Blog Post
Creating a Better Work Environment: Employee-Driven Building Renovations
November 21, 2014
Kiley Boggs is a Proposal Analyst at Rho. She has over 5 years of analysis experience in Business, Technology, and Proposal Analyst capacities.
The workplace is changing significantly and Rho, like many companies, is hoping to grow with the ever changing times. Twice a year, we set aside a day to focus on innovation—an event we call Rho24. One of the initiatives that resulted from a Rho24 event is the Rho Liquid Networks team. The goal of the Liquid Networks team is to foster collaboration amongst employees through workplace improvements. Initially, the team imagined a coffee house environment where one could drop in, grab a cup of coffee, and, perhaps, discuss ideas with others gathered. The focus of the Liquid Networks team expanded to include an office environment that fosters easy communication and collaboration within and across project teams and, most importantly, healthy and happy staff.
So, what changes are being made?
- A cafe style hang out on the ground floor to encourage employees to take a break and enjoy each other’s company, or continue working in a cozy environment
- Shorter cube walls topped with glass, allowing for more natural light while continuing to provide a barrier for sound
- Shared offices and collaborative cube configurations for employees who need to work together on a regular basis
- A multiuse space for yoga, aerobics, video gaming, ping pong, etc.
- The addition of a conference room suite on the ground floor to improve the experience of our customers during their time on site.
What makes us different?
We realize that the improvements mentioned above have been made by companies for years; what makes Rho so unique is the way in which many of the changes are being made. As co-founder Ron Helms often says, “plan for a pilot test because you will run one anyway,” so that is exactly what we are doing. Instead of telling employees what their environment should look like, Rho is leaving it up to its employees to decide what suits them best. Multi-person offices and various cube configurations are being setup throughout the building and employees will have the opportunity to test these spaces and provide honest feedback that will determine future renovation and building design decisions. We can’t wait to see what the awesome employees at Rho decide!