A businessman has remodeled his castle in the UK to turn it into the best office in the country
Most office employees are grateful to the employer for a banal cup of tea or vouchers for lunch. But the employees of this site enjoy a whole set of privileges: from free beer and monthly social compensation to 45% bonuses and annual fully paid vacation. In addition, they are provided with 5,000 pounds ($ 6,100) for transfers to any charitable foundation of their choice.
All this is the work of Chris Morling, the founder and managing director of the portal Money.co.uk , who set himself the goal of creating the best place to work. "Taking care of my team is a task of paramount importance… They are my most valuable asset," the businessman believes.
(21 photos in total)
One of the cornerstones in achieving the well—being of employees was the renovation of the company's main office — a historically significant castle in Cirencester, Gloucestershire - which cost 3 million pounds ($ 3.7 million). During the renovation of the headquarters, we consulted with all 50 employees of the company and collaborated with the famous interior designer Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Now Chris Morling's subordinates can hold business meetings in the "chalet", "library" or "ice cave", as well as use the cinema hall in the style of "Star Wars", a game room and themed toilets in the style of the Rolling Stones. An office with an area of 930 square meters is all playfulness, creativity and a lot of orange color.
"It's about making this a wonderful, productive workplace. We tried to model the design around the needs of the team. Some people want to work standing up, some want to work alone. Ultimately, it all comes down to creating a space where you can feel comfortable," says Chris Morling.
For seven years the project Money.co.uk he has gone from seven to 50 employees, and his creator continues to recruit staff, being still interested in the well-being of everyone with whom he works. At the beginning of the main office renovation project, which lasted 14 months, the entrepreneur interviewed each subordinate about what was missing in their current workplace.
Morling (bottom left) is acquainted with the popular interior designer Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen (bottom right) through his trainer. He invited him because he needed a person capable of thinking outside the box. Llewelyn-Bowen saw the project as a chance to change the perception of ugly, unfriendly and not conducive to creativity interiors of modern offices. So the idea of fulfilling the wishes of employees was born — from coffee machines to "standing" workplaces.
The result is an incredible office space in brightness and design, designed specifically for those who work in it. Employees of the company climb the impressive steps of the castle and enter the reception room, decorated with green foliage that resembles the forests of Narnia.
The design is also focused on humor and social interaction: There are popcorn machines, foosball tables, and a Star Wars-style movie theater. Morling himself loves most of all in his renovated castle the men's bathroom, decorated in steampunk style. According to him, absolutely all employees were satisfied with the transformation of their workplace.
This is especially important, given that the businessman decided to equip the company's office outside London. "When I first decided to build a business outside of London, I realized that hiring would be a difficult process. Eight years have passed, and I was lucky that I was able to create a team of 50 best people in my field… Next year I will continue my search for kings and queens in the field of technology, as I'm going to increase the team by 20%," Morling said.
An old castle may seem like an odd choice for an office of a relatively modest company, but Morling claims that this is a truly cost-effective solution when compared with an office of the same size in London. Despite all the flat-screen panels on the walls, a first-class audio system and other "buns", the owner of the company reminds that this is just the cherry on top of the cake. "The whole wonderful physical environment is just a small part of the job when you're trying to create a great place to work. When a team feels truly valuable and its opinion is listened to, employees feel inspired, and this is worth much more than all the advantages and privileges that we offer," says the entrepreneur.
In addition to all the above advantages, employees Money.co.uk They can use a free office gym, a yoga studio and a flexible work schedule. On days when motivation is not enough, team members can play billiards, a PS4 console and have a glass of beer. Lunch and evening gatherings are organized once a month at the expense of the company, and football and basketball matches are held every week. Employees with excellent results also receive up to 45% of their salary in the form of an annual bonus. Everyone is offered an annual fully paid mini-vacation abroad in places such as Florida, New York, Budapest, Dubrovnik and Copenhagen.
Keywords: UK | Castle | Interior | Unusual office | Offices | Offices of IT companies | Workplace | Repair