The second floor of The Oval, in the west wing of the Wanderers Office Park in Johannesburg, has been home to specialist insurers Centriq has called it ‘home’ for just over a year and a half now. In the company’s search for new office space and a place where they can truly flourish, staff and management made a list of priority needs that they felt would make a significant difference to their workday.

Firstly, the company required a large enough space to allow staff to chill-out, but that could also be used a multi-functional room for internal meetings, including a refreshment station and a few other necessary luxuries. The Chameleon, aka Centriq’s recreational area, sports a grass green astroturf-style lawn and a massive cyan blue decal wall.

This area caters for staff for a bit of downtime during office hours and thereafter, a space to have lunch, try one’s hand at a game of table tennis or challenge each other to an intense game of Giant Jenga. In addition, the area caters for a variety of internal and external functions with a projector, two flat-screen televisions as well as an open plan bar for those ‘let-your-hair-down’ end-of-the-month drinks with colleagues.

Gareth Beaver, CEO of Centriq, explains that with the company’s need to have more space for internal meetings, brainstorming sessions, and a place to work quietly without interruptions, “five internal quite areas were decked out in very quirky yet corporate décor”.

“The refreshment station, or coffee bar as we know it, is one of our top-ups of good energy for the day. Most of our staff tend to congregate from time to time at the coffee bar, nattering about the day’s activities and making themselves a good cup of coffee from the array of coffees, teas, milo and hot chocolate available. We love our coffee,” says Beaver. Centriq’s reading room is a quiet and comfortable space to catch up on daily news or business reading. “To help our staff to keep abreast of local and international news, we subscribe to various publications for them to peruse in this space,” adds Beaver.

“We love our home, and the people who make Centriq their home. We consider our staff as family, and it is the best part of our culture” he says. Centriq created a homing map, which is a giant decal of the world, featured in a walkway close to their kitchen facilities.

“Here, our staff, a diverse collective, note on the map where they have travelled to and highlight the most phenomenal experiences they’ve had in those places. This is all part of getting to know one another and discovering parts of our world through each other’s eyes,” says Beaver.

The Inspiration behind it

According to Beaver, the inspiration for Centriq’s offices stems from a dire need to find a larger office space with a fast-growing staff complement. “But there was also a need to celebrate and live our vibrant brand in a tangible way.”

He says that the blank canvas Centriq discovered in the Wanderers Office Park in Johannesburg was brought to life through the imagination and creativity of one very talented member of staff, Liesl Laurens. Being Centriq’s events coordinator for the best part of eight years, Beaver considers Laurens’ extraordinarily talented in visualising, planning and executing large-scale projects such as Centriq’s big office move.

“She has been instrumental in the well-coordinated and cohesive flow of the day-to-day operations of our offices. Her inspiration went beyond, bringing our brand to life through colour,” Beaver explains.

Mirroring productivity

Beaver says that an awesome office space might not be the literal reason staff are more productive, but adds that it definitely creates a positive vibe. “Each person’s disposition will subconsciously mirror the friendly, colourful and peaceful environment of the office. It is well known that happy environments equal productive employees.”

In Centriq’s case, a productive office culture is reflective in the recognition the company received as a Silver Achiever in the 2015 Deloitte Best Company to Work For Survey. “The award recognises the positive sentiment of our employees, rewarding their commitment to making Centriq a great place to work for,” he says.
According to Beaver, the more effort companies make in creating an energy-filled environment, the more staff know and feel they are appreciated and that the company does indeed care about their happiness.

Beaver says he’s noticed a big increase in employee morale and improved working environment as a result of Centriq’s office space. “For example, in having The Chameleon for some much-needed downtime, our staff now take proper lunch breaks, resulting in the afternoons being more productive,” explains Beaver.

“There’s a contagious positive energy and atmosphere that flows about the office at Centriq. Although we’re an extremely busy group of employees, with many of us working long hours, there’s still time for camaraderie, fun and letting our hair down,” Beaver concludes.