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‘In-person offices must add value to the employee experience’
Cornwalls has completed a multimillion-dollar fit-out of its Melbourne office. The creation of flexible, hybrid working environments that are also technologically advanced will be critical for legal employers moving forward, the firm says.
Jess Feyder
Cornwalls chief executive Levent Shevki discussed the firm’s new offices with Lawyers Weekly and gave insights into what in-person workplaces should look like in a new hybrid working world.
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“Staff are increasingly seeking more value in the workplace,” Mr Shevki said. “Hence, the physical office needs to be able to add value to the employee’s experience.”
Working from home has been quickly normalised and accepted post-pandemic, he noted.
“The physical office is no longer the place where ‘all work’ is done; instead, it is the place for specific purposes such as collaborating and socialising with teams and a place where more advanced technology is available than at home,” he said.
“In person, office attendance is important for a workplace to flourish.
“One of the most significant benefits of returning to office is the improved connection with co-workers, which can lead to more effective brainstorming, increased productivity, and team synergy.
“Collaboration and communication between colleagues and teams are leading forces in driving innovation, production, and growth.
“We know staff still want the connection and collaboration with colleagues that they used to get in the office, and they still need, at different times, access to better technology and places to concentrate and reflect.
“The office, therefore, needs to be not an alternative workspace to home but an extension of it.”
Mr Shevki elaborated on how the firm designed its “Innovation Lab”, describing it as “an unconventional meeting space — an inviting space for our staff, clients and others to work in”.
“It is a space that inspires creative thinking; a place to collaborate; a space that contains leading and emerging technology; a space that shows our clients and networks that we are progressive thinkers in how we work; a place that cultivates a different meeting experience, and provides for an immersive space to work in.
“We have created a space that makes our staff and networks want to come into the office, not only because it is a nice, inspiring environment but also because it is highly functional and efficient,” he said.
“The space aligns with Cornwalls’ strategy.
“We want companies to use the space for their planning days, strategy workshops, [and] presentations.
“We want the space to be busy. We want to attract companies to our space.”
