Lessons Learned from Shifting Two Offices into One

We’ve recently moved into Britomart’s heritage district by consolidating our two Auckland offices. It’s been a huge move for Consult and our growth aspirations.  Here’s a sneak peek of our new digs and what we’ve learnt so far:

THERE IS MAGIC IN BEING TOGETHER.

We know we are swimming against the current here when everyone else is talking about working in your PJs and setting up home offices – but we’ve realised that our superpower is us working together to create a brilliant network of recruitment experts.  It’s about us knowing each other, helping each other out, brainstorming together, pranking each other, and enjoying our work together.  The fact is, we can do this best by being together in the same space. Culture is king – and developing and maintaining culture is easier and more fun when you are together in the same cool kingdom.

YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT MATTERS.

Without a doubt, we’ve seen a huge improvement in the quality of our work and the happiness of our people in the new office.  I’m not saying that your office needs to be the best in town, or the funkiest with the best gear, but it has to match your culture.  Our new office is so nice to work in, it’s a great place with plenty of space to meet people and it has a really good feeling – and this is crucial to our people doing a good job and being happy.

THERE IS ALWAYS AN UPSIDE.

I’ll be honest: we were nervous making the move into town (I mean, I swore I would never work another city role again in my life!). The reality is for most of our team, it has meant travelling further to get to work, however, everyone loves the new office.  Some of the team get the ferry in and talk about the dolphins or orca they saw on their morning trip, others train, some walk – but everyone gets a public transport allowance to help ease Auckland’s congestion! A few (like me) drive, and I finally have time to listen to all the podcasts I’ve been meaning to for the last 5 years!  So there’s always an upside, and our upside is working together in a beautiful spot. Additionally, having a culture of flexibility around start and finish times is enough to help people get the best out of their day.

CONNECTION IS SO IMPORTANT.

Being in Britomart means we are closer than ever to candidates and clients.  Our larger space means we can connect with our community more – hosting world cup matches has been loads of fun! The reality is being in the CBD means more people can drop in and catch up and we are closer than ever to the majority of our clients and candidates – and our business is all about connection.

ROOM TO MOVE MEANS ROOM FOR OPPORTUNITY.

We’ve given ourselves the space to move, to create and to have fun.  That means table tennis, putting greens and comfy surroundings. Les Mills gym is right next door, which most of the team take advantage of (with the help of a Health & Wellness allowance!). We’ve also organised a secret door from Amano Bakery and Restaurant for those emergency coffee and croissant emergencies that happen from time to time! It also means a little additional space for like-minded companies to collaborate with us… but more about that later…

For us, choosing to bring the team together in a brilliant location has been a hugely positive move not only for the business but also for our people. We’re proud of the new office and the new opportunities on the horizon… hope you stop by for a visit soon.