01732 759725 14 WORKPLACE Great Place to Work certification validates office-first approach to collaboration, development and learning at TD SYNNEX back into the office, so we wanted to create a modern office that was attractive to them.” The office layout and more egalitarian workplace culture – no manager has an assigned or dedicated office – created with workplace design specialist Area has also been implemented at TD SYNNEX’s refurbished Bracknell office and in premises across Europe. “We've got it in Germany; we’ve got it in Stockholm; they’ll be moving to it in France, in Bussy-Saint-Georges, when they relocate to new offices there; they’ll convert to it in Spain at some point. Ultimately, all countries will go to it,” explains Watts. Doing something right Acceptance of the new working arrangements in Basingstoke and Bracknell has been impressive so far. “We try to give co-workers flexibility, so all we ask is that they are in the office for 40% of every month, including at least one day every week because a manager should be able to have a team meeting once a week and expect everyone to be there. In fact, network log-ins show that many are spending more like 50% or 60% of their time in the office. So we're doing something right,” says Watts. For him, office life is essential for collaboration, corporate culture and career development, especially for people in front-office sales positions who get so much energy and so many opportunities to learn from being in close proximity to colleagues. “Younger people are realising that to develop their careers, they really need to be around co-workers. If I think back to when I started, I learned so much from listening to how other people conducted calls or from having my manager say ‘I think you could have done it better this way’. Our answer to people who say ‘Why do you want me in the office?’ is ‘teamwork, collaboration and career development’. My own personal one, from a mental health point of view, is that being in your comfort zone at home isn't necessarily a happy place. I've suffered a lot from depression during my life and sometimes the only thing that would get me out of the house was work.” It is perhaps significant that the most underutilised element of the Basingstoke office is the generous provision of formal meeting rooms, suggesting that what brings people in is the chance to engage informally with colleagues. Great place to work Further evidence of the success of TD SYNNEX’s approach is provided by its recent certification as a Great Place to Work for 2023, based on a survey completed by 957 workers (72% of the distributor’s employed UK workforce). Nine out of ten respondents say TD SYNNEX makes them feel welcome and treats them fairly regardless of their gender, race or sexual orientation. The creation of four Business Resource Groups (BRGs) to support female empowerment, LGBTQ+ co-workers, racial, cultural and religious equality and people with disabilities has clearly played a big part in the development of an open and inclusive workplace culture. This is reflected in the new office TD SYNNEX UK & Ireland’s shiny new office in the Maplewood building on Chineham Business Park, Basingstoke, to which the distributor relocated in January 2023, is the epitome of a modern workspace designed to entice hybrid workers out of their home offices and spare bedrooms and into a collaborative environment where they can work more closely with – and learn from – colleagues. Open-plan layouts divided into neighbourhoods, featuring bookable desks placed near windows (where you once might have expected managers’ offices), height adjustable options and widescreen displays with integrated videoconferencing, complemented by a wide choice of pods, booths and meeting rooms, plus cafes and gaming rooms for relaxation, combine to create a spacious environment optimised for collaboration and productivity. “I am very pro hybrid work,” explains UK and Ireland Managing Director David Watts. “It swings the pendulum more towards employees, and I am supportive of that. That said, we are an office-first company, and we want people to come The main attraction Reception
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