Workspace Design Show Amsterdam

#WorkplaceOpinion Arjan De Ross Says “Make An Impact On Employees”

In advance of the Workspace Design Talks, the show team conducted a series of content-focused spotlight sessions with conference speakers. As a result, #WorkplaceOpinion was created, featuring brief blog posts with creative insights on workplace design from the experts. Check out what Arjan de RoosProduct Manager Workspace & Innovation at Rabobankhad to say about workplace transformation and design.

How do you see the process of workplace transformation evolving?

At Rabobank we started with an agile workplace transformation: thinking big, starting small, with one focus: making an impact on our employees!

We started thinking in terms of added value for our employees instead of transforming complete offices into hybrid work environments.

To add more agility in workplace transformation Rabobank asked a group of colleagues which elements in the work environment they value the most. 

The outcome will be the starting point for the transformation of the Rabobank-offices, called RaboHouses. 

We gradually make visible the most value adding changes each quarter.

What kind of designs are you working on to nurture innovative and collaborative mindsets in offices? 

Rabobank is a cooperative bank– that is what sets us apart from other banks. 

In line with our strategy the hybrid way of working at Rabobank is not rule based but principle based.

The principles that underpin our approach are working from a digital first perspective, plan time to meet colleagues, and meet others. 

Autonomy and teamwork are equally important, allowing for a mix per team of working from home, in the RaboHouses or anywhere.

The Rabobank-offices are similar to a city, where the general zone forms the dynamic city center and the work zones are the neighbourhoods with each an sub-center. 

The facilities in the general zone, the city center, are aimed at organization-wide meetings, positioned nearby different catering points:

It’s crowded, people meet each other, drink a cup of coffee, have a chat and laugh. 

The other zones, the neighbourhoods around the city centre, supports all inspiring meetings and cooperation within the teams, departments or Tribes. Included too are individual workspaces for in-between meetings.