Phaidon proves ‘office environment’s not dead’ with bigger workspace

The expanded Singapore office is seen as Phaidon International’s ‘jewel of the crown’

Companies are still in limbo of whether their employees are best suited to work remotely or in the office. At Phaidon International, a global recruitment agency, talent consultants are finding that they prefer to work at the company’s larger office in Singapore.

To make a conducive environment for its employees, Phaidon doubled its floor space at 30 Raffles Space, expanding to an 11,000-square-foot office. The new space, which can accommodate 180 to 200 people, features flexible work areas, networking opportunities, and meeting rooms.

Andrew McNeilis, managing director of Phaidon International in Asia Pacific, said whilst they offer hybrid arrangements for employees, the “vast majority” of their employees prefer to work at their office. He added that they invested in a lot of space because they believe that “office environment is not dead.”

“We don’t force anyone to be in the office. It’s completely by choice, but people want to be here,” McNeilis told the Singapore Business Review. 

Another goal for expansion is to keep up with talent demand in Singapore. To do that, Phaidon seeks to hire 60 more consultants in 2023. The bigger office will also be home to its other brands, including Selby Jennings, LVI Associates, DSJ Global, EPM Scientific, Larson Maddox, and Glocomms.

Business-critical meeting rooms

This was why Phaidon increased meeting rooms to seven from two to accommodate a number of client interviews, meetups, and networking activities. The meeting rooms also have a fun twist, being named after rocket ships to emulate the company’s growth plans.

“Having an open working concept allows employees to communicate more and have more command in the office. This improves the work ethic and how we grow the business together,” Andrew Zee, head of Phaidon’s Selby Jennings, told the Singapore Business Review. 

Asked about their go-to place to focus on work, McNeilis said his favourite meeting place is Interstellar, where he could take his calls and detailed interviews without distractions. 

“We settled on naming them after space vehicles and space [terms] because we always say we are a rocket ship with a fireball destination, and we want people to get on the rocket ship,” said McNeilis.

For Zee, the “Hydra” office is his favourite since it lets him focus and catch up with his staff. To make the office business-critical, Zee said Phaidon’s employees are also equipped with standing tables or rising desks to improve how they interview their clients.

Fun and warm culture

When all the seriousness is done, Phaidon’s employees can take a break by enjoying leisure rooms in the office. Amongst the features are table tennis, foosball, and vending machines, McNeilis said.

But what makes the Singapore office unique is their own Starbucks cafe, which McNeilis jokingly said made the New York branch “jealous.” 

Another leisure room is their breakout area, which has a kitchen bar and lunch tables where they can eat Singaporean food and rest after a client meeting. The colours of the chairs and sofas are pleasing to the eye, and a flat-screenflat screen television is installed in the lunch area.

For McNeilis, the Singapore Phaidon office environment offers a fun and warm culture. This is why some of their seasoned employees took their parents to the office to show that the area is a “good home” and has “high quality fit-out” — a genuine “jewel of the crown.”