The workplaces in a new LEGO head office were divided into flexible areas in which there are no places assigned to concrete employees as well as the offices for management board. There is also no private office for i.a. Bali Padda, that is COO and Executive Vice President who is the member of the board in LEGO Group and the person responsible for supervision over operations in the organization which are being realized on a global scale. We introduced a totally new way of work in the new head office. The thing which had the greatest influence on our work was departure from a traditional conception of a physical „department”. This change enabled even greater cooperation between units within the whole LEGO Group – comments Bali Padda.
The new method of work is based on a conception called shared desking or address-free office. After entering the head office, the employees leave their things in lockers and then go to a meeting hall, one of so „quiet zones” or to an office area, in which they have a possibility to conduct more informal conversations including the ones with the use of a telephone.
All employees have to get used to the fact that they will not have an own desk and that it is not the assignment to a certain unit but activities made during a day will define the place of their work – says Bali Padda. – If an employee leaves a workplace for longer than one and a half hour, he will have to take his things from the desk in order the other workers will have a possiblity to use this place. It has an impact on a better usage of an available workplace and provides more flexible work environment, in which employees continually meet new collaborators – adds Bali Padda.
Bali Padda emphasizes that the change of organization in the company favors the diversity and allows employees from different departments to exchange their knowledge and discuss current issues concerning the company. The head office in London is a pilot project which may also be introduced in other headquarters of LEGO company.
LEGO office is located in the center of London, in a recently renovated office building – New Fetter Place at New Fetter Lane 8-10 Street owned by KIRKBI A/S company. The head office occupies 4 floors and its area totals 2291 sq. m. In a present configuration, the office may accommodate 200 employees but its area enables the employment of even greater number of people in the future. Currently, there are 12 employees working in the office. LEGO estimates that the number of workers will increase to 200 people in 2015.
The headquarters of LEGO company is located in Denmark, however, the company is going to concentrate on establishing its position in London, Singapore, Shanghai and present head office of LEGO in Enfield city in Connecticut state in the USA in order to attract globally diverse staffs.
Our aim is to deliver creative LEGO toys to children from all countries in the world. In order to realize it, the company has to conduct activities on a global scale and attract the most talented employees from various locations, provide them promising opportunities related to the development of their professional careers which will influence on the engagement and further development of our employees. Our head offices, including the new one in London, help us to achieve our specified aims. London is an important city in Europe, thanks to which we have a possibility to gain high-qualified employees – says Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, President in LEGO Group.