Process
One of the biggest challenges was debunking myths about activity-based working, which many people equate with ‘hot-desking’.
These flexible arrangements can make some employees anxious about losing a sense of ownership and control over their working space.
Careful thinking and planning for the change management process was crucial to the project’s success.
Outcomes
The new workplace is the perfect match for Morningstar’s needs and aspirations.
Teams now work in small ‘neighbourhoods’, while groups that require separation – due to regulations – have their own zones, buffered by support functions to protect confidentiality.
Collaboration spaces are located in high-traffic, mixed-use areas – close to the action and away from quiet spaces for focused or individual work.
Value
A typical post-occupancy evaluation only looks at how spaces are performing. For Morningstar, we took a more holistic approach, exploring aspects beyond space too – like culture and technology.
In our post-move review, we identified ‘quick wins’ for getting further benefits from the workplace, plus medium to long term measures to fine-tune it. We also suggested how to translate lessons from the Sydney experience to Morningstar’s other global sites.
Overall, we found:
- The workplace achieved Morningstar’s vision for it, with 74% of employees agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement ‘I love our current workplace’
- The environment is helping the company evolve into a more nimble, innovative and tech-based business, according to 79% of employees who agree or strongly agree
- The new workplace is fostering a community built around knowledge sharing, with 72% agreeing or strongly agreeing
