately “Constrain” space to
“Afford” other more useful space
Deliberate activity-based working with
numerous flexible spaces to match
AMICUS
Goals/Strategy:
• Maximise ROI of property
• Deploy teams talents
• Showcase smart, lean
practices
Industry:
• Property (Office Design
and Fit-out)
• ~50 FTE in Sydney Office
but only 30 seats; Some
days “ghost town” other
Key Features:
• Agile working but
• Monday ‘mandatory’
• Must declare if need a
face-to-face meetings
• Daily team huddles
• No desk ‘owned’ but
team often in same zone
• Multi-zones with different
rules including Library, Hot
Desk, Kitchen etc
• Few doors for trust,
transparency; No rumours
• Tech = MS Surface based
Note: xx
Source: Site tour and presentation (June 2018);
Employee Experience
• Top Employer Rank= #13
• Strong EVP, low turnover


7. 7
Often bring clients, friends into office
for coffee, lunch instead of going out
Whole team eats hot lunches
together. Fully stocked bar & barista
Dropbox designed an premium activity-based workplace
with industry-leading benefits as part of their talent strategy
Designed on modern relaxing Aussie
home but still strong outcome-focus
Usually check emails  then move
around office based on mood or task
Text
DROPBOX
Goals/Strategy:
• Place where people want
to work
• Young team, talented
Industry:
• Technology company
• >35 FTE in Sydney Office
Key Features:
• Natural Materials incl wood
and brick; Comfortable
furniture that won’t date
and reflects Aussie life
• Spaces = Kitchen,
workstations, quiet rooms,
funzone, lounge and bar
• Benefits = free lunch, full-
time barrista, free alcohol,
ping-pong, Switch, Xbox,
games etc
• “It’s not about the food
…it’s about everyone from
every team coming
together each day to talk
and connect”
Note: xx
Source: Site tour and presentation (June 2018);
Employee Experience
• Top Employer Rank= TBC
• <3% turnover


8. 8
Some questions for future?
WHAT ‘ZONES’ DO OUR
PEOPLE NEED?
• Have maybe 2-3 zones
already?
• Some features popular e.g.
phone booth, lunch areas?
• Any Innovation spaces?
DO THEY MATCH OUR
WORK PATTERNS?
• Any allowance for Agile
working?
• Fixed org structures?
• Can we ‘fit in’ extra projects
and collaboration
groups…or do we inhibit
them?
IS ACTIVITY BASED
WORKING USEFUL FOR
OUR TEAMS?
CAN OFFICE HELP
COLLABORATION
& PRODUCTIVITY?
DO WE KNOW WHAT
MATTERS MOST TO OUR
PEOPLE?
• Engagement?
• What “Roadblocks ?
• Choices….or one-size-fits-
all?
HOW WELL DO WE LINK
THOSE THINGS THAT
IMPACT EX.
• What links between HR,
Wellness, Facilities ?
• Do we know how to track
well-being and collaboration
patterns?
• Any human-centred design
and innovation around
workplace?
LINK TO OUR
EMPLOYEE
EXPERIENCE?
DO WE LET
PEOPLE CHOOSE
WORK STYLE &
OTPIONS?
DO WE CARE WHAT HOW
PEOPLE WANT TO
WORK?
• Little allowance for
preference or working style
• Presumably people can
only shift to teams/jobs that
suit them or leave?
HOW GOOD IS
OUR SETUP &
AESTETIC?
HOW WELL DOES OUR
WORKPLACE MATCH
OUR BRAND AND
TALENT WE WANT?
• What quality of building?
How energising is the
layout?
• Some ageing facilities
hotspots?
• Do we offer any enriched
features e.g. Gym? Green
space?
• Good location?