Where U? moves to the heart of Perth’s city

Perth is seeing a mass exodus from the inner city, and it’s a trend that we’re seeing around Australia. With rising property prices and a growing acceptance of work-from-home arrangements, inner-city living and working has never been less popular. So it might come as a surprise to learn that startup-turned-scaleup marketing agency Where U? has just moved office from a small, two-room office tucked away in East Perth, to a second-storey office building in the heart of Perth city on Adelaide Terrace. With a growing number of employees, there was the option to employ on a work-from-home basis – but the option to upsize the office and fit everyone was ultimately the decision that won. Here’s why.

Stability In Times of Change: The concept of hotdesking has grown to prominence in tandem with the shift towards working from home. There’s merit to the idea – not only is it cheaper than leasing a traditional office space, but regularly changing workstations may keep employees feeling fresh and invigorated. It also ties in nicely with the concept of hybrid and remote working – having only a few employees in the office at any given time removes the need for upsizing.

However, as a small but rapidly growing business, Where U? is already experiencing change on a near-weekly basis. New employees, new clients, new tools and processes – in the process of optimising the business, employees are already adapting to regular change. As a young business, Where U? is already entrenched in the neverending process of course-correcting and optimsing the business, developing better methodologies, and upskilling in different areas. The familiarity of an office space is one of very few constants in the business, allowing employees to feel grounded even as they embrace change.

Maintaining Office Culture: Office culture has become a buzzword synonymous with pizza parties, team building exercises, and wearing jeans on Friday – but when you cultivate an office culture that people actually want to be a part of, the payoff is immense. When employees feel comfortable with each other, it creates a safe environment for sharing ideas and trying creative new strategies. That kind of relationship is built on shared experiences and values, made all the more easy by sharing a room where you can talk to coworkers without having to start a Zoom meeting.

Retaining Flexibility: Having an office space that fits everyone doesn’t mean that everyone needs to be there all the time. Where U? uses a Wednesday work-from-home policy, and gives all employees the freedom to work from home when they need to. The office provides a comfortable, familiar working environment – without imposing the confines of traditional office life.

While the shift towards hybrid working conditions isn’t going anywhere, Where U? has found that there are real benefits to providing a space for collaboration and stability while the business continues to grow.