While many companies are downsizing, Cellular is moving into a much larger, prestigious office. The IT specialist is convinced that people are reflected in their working environment. This is why it is especially important to create an inspiring environment, especially during a crisis, says CEO Panos Meyer. A plea for working at one location.

We could be committed for what we are doing: the economy is groaning under the effects of the Corona crisis, the German Chancellor is asking everyone to stay at home - and we are moving into new offices. Twice as big as our previous ones.

And at least ten times as beautiful. 

I can no longer bear to hear it; the swan song to the traditional office workplace. Corporations that just last year were paying their employees to mainly come to the office to work, where people had to get permission to work from home for just half a day, are suddenly discovering the world of the home office and downsizing their office space. There's no denying it, it certainly saves on money. But is it smart?

And is it fun? "Does it spark joy?" to use the words of organization icon Marie Kondo.

We don't think so. 

But to anticipate your disbelief: the health and safety of our employees certainly does come first. As a tech company, we've been practicing hybrid models for eight years. At our company everyone can work from wherever they want.

Despite that, we are delighted every time we come across a colleague at the office. That's mainly because it's great to be able to see each other in person and have a laugh together. Zoom is not great at producing endorphins. 

We believe in the magic of encounters.

They inspire - just as places can. “I am convinced that if an office “works”, the company works too. People are reflected in their environment and, in the best case, can be inspired too. This applies to both employees and customers. It's nice to not have to travel the breadth and width of the country to every meeting any more. That said, however, we do experience that customers like to come to us, because it allows them to much better understand what makes us tick. 

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In the past few weeks we have put a lot of energy into making our new offices a nice place to work. We've set up lots of lounge and coffee corners, reflection zones and team spaces, and even spaces where you can take in the view of Hamburg. This has nothing to do with us being slackers, however, but with providing the chance for phases of relaxation between focusing and concentrating.

As impact engineers, and as architects of the digital future, we are continually faced with a high level of complexity in our projects. We see it as our corporate responsibility to offer an attractive setting in which our co-workers can think, design and sketch out or reject ideas together.

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So to all decision-makers who are in the process of closing their offices, I would say: everyone can make a sandwich at home, but people still love going to restaurants. You can stay in a youth hostel for the night, but people still enjoy sleeping in a nice hotel room. And the vast majority of young people can listen to music in their own four walls, but they still prefer to go to a club. 

If you pursued the logic that companies don't need offices because their employees can work from home, even my desk would be superfluous, because I have my best ideas when I'm under the shower.