Great Place To Work
Oceans is an office for the future to meet each other with a very good energetic vibe.
In October 2020, Great Place To Work moved to Oceans Haarlem. A week after the company moved in, the Netherlands went into lockdown. Great Place To Work also works from home and can occasionally be found in the office. We spoke with René Brouwers (CEO Great Place To Work) about his experiences in Oceans, the future of work and whether the impact hub is a Great Place To Work.
You were able to work in Oceans Haarlem for a week before the Netherlands went into lockdown. How is the experience so far?
The response from the team has been extremely positive. There is a good energy in the office. When we could all still work here, you saw that there was so much need for being together. Of course, that is no longer allowed, but that is exactly what we need. For now, it’s a shame that we have to wait a little longer until we can go back to the office. But we know we’ll be back soon at a very nice workplace.
How do you envision that? The future of work?
The office’s main function will be to function as a social hub. That’s exactly what Oceans is. An environment like Oceans contributes to a lot of pride: colleagues walk around in a special environment, want to receive customers here and give workshops. It also boosts team spirit and connection, which in turn has a positive effect on innovation. I would also recommend companies to find the right combination between working from home and working in a social hub where you bring people together with energy. This creates positivity and innovation. I am convinced that the connection, by being together in a space, brings energy. Energy needed to take your business further. Operational work, for which you need others less, can be done from home with ease. Oceans Haarlem is our social hub. That is why I think this is a very future-proof office.
“An environment like Oceans contributes to a lot of pride: colleagues walk around in a special environment, want to receive customers here and give workshops”
In addition, René said this about the new workplace of Great Place To Work in an earlier interview:
I believe in the power of the diversity of organizations within Oceans. That can greatly reinforce each other. In addition, it appeals to us that Oceans is looking for companies with the same conviction: we all want to make an impact and at the same time are entrepreneurs who want to set up a healthy business now. Wanting to make an impact is also a requirement from Oceans to rent a workspace. In our case, we want to improve the world of work and Dopper wants to ban plastic from the oceans. This way everyone has their own story and the energy of all these different people together can provide more inspiration and innovation.
At Oceans we bring people together in the office. How do you feel about the office being an open workplace?
We deliberately chose to do that. You can set up your own office or go to a multi-tender office. We did this at first, but then you work behind a closed door, and you are always with the same people. At Oceans, the different companies mix with each other. I believe that companies can help each other, ignite each other, and thus gain new energy. We will all experience that when the building can fully open again. I feel we are going to make a lot of impact here!
Was it a big step to move from Amsterdam to Haarlem?
We have certainly thought about that from a marketing point of view. But the message that Oceans radiates has much more value than whether you are in Amsterdam or Haarlem. Our employees are fairly spread throughout the Netherlands. In the end, no one objected to moving to Haarlem.
“At Oceans, an open environment is created. This encourages openness and vulnerability. I'm curious to see what the result of this will be.'
Then of course we want to know, is Oceans Haarlem a Great Place To Work?
René laughing: we measure good employment by organizations. We will be happy to measure that with you. Ultimately, being a good employer is the most important, the environment where you work is only part of it. It’s about creating an environment where there is good trust and where you can get the most out of your employees. Openness, vulnerability, security, and trust are all terms that get people moving. What is created at Oceans is an open environment. You stimulate openness and thus vulnerability. I’m very curious to see what that gives in return.
By the way, our own research of the Trust Index prompted Dopper to look for a different working environment. The employees had indicated that they would enjoy a work environment with inspiration. And here we are. Everything comes together nicely.
Also inspired to work at Oceans? Look at our memberships
Dopper
“Werken in Oceans heeft ons echt naar een nieuw niveau gebracht. Niet alleen door de prettige omgeving, maar ook omdat het ons in staat stelt om mensen te ontmoeten in het pand die dezelfde visie hebben.”
