Research has found that employees who go into an office at least a few days per week will find more than well-stocked fridges and comfy collaboration areas.
They’ll find purpose there, too. According to a Harvard Business Review report, working alongside others in person fosters a greater sense of purpose, which is reflected in a social-cognitive theory called “goal contagion” — the idea that those who observe the actions of other people often adopt those individuals’ goals.
When employees are brought together in a shared space, they’re able to pursue a common purpose in tandem. That’s why many organizations strive to offer workspaces that foster this collective determination, making it easier for employees to drive progress and feel more connected to their work — and each other.
According to Matthew Sprake, the days he and his colleagues spend at FloQast’s office are both productive and fun. When he and his peers aren’t hitting deadlines and attending meetings, you’ll find them connecting as friends at local hotspots like Bleecker Street Bar.
At Spotnana, Jessica Bartlett and her teammates benefit from spacious community areas, which play host to shared meals and town hall meetings. And to keep energy levels high, she shared, employees can grab a complimentary cold brew coffee or Greek yogurt from the company’s kitchen.
Meanwhile, Nina George and her peers at Leaf Home share ideas over sweeping views of Midtown Manhattan. With access to four private outdoor terraces, the company’s office makes it easy to connect with colleagues meaningfully while relishing all that NYC has to offer.
Below, Sprake, Bartlett and George share more about why they love working with others in person and the in-office perks they cherish the most.
FloQast’s cloud-based platform enables accountants to streamline recurring processes, such as financial reporting and payroll.
Tell us about FloQast’s office space and how frequently the team uses it.
The company’s office space fosters opportunities for myself and my colleagues to collaborate and refine our skills in person. With an open floor space, we’re able to help each other win and achieve our common goal of driving success here at FloQast. Having mostly hybrid employees, we have a solid core of individuals who come in three to four days per week, with a handful of us coming in every day. Having many options in terms of workspaces to collaborate, I find myself mostly at my desk using the state-of-the-art resources provided to us to help me efficiently carry out my day-to-day work.
What types of amenities does FloQast offer for in-office work, and do you have a personal favorite?
It has to be the location. Located in the heart of SoHo, lunch and happy hour options are aplenty. If we’re not having a quick post-work sync in the office, you can often find a few “FloQasters” at Kenn’s on Broome or Bleecker Street Bar catching a game or talking about our days. But on a day-to-day basis, I’d be remiss to not point out how convenient it is to have a fully stocked kitchen. Whether it be a plethora of snacks to tide us over until lunch, the espresso machine that sees a ton of action, or the fridge stocked with Celsius beverages, it’s tough to feel like we don’t have everything we need to get our jobs done to the best of our ability.
“If we’re not having a quick post-work sync in the office, you can often find a few ‘FloQasters’ at Kenn’s on Broome or Bleecker Street Bar catching a game or talking about our days.”
Compared to working remotely, how would you say working in the office has benefitted the way you work?
Compared to working remotely, the support and guidance around you is something I personally value in being in the office every day. Coming from the Big Four’s apprenticeship model, it has always been important for me to be around company leaders and some of the sharpest individuals. Having the ability to pop into a leader’s office and ask a question to get a different point of view or go over a process with someone who was in your role before has been — and still is — tremendously valuable. Being in person together eliminates the resistance of Zoom meetings and long Slack messages that take time and provide less value than being in person.
Spotnana’s platform is designed to simplify travel management for corporations and leisure travelers, offering an online booking capability, access to travel agents and more.
Tell us about Spotnana’s office space and how frequently the team uses it.
With our three guiding principles in mind, we operate on a hybrid model with offices around the world, including our New York City headquarters, where I’m based. I’m in the office two to three days per week. I appreciate the flexibility to work from home when I need focused time on strategic projects or have a high volume of calls with those in other locations. However, being in the office allows me to build deeper connections with my colleagues. Every Friday, we have a poll in our New York office Slack channel for the team to share when they plan to be in the office the following week to help everyone plan their week effectively.
The 3 Principles Guiding Spotnana's Office Strategy
- “Community: We are stronger together, and being together in person allows us to strengthen our culture and community to align with our values and principles.
- “Collaboration and Innovation: Being together regularly in person allows us to collaborate and innovate more effectively and efficiently, allowing us to build and scale Spotnana.”
- “Balanced Flexibility: We recognize that employee flexibility is essential and aim to balance employee flexibility with business needs in our office strategy.”
What types of amenities does Spotnana offer for in-office work, and do you have a personal favorite?
Spotnana’s offices are in vibrant cities with strong talent pools and easy accessibility. Each office is designed to foster our innovative culture and support our mission of modernizing travel. Employees are provided with dedicated desks to personalize for their productivity and enjoyment. The office spaces also include conference rooms and phone booths to support how our employees work.
I enjoy hosting brainstorming sessions in the office and whiteboarding new ideas with my colleagues. One of my favorite features is the spacious community areas, where we can share meals or attend company events, such as our monthly town hall meetings and in-house learning and development sessions. These areas include comfortable couches and soft seating.
“One of my favorite features is the spacious community areas, where we can share meals or attend company events, such as our monthly town hall meetings and in-house learning and development sessions.”
Spotnana also provides a variety of in-office snacks and beverages to help make the workday more enjoyable and comfortable. I love grabbing a cup of cold brew coffee or Greek yogurt. Some other fun aspects of our offices include our U.S. offices being dog-friendly, an outdoor area in our Palo Alto office where employees can enjoy fresh air, and a ping-pong table in our Bangalore office.
Compared to working remotely, how would you say working in the office has benefitted the way you work?
I love the balance of working from home and being with my colleagues in-office. Working in the office has allowed me to form deeper relationships with my teammates. In some recent key projects, the in-person collaboration helped us develop better solutions and strong communication. I personally have found that a regular routine helps me get the most out of each day. I plan my calendar to optimize both my home and office days. It enables me to prioritize my office days for time with local team members and my home days for projects that require deep thinking or independent work.
Spotnana is committed to creating comfortable and productive office spaces to ensure that employees enjoy their work environment and find it valuable. Our company prioritizes in-person gatherings, such as team offsites and our annual global offsite, to foster relationships, build community and enhance collaboration. As a travel platform, we understand the importance of face-to-face interactions, which is why we invest in inviting office spaces that facilitate teamwork and connection.
Leaf Home is a home improvement company that provides gutter protection products as well as water and stair lift solutions.
Tell us about Leaf Home’s office space and how frequently the team uses it.
Leaf Home’s New York City office is home to our field support center and teams from marketing, data analytics, finance and communications. It’s also a gathering place for colleagues from our headquarters in Hudson, Ohio. Thanks to our hybrid work model, we gather in person three days a week to collaborate and foster a strong sense of community.
Leaf Home’s hybrid approach to work allows us to combine the best of both worlds: focused remote work and inspiring in-person collaborations. The in-person sessions are made even more special by our office’s unique amenities. With our gelato maker and outdoor workspaces overlooking Midtown Manhattan, we can step away from our screens, fuel our creativity and enjoy an ideal work-life balance.
“With our gelato maker and outdoor workspaces overlooking Midtown Manhattan, we can step away from our screens, fuel our creativity and enjoy an ideal work-life balance.
Leaf Home's NYC Office at a Glance
- Leaf Home’s office space, located at 10 Grand Central in Midtown Manhattan, opened in August 2023
- The office space spans 10,000 square feet and sits on the 15th floor, offering four private outdoor terraces
- Since its opening, the number of staff in the office has increased threefold
- The building in which the office sits offers a 7,500-square-foot indoor and outdoor lounge and club floor, with access to outdoor space