Global employee engagement pioneer applies its Engagement Bridge model and workspace best practices, combined with an Australian aesthetic to its new Sydney office
Reward Gateway, the leading employee engagement platform that delivers employee benefits, recognition, and communications solutions to over 1,700 clients across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, today announced it has opened its new Sydney hub at Australia Square Plaza, 95 Pitt Street. The new office is a collaboration between the company and Intermain, Australia’s leading multi-skilled commercial fit-out company. The project is a showcase of one aspect of The Engagement Bridge model, the 10 step model for employee engagement: workspace.
Workspace can be an enabler or destroyer of employee engagement, and Reward Gateway is committed to serve as a beacon for other Australian employers on how an office designed with a company's purpose, mission, and values can drive employee engagement and company performance.
Employees in sales, service and finance will call the Sydney hub their home. Built with employee engagement principles at its core, the office highlights Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design and tells Reward Gateway’s story in a visual way. This allows team members to champion engagement on a daily basis in an environment and workspace that aligns with the company’s goals. The space is designed around distinctive “work modes,” or areas that are conducive to different types of work aligned to company values. Rather than fixed desks, the space offers agility in the way work gets done, increasing collaboration.
The office is also an example of taking a strong, global brand and established office design (from Reward Gateway’s London and Boston hubs) and applying it within a local Australian flavour, to support Australian businesses. Examples of this include:
- Building designed by iconic Australian architect Harry Sedler in 1967
- Green room with living green wall, skylight and extensive planting throughout the office to bring the love of Australian indoor outdoor living into the workplace
- Deliberate and extensive use of leading Australian designers including:
- Jardan furniture throughout including Jardan oak workstations, lounges, ottomans and recycled telegraph poles for stools
- Ross Gardam pendants in raspberry collaboration booths
- Tait trolley in the green garden room was filled with Australian drinks from Manly Distillery
- Hotel standard bathrooms are accessorized with skin, hair and body care products provided by Melbourne based Aesop
- Other featured Australian designers including Volker Haug, Anchor Ceramics, Grazia & Co, Montage Interiors and Mud Australia
Reward Gateway team members aren’t the only ones who will benefit from this unconventional office design. Reward Gateway is extending the use of its dedicated event space to clients, the wider HR community in Sydney, and related tech and communication industries committed to making the world a better place to work. In addition to hosting industry meetups and events, Reward Gateway also expects the space to provide a hub for those looking for away days, board meeting space, or simply a place to work when visiting the area.
Kylie Green, Director of Consultancy at Reward Gateway says:
“We’re excited about the move to our new permanent Sydney office, as it symbolises our extraordinary growth in Australia, and our commitment to being part of the thriving local business community. Not only do we have a strong company culture globally, but we have used our office design to show how that culture is lived in a unique way among our Australian team. Its a dynamic I find common among Australian multinational firms, and we are excited to open our doors and let other employers experience what we have learned creating this space”
Faye Longhurst, Senior HR Advisor, says:
“In my role I’ve been looking at a lot of collaborative workspaces, so when I walked into the Reward Gateway office I liked it straight away. I think the office has a good mix of spaces for different needs. You’ve got collaboration spaces, quiet spaces, sit-stand desks which is fantastic, and of course, so many plants and light, which I love. I think it really suits Reward Gateway. Everyone I've spoken to at Reward Gateway gives an impression of the company culture; it's relaxed, fun, and I know they’re really innovative. This is all reflected in that you’ve got effective workspaces in amongst the hang out and social spaces, and that’s how the employees are — hard working but relaxed and fun.”
Melanie Kilkie, HR Coordinator at Cuscal, says:
“I think the new Sydney office is great. It’s really open, with different spaces for everyone to work in. I like the open atmosphere; it’s the kind of space that encourages creativity and people working together. It’s very open plan and you can get everyone getting up and walking to someone’s desk and talking, rather than sending emails. It’s very collaborative.”
About Reward Gateway
Reward Gateway helps more than 1,700 of the world's leading companies, in 23 countries, to attract, engage, and retain their best people with an employee engagement platform that brings employee benefits, discounts, reward and recognition and employee communications into one unified hub. Clients include Optus, NASDAQ, KPMG and McDonald's. For more information, please visit: www.rewardgateway.com/au