For a company which facilitated remote working from the moon, Poly, which will move into its state of the art home in Crown Square in the coming months, believes that the return to work in offices can create efficient collaborative spaces if smart thinking is applied. It also recommends that employers do not bring back employees just for the sake of it.
The global audio and video technology powerhouse that created the headset used by Neil Armstrong in 1969 to communicate one of the world’s most famous phrases to the world, is in the process of staffing its impressive Galway base which they say provides a compelling reason to have people back in the workplace.
Scheduled to complete its fitout and open its doors in the months ahead, creating more than 200 high-skilled jobs in the region since 2021 and over the next four years, Two Crown Square will be home to Poly’s new Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA ) Centre of Excellence, the global brand’s Research and Development lab, designed to serve as the innovation heartbeat for the company’s sixty-five offices across the globe.
The company has been staffing for the past few months in the fields of software engineering, sales, human resources, customer support, legal, and finance, and new recruits will benefit from the exciting Galway environment that blends offices, retail, residences and hospitality. Location and commute are key to attracting talent and this development offers work-life balance, sustainable workspaces, attractive residences, lifestyle conveniences and of course, a culture of hospitality for which Galway is renowned.
Speaking this week, Joe Goggins, Director of Engineering, who is overseeing the arrival of Poly in Galway, said that they are very excited about the move to Crown Square.
“Once we are in there, we will see it as a compelling reason to have people back in the offices. We are currently based in the Galway Technology Centre and the people there have made us quite comfortable,” he said.
Poly have clients all over the globe and take an active interest in the efficiency and logistics of their operations, especially when it comes to the ongoing debate over remote working and office-based collaboration.
However, he said that companies should not rush employees back into the offices just for the sake of putting bums on seats and that there has to be a value to the employee being on-site.
“I started in my career in the Mervue Industrial Estate and I’ve worked in Ballybrit as well, so working on the outskirts of town and providing all the amenities and car parking and not hitting the city centre traffic are two of the key elements staff are doing to enjoy with Crown Square.
“That plus the initiatives the building owners are providing, better bus transfers and the close proximity to the city as well. I can still walk from here to a Connacht rugby match within ten minutes of finishing work on a Friday evening.
“The landlords are providing cycle facilities, e-bikes, power points, shower rooms to enable people to come into the office fresh. It is very cool and the green space that is to be provided outside to act as a contact with nature and a collaboration space will add to all that. So it will be a chic place to work,” he said.
All very different to how we perceived work before lockdown?
“Over the last number of years, we have started to see a lot of ownership and trust move towards the employees,” added Mr Goggins. “The employees now have their own way of working. They are not nine to five. They have now brought a better life balance into their own families and in some cases into their wider communities because the services around them have changed to provide for them as well.
Earn the commute
“But we are starting to see a return to office and we are seeing this with our customers as well. Here in Poly in this impressive new space, we are trying to provide an immersive experience where everybody ‘earns the commute.’ There is no point in bringing people into the office just to get bums on seats.
“Don’t bring people in to do emails or work that they could do naturally at home. In any case, from an engineering perspective, we are always looking at collaboration and innovation and these things happen in community spaces.
“People think about them and it is always a forethought when you are at your desk at home, but you don’t ring somebody to have that conversation. That’s not a natural innovation and is not how collaborative spaces work.
“When we think about the office space, and we think of the office space of the early noughties where it is just rows of desks and those spaces, the water cooler was the most collaborative space, so we have an opportunity now with the return to work initiative where people are redesigning the office to make them more creative.
“It is no longer just rows of desks and a canteen. It is a space that is being created to allow innovation. To say, when you are in the office, that you don’t need to sit at your desk all day. It is not why you’re here. The ‘earned commute’ is going to come from the culture that is being developed within the offices,” he added.
“We found that over lockdown when employees brought a piece of work home, they found a sense of ownership. They can judge how long work can take, they have a greater sense of how they perceive the work they are being asked to do
“And with many employees of the same mindset, the collaborative possibilities are endless. When we enable these spaces, we are creating this big drive towards innovation,” added Joe Goggins.
“Making changes to the office spaces means optimising them for collaboration and creativity. Technology will play a large part in this as the modern office needs to be updated to meet the needs of hybrid workers. Having the right devices and enterprise-grade equipment readily available will help transform the modern office into an intelligent hub for remote and face to face interaction,” he said.
Role of the city’s universities
“From a leadership perspective, we are asked what do we want our leaders to look like and a lot of older models would have been taken from the army and naval bases where you had to follow the leader. The serve and leadership model enables people to take ownership, and in doing this, they thrive on aiming to be the best. With ownership of work, the employee is more heavily involved and engaged. It is an all round win-win.”
Mr Goggins said that they are very pleased with how the recruitment is proceeding to fill those 200 new jobs in the company. To this end, he praised the role of several local bodies in facilitating Poly’s transition into Galway.
“It is great to get such high quality candidates in such a small community as Galway. The universities are so engaged with us and they ask us what do we need, what can they be informing the graduates, what sort of expertise and project experience do they need.
“They are in and working with us and we are not even a year in Galway yet., so I don’t think we can get that in any other city in the world. That sort of community feel contributes to such a great relationship and leads to a very natural conversation.
“We are lucky that the American Chamber of Commerce were great in the enthusiasm and willingness they showed to be able to come and meet the global leaders of Poly when we were moving here.
“They helped in showcasing Galway and outlining the key areas where Poly could fulfil its needs to establish a base in Galway. The work that Galway Chamber does with Galway Tech Centre is also key.
“There is a great community feel and bodies like ITAG develop this and help create strong relationships. They were like a welcoming committee who were gracious with their expertise in helping us set up. Kenny Deery (Galway Chamber ) has done a great job in getting the Galway brand out there, and we in Poly will play our role when it comes to enticing other companies to follow suit and set up here in the west,” he added.
Poly’s association with the original moon landing is a fascinating calling card for any company to have. It is a conversation starter that is used to great effect by the company to attract interest in it, especially among graduates who are amazed that a company now based in Galway had such an historic link to a ground-breaking moment in time.
Poly is here, and ready and willing to establish itself among the list of tech companies to spread the Galway gospel. One giant step and all that...
To apply for a role at Poly’s new EMEA Centre of Excellence in Galway, Ireland, visit www.poly.com/ireland
