offi ce life


Robin Hall, managing director, The Kymin Group, Newport


Does your business have a dress code? Why? Yes. We need to project a professional image at all times.


Team building – does it


work and what do you do? Yes it does. We take part in pub quizzes, we take the whole company on days out, eg trip across the Bristol Channel, go-karting events etc. We are also, in April, organising a team meeting off site about our brand and company values.


Under what circumstances are staff allowed to work from home? All staff have allocated work positions. However, if needed, work can be done at home, eg when revising for exams or when working over the weekend on corporate business.


If you had a magic wand and could instigate one thing to make a better working environment what would it be? (We won’t hold you to it...) All staff including directors working on one level. We are short of space and bidding for more property at the moment.


Liz Maher, director of Centurion VAT Specialists, Langstone


Does your business have a dress code? Why? Centurion doesn’t have a formal dress code. As a professional services fi rm with an experienced team to support clients we are all aware that clients have certain expectations in dress code from their


advisory team and all of the team here are adult enough to realise this. We do have clients who dress more informally than others and we refl ect that in our approach on work engagements with them but again this would be infl uenced by the context of the event. For Board meeting or meetings with HMRC on their behalf we make sure the professional image was maintained for example.


Team building – does it work and what do you do? Working at team building is a day-to-day process in a small business environment. It’s about how you listen and communicate with colleagues. It’s also about recognising the efforts of the team as a whole. Events tend to be more about recognising and rewarding effort, just a simple team hour out of the offi ce for a coffee and a chat once in a while or something simple to mark Christmas or the end of the fi nancial year – afternoon tea at the Celtic Manor Resort was a real treat at Christmas.


Under what circumstances are staff allowed to work from home? Staff often work from home sometimes to support family commitments, other times because it simply makes sense to deliver a client’s commitment. We don’t have a ‘presenteeism’ culture in the offi ce. It’s one of the aspects which all of our team disliked from their times in working in the Big 4 accounting fi rms. In a small team you all know the reliance that other team members and our clients have on us, we’re all adults and we all have a shared trust and shared sense of responsibility to deliver VAT support at the highest level to our clients. It’s about being accessible, not that you are expected to be in the offi ce at all times.


If you had a magic wand and could instigate one thing to make a better working environment what would it be? Ah a magic wand! Well, being in serviced offi ce accommodation is an environment that a lot of SMEs in Wales would probably recognise. For Centurion, as we’re often out at clients, it’s great to come back to a base with a strong professional atmosphere, quality fi nish to the rooms and professional front desk staff. But my wand would turn into insects those fellow tenants that keep stealing our milk!


Clive Thomas, managing partner of Watkins & Gunn in Newport & Pontypool


Does your


business have a dress code? We do have a dress code. I think that it is very important for staff to know what is expected of them and it allows us to present a consistent image of the fi rm to clients.


Team building – does it work and what


do you do? For us informal team building gets the best results. We have had some great staff days out notably on a boat around Cardiff Bay and a trip to the Houses of Parliament to celebrate our success. It allows staff to share experiences and relax in each other’s company, which has to help in building a stronger team.


Under what circumstances are staff allowed to work from home? We have allowed staff to work from home to avoid the traffi c chaos in the snow and also on occasions to allow them the fl exibility that they need due to domestic commitments. We have always found it to


work well as the staff appreciate the trust you have placed in them and really step up and give us a really valuable day’s work in return.


If you had a magic wand and could instigate one thing to make a better working environment what would it be? After making those automated phone calls for PPI claims disappear – I would wave my wand and create a shiny new gym in each offi ce to encourage staff to stay fi t and active. Exercise reduces stress, boosts energy and makes for a happy and thriving business!


THEbusiness QUARTER 21


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