Generation gain

CASE STUDY 1: OSBORNE CLARKE

International law firm Osborne Clarke’s stunning new workplace perfectly reflects its brand identity – one that values sustainability, staff wellbeing and diversity.

Its new flagship office in Bristol is based in the landmark Halo building, which is set to be one of the UK’s greenest office developments. Interaction has designed a highly flexible workspace for over 800 employees that promotes agile working and staff health, while meeting strict sustainability criteria.

Key design features include indoor gardens where people can work away from their desks, a yoga and spin studio, and a restaurant with a private rooftop terrace. The striking design also includes flexible meeting spaces with moveable walls and furniture that can be used for many different event settings.

As part of the design brief, Interaction met tough sustainability standards and Osborne Clarke is aiming to achieve a WELL building standard certification for the fit-out of the internal space at Halo, which has a BREEAM outstanding accreditation for sustainability.

The striking new workplace and the firm’s commitment to diversity and wellbeing will be crucial to attracting Generation Z candidates.

Zoe Reid, Osborne Clarke’s Graduate Recruitment Manager, said: “I often field questions about wellbeing, sustainability and the firm’s agenda when speaking to graduates considering a career in law. This generation is calling law firms to account.”

CASE STUDY 2: XLEDGER

Fast-growing cloud accounting company Xledger needed an office that could accommodate a variety of working styles, from developers and programmers through to high-performing salespeople.

Community was high on the agenda, with the space designated as a “destination” hub to bring together Xledger employees from all over the world.

In a company where “most meetings are conversations”, it was vital to include a variety of spaces to facilitate the sharing of ideas and foster their family-style culture. Interaction has designed a flexible, multi-use space which centres around a vibrant communal area.

The space uses subtle natural features to divide areas, creating an open-plan feel with the benefits of delineated working spaces, with 128 plants in the office exactly balancing Xledger’s CO2 emissions.

A central town-hall hub provides an area for company meetings, informal catch-ups and marathon Xbox tournaments, backing on to a social area which provides further breakout areas and a shuffleboard table.

A rooftop putting green opens out onto an outside bar and all-weather television – a perfect venue for incubating creative ideas or solidifying company culture over a big-screen game.

Deep focus rooms provide soundproofed space for individuals to block out any distractions such as the nearby wellness room complete with Peloton bikes. Xledger’s new destination office is set to play a vital role in attracting future talent.

CASE STUDY 3: TLT

The law firm TLT has recently revised its approach to attracting, engaging and retaining talent with the launch of TLT World.21. This fully flexible approach supports employees with technology, digital tools and cultural alignment. Helping them work when, where and how they want over the long term.

As part of this transformation, TLT has increased investment in its sites, placing employee wellbeing and sustainability at the heart of the new design. Its Glasgow office is the first net zero building in the city. It includes cycle-in ramps, a cool-down zone, germ-eating paint and a fleet of scooters for staff to use as well as EV charging and healthy lunches and snacks.

These changes have given TLT an edge in the recruitment market compared to other law firms. The business has picked up talent from its competitors, particularly women, growing 20 per cent in just one year.

“Money is important, but colleagues want more than that – it’s all about a combination of culture, environment and reward,” said Helen Hodgkinson, TLT’s Chief People and Places Officer.

For more information please download Interaction’s Law of Attraction recruitment whitepaper: https://www.interaction.uk.com/insight/knowledge/law-of-attraction-report