In a good place

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Listed by Glassdoor as one of London’s ‘coolest office spaces in 2018’, and previously ranked sixth in The Sunday Times’ ‘top places to work’, Skyscanner has created a futureproof workplace for its 230 employees. An impressive 95 per cent of employees believe Skyscanner ensures their wellbeing at work, 91 per cent feel their work environment is conducive to effective working, and 85 per cent believe they can balance work and personal commitments.

Skyscanner’s mission is to encourage and help people travel and explore the world, creatively reflected in the design and management of the London office. Globes, cockpit cabins and Japanese-style micro hotel pods break up the green and open space designed to accommodate meetings between Skyscanner teams across the globe.

Staff are actively encouraged to see the world, with every employee given two weeks a year to work in any country of their choosing. The set-up is the same in every Skyscanner office, and the company operates an IT self-service policy so people can literally help themselves to whatever they need. After five years of service, employees are also entitled to five weeks’ paid leave on top of their already generous annual leave package.

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
The headquarters of Hearst UK – the publisher of Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire – spans five floors in the West End’s vibrant Leicester Square. Retaining its historic façade, the building offers a high standard of environmental sustainability with panoramic views of London.

Having relocated from Soho to Leicester Square in 2017, Hearst chose to bring its workforce under one roof to what is now known as the ‘House of Hearst’. Appointing Gensler as the chief design firm, Hearst wanted to celebrate the legacy of some of its oldest and most popular brands, such as Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan. This is demonstrated in the library, previously located in a different building, which displays the archive and history of Hearst brands in bound volumes for staff to read.

The move to Leicester Square saw a shift in culture at Hearst, too. The FM team appointed project working groups called ‘change-makers’ to support a new agile environment, developing areas with a variety of seating while maintaining the workflow of the departments by providing ‘zones’ for people to sit together. The agile environment and design of the building gives brands the ability to expand and contract as the publishing company evolves.

Hearst has managed to enfold its brands into ‘one Hearst’, creating a community culture in its shared spaces environment instead of a series of teams based in their own silos.

CURTAIN CALL
Next year marks Workplace Week London’s 10th birthday. In 2018, the event went stateside with the introduction of Workplace Week New York, now an annual event that raises money for the “I Have A Dream” Foundation, with a third event already in motion for summer 2020.

So what’s next for Workplace Week? Are there plans to expand to other cities?

“Of course, world domination,” smiles Mawson. “We are having ongoing discussions with various interested parties in America – Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle – as well as other places in Europe. We will work with anyone around the world who wants to take on the idea, and we can offer guidance and the framework to drive it forward.

“But the principles remain the same: the event has to open people’s eyes and stimulate workplace innovation, but it also has to give something back to the children. So, if anyone’s interested in joining forces, get in touch.”

For further information visit www.workplaceweek.com