Spent some time with the new CFO of Red Gate Software, Colin Oakman today. Red Gate Software do tools for Microsoft Developers which sounds quite dull (unless you are a Microsoft developer). Neil Davidson and Simon Galbraith, the founders, and their ever growing team have created a really special workplace. This feels like a happy, buzzy, interesting place to work.
Sometimes, when people set out to create ‘cool places’ to work, the result is frankly a bit embarrassing and can make a place of work look like a teenage playground. Red Gate is actually a powerful mix of cool and focus that is actually quite inspiring.
Here are some pictures from around their building.
Red Gate CFO Colin Oakman
Part of the Red Gate canteen mural featuring all employees as of Sep 2008
Red Gate canteen mural featuring Neil Davidson and Simon Galbraith, founders, Sep 2008
Red Gate canteen recent arrivals mural featuring arrivals after Sep 2008
Red Gate Post It Wall - see what they did there?
Springboard winners sit in one of four work areas spread across two floors
Homer Simpson hates the quiet sense of efficiency about the place
Red Gate Software seem to have managed to strike an excellent balance between having a creative, young and fun environment and being a place where people can get their heads down and work – there is a palpable hum of energy and activity wherever you go.
Is this the best workplace in the UK?
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Colin the CFO isn’t wearing a suit…
You article is just a collection of photos and pictures. It doesn’t go into why its a great place.
All I have got from your piece
a) it has a mural
b) a canteen
c) a tacky homer picture
d) 4 work areas over 2 floors.
e) some post it notes.
My place of work which I don’t think anyone could claim is the best workplace in the UK has
a) no mural
b) a canteen
c) 2 posters of holiday destinations
d) 4 work areas over 2 floors.
e) some post it notes.
Other than the mural, what’s the difference?
Fair comment.
I think the reason that this is a great place to work is not necessarily reflected in the pictures but comes across as you walk around the place and talk to the people that are based there.
This is a place where you get a strong sense that people are trusted and empowered to get on with things.
This is a place where employee happiness is obviously taken very seriously – alongside all the usual top quartile employer benefits (pension, healthcare, blah, blah), there is a strong sense of this being a big, happy and well-functioning family. This is very unusual in a company of 160 or so people.
All the soft stuff is not being done at the expense of productivity. I think it would be interesting to get the views of the founders of Red Gate to talk about what they have tried to create. Perhaps some of the people who work their could share their thoughts – anonymously if they wish – on whether this is in fact an effective environment to work in.
I didn’t go round the building with a series of personnel-based productivity metrics trying to assess or rank the organisation on a league table. (That sort of thing goes on in the public sector and inevitably ends up producing strange environments). My comments came from the feeling I got as I was shown around.
It is very hard to define and measure what makes a great work environment, but when you see one you know.
I feel the need to hide behind one far wiser and wittier than myself on this. Justice Potter Stewart, from the US Supreme Court, was asked to define pornography in 1964. He reportedly said something like, “I cannot define pornography, but I know it when I see it.”
Maybe some video of the offices would help?
http://www.mevio.com/episode/143122/The+New+Office
Good spot. Nice video.