Back in March 2020, the Travis Perkins Group, like many other businesses, asked its support function colleagues to work from home to help keep everyone safe during the pandemic. Whilst our branch colleagues did an incredible job to support our customers by keeping our branches safe, open and trading, support function colleagues had to adapt their ways of working in response to the ‘work from home’ restrictions. This move paved the way for the hybrid ways of working the Group has now adopted.
Based on the learning we developed during the pandemic, we believe this new way of working has changed our office culture for the better, helping to ensure colleagues have more flexibility and options to balance their work and home lives and work where they feel most productive. Our Chief HR Officer, Emma Rose, explained that the changes we implemented have allowed us to modernise the way we work and attract a more diverse range of talents and skills, something which is key in order for us to build our capability for the future.
Here’s an overview of how we’ve moved to hybrid ways of working long term:
What changes have we made since the start of the pandemic?
Prior to the pandemic, our Head Office was based across a number of different sites and colleagues tended to work in the office five days a week. Between 2020 and 2021, we made the decision to invest in Northampton as part of our continued commitment to the local area and bring support function colleagues together at The Hub in Northampton which has now been refurbished and supports over 700 colleagues.
As part of our decarbonisation roadmap, the sustainability and property teams worked together to achieve a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of the refurbished building. We have moved to a 100% renewable electricity tariff and invested in energy-efficient solutions, such as LED lighting, the installation of solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.
How have people adjusted to hybrid working?
Working from home can on occasion make colleagues feel less connected, so we encourage our teams to use The Hub as a collaboration workplace, to work with colleagues within and across teams. We’ve found that our people appreciate the freedom that comes with a hybrid working model, ultimately feeling more productive and enjoying a better work/life balance.
Our Ways of Working Focus Group undertook a survey to find out how people have adjusted, and the most common responses were ‘I’m exercising more’ and ‘I really don’t miss that commute’. Parents are able to balance childcare with workloads more efficiently and, crucially, spend more time doing what they love, rather than spending time and money travelling to and from work. One colleague told us that hybrid working gives ‘a great balance of working together on-site with colleagues and working from home where I connect with colleagues using Google Meet.’
Which teams go into The Hub and when?
The beauty of our new hybrid working model is that it’s up to individual teams and team leaders to work with colleagues to develop ways that ensure they are able to work at their best. That means most support function colleagues now balance remote and office working, and split their working week accordingly.
We’ve designed The Hub so that our colleagues can work better together and be at their best. Some teams have dedicated team bases where they work together to support our branches, whilst others use hot desks, project desks and meeting rooms to connect and work together.
What is it like working in The Hub?
Working in The Hub enables collaboration with teammates, and our people have told us that ‘it’s great to meet up with people and work together face to face again’. With individual offices, corridors and filing cupboards replaced with an open plan workspace with bookshelves and green walls, we’ve created a ‘home from home’ feel.
The Hub can be both a buzzing environment and a quiet place to focus. Some areas have dedicated project desks which can create a hive of activity, whilst there are other quieter zones. There is a range of working areas, including hot desks, breakout areas, meeting rooms and booths, which enable colleagues to work individually or together in the way that suits them best. Some survey respondents told us that being away from a desk definitely helps to get creative juices flowing!
Are you looking for a job with hybrid working arrangements?
Historically, most people who worked at Head Office lived in and around Northampton, but our new hybrid working model has encouraged people from further afield to join our Group. Work-life balance has become ever more important in recent years, and we want to accommodate the needs of our colleagues so they can be at their best both inside and outside of work.
If you’re looking for a new opportunity with flexible working arrangements, we may have something for you. Browse our available Head Office and Central Services jobs today to find out more and apply.
