A FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS

DIVING DEEP INTO HYBRID

We chat with MYOB’s Head of Workplace Experience, Graeme Scannell on their Melbourne workplace and Hybrid Working at MYOB.

Talk to us about your role at MYOB
I am the Head of Workplace Experience and am responsible for everything from Real Estate & Workplace Management to Design & Delivery and the Operational side of the workplace and the environment. 

How has MYOB addressed hybrid work?
We were fortunate that we were working in a flexible manner pre-Covid so only had to change the level of flexibility, keeping a focus on what’s important. For us that’s our people, our customers and outcomes. We know that engaged people innovate and engaged people working in teams deliver more innovation.

So with this in mind, we created what we call ‘Flexperience’ which is our tool box of how we work. This includes a tool we call team charters where each team consider the needs of each other and then works out their rhythm – how they will work as a team.  This includes things like when & why they come together, what tasks they do from home, how they celebrates success and how they will support their teams’ wellbeing & development.       

What was something important MYOB focused on during this change in work styles?
We know we are better together, and being with friends and colleagues is good for our health & wellbeing. Additionally we know that innovation happens best in person  – simply put people are more engaged, excited and innovative when they work in person vs remote – protecting and nurturing this, was imperative. 

To counter the potential impacts to wellbeing from hybrid work, and to tap into the innovative benefits of Team vs Self, we set expectations that teams must work together in the office at least one day a week. Although we continually observe, discuss and measure this, we are definitely seeing the benefits of working in the office as a team.  This is especially important when it comes to new teams that are forming.  

How was it like working with Cachet, on designing the Melbourne HQ? What are some crowd favourite spaces?
The entire Cachet team were super helpful, easy to work with and always brought ideas to build, evolve and solve the brief. The result is an amazing workplace we are all proud of.  

I’ll start and end with my favourite space, being the Marketplace, as it offers so much to our office culture. The Marketplace is our large social and meeting space. The design brief was not only to create a space where everyone would want to come to, but to create a multifunctional space that brought people there for multiple reasons.  We intentionally, and carefully, mixed meeting, social, fun and catering into a single zone, and it works amazingly. It truly is the life and soul of our office and I love seeing people enjoying it; everything from our boardroom to our pool table in this area is in a manner where one does not compromise the other; it just works. 

What do you anticipate for the year ahead for workplaces and hybrid working / what is something you think business leaders should know?
I will start by saying change is constant, every day is a school day and that MYOB are well ahead of the curve. I believe the importance of the workplace will be reinvigorated in the coming year, very much aligned to solving some of the challenges I mentioned above.

All companies will need to grasp the nettle in regards to the true impacts of hybrid, and then respond – they will need to start to directly influence how they adopt hybrid; what works for them, and then make bold firm decisions.  As we find out more about the impact working remotely has on mental wellbeing, companies will need to respond.  As we find out about how hybrid working affects innovation, companies will need flex to draw out the positive and avoid the pitfalls, and they will have to be quick off the mark.  

Another aspect is the role of the people leaders. Prior to the world holistically adopting hybrid working, mid-level leaders were able to rely on the senior leaders to set the culture. When working remotely, without the direct visual connection, it is their job more so than before.  Additionally they used to respond to what they saw in the office; their team gave off visual cues about being frustrated or struggling with something. When we work remotely, people leaders have to consciously check in to find out what people are thinking; the role of the people leader has evolved, and they need to be informed and empowered to take on new proactive responsibilities