Optimizing Teamwork: Crafting An Office For Augury’s Hybrid Work Model

Augury is committed to a hybrid work model. But we also recognize the magic that happens when the people we are working with come together to work in a shared space. Hence, according to the designer, Augury’s Creative Manager Adi Shaul, we organized our newly consolidated Israel office to maximize this magic.

New Realities

There’s been a lot of back-pedaling lately regarding companies getting their employees back to working in a physical office – the most ironic example being Zoom. And it’s certainly inspired some great phrases like “office peacocking” where employers desperately try to lure back their workers with outlandish perks such as food trucks or golf simulators.  

At Augury, we are following more of a middle path. We still recognize the advantages of remote work – in terms of its potential to improve workflow, adapt to the global nature of our company, and benefit the life/work balance. During the pandemic, we certainly adapted more quickly to this remote working – and partying – than most companies. However, we also recognize the advantages of shared workspace in terms of inspiring team camaraderie and innovation. 

We now believe our sweet spot for our Israel office, where much of our R&D team is based, is that we try to share physical space at least two days a week. 

Naturally, all employees are welcome to come as often as they want. Certainly our location in old downtown Haifa – near the ports, public transport and many clubs, cafes and restaurants – acts as an additional magnet for many.

– Teamwork – Collaboration – Creativity – Transparency – Building – Human Interaction –

What Makes The Optimum Office For Augury?

With this sweet spot in mind, we began our quest for the perfect office space with some core ideas about what we need to achieve. This was based on listening to the team and mapping out their needs. It came down to this:

·       It should be the beating heart of the company, where collaboration, creativity, innovation, and productivity converge to drive the company’s success.

·       It should be a physical representation of Augury – confidently saying: “This is us and this is our home.”

·       It should mirror Augury’s identity and create a unique and immersive experience for employees and visitors. It should be a comfortable place to not only work but also socialize. Welcome to Auguryville!

·       It should project and enhance Augury’s identity, vision, mission, culture, values, and conduct. 

·       It should allow for all of Augury’s employees to congregate simultaneously (Celebrations!). 

Built For Flexibility and Face-To-Face Interaction

Practically, the new office came down to creating productive workspaces while still providing an open public space. This comes down to providing space for at least half of the employees to conduct a full day of work, while still being able to host the whole team once a month for larger interactions. 

Clearly, we needed to facilitate all the necessary functions for both individual and group work. A specific quiet zone was established for deep work, which features double screens and doubly comfortable office chairs. For various modes of teamwork, we created highly flexible meeting rooms of various shapes, sizes, and potential configurations that anyone can book. 

We embraced an open concept for the second floor, which acts as the main space for meetups and community gatherings to promote social interaction. It includes a kitchen, all-around event hosting capabilities, and – my favorite area – a coffee bar. It’s still easy to work here – as long as you are open to the occasional pleasant interruption. However, this area was really designed as an on-site space that can be reconfigured to feel as if it’s an off-site experience – as we enjoyed recently during a recent 3-day strategic workshop for our leadership team.

A Work In Progress

The office has been open for a few months now. The feedback has been positive, but we will continue to adapt and change according to any shifting needs and desires. Currently, we have our eyes set on our scenic rooftop that seems begging for a terrace. After all, as a company, we also aim to go upward and onward. And who knows? Maybe there’s even room on the roof for a small peacock farm.