MOO has six locations across three time zones. Pre-pandemic they had significant spending on rent and travel with everyone commuting to work each day. Post-pandemic they had a vision, and that vision was based on reality. Life, and work, will not go back to what it was before. 

Working from home suited a large percentage of employees (not all, but most).  With the cost saving of commuting, and the improvements to work life balance, many were reluctant to return to the office. When MOO launched its ‘Work 2.0’ vision, they saw the return to the office as a huge opportunity for their culture, performance and costs. An in-person culture is more than just words, it is vital to transform employee experience, help them attract and retain brilliant and diverse talent, and deliver great business outcomes.

MOO moved to new office spaces to suit a hybrid model. These provided inspirational working environments for MOOsters (that’s what they call employees!) to tackle it together and be creative. It was more than just providing offices, it was about creating virtual and physical communities, introducing new ways of working, along with new types of spaces that enhance our new work world.

Let’s look at their demographics. Two-thirds of MOOsters were hybrid or fully remote. Many are creative in product design, social, and marketing roles. Others are fully remote, more so in their tech team. The other third, work in manufacturing and are present in the office every working day. 

Flexibility is precious to MOO. Another reality is employees now value that, and expect it, more than ever before. We didn’t go out with a mandate, but with guidance to come in 2-3 times a week. They had the freedom of choice. What they found is that a year after the vision was launched, the majority of hybrid roles didn’t meet the 20% time in the office. Meaning that MOO wasn’t getting the in-person investment into their culture, nor their innovative working environments. 

• 500+ Kadence Active Users
• 20,860 Space Bookings made over six months
• 296 Personal Kadences created
• Over 50% MoM growth in recurring bookings
• Office utilization steadily increased with days often exceeding 70% occupancy

A year on, the quest was still there, and a need to make it happen. To find out more, the team at MOO hosted a Living Work 2.0 survey. The survey data provided these insights:

The top influencing factors to come into the office were socializing and team time. When the teams were asked ‘What do you think are the main benefits to coming into the office?’ – the top 5 reasons were:

1. In-person collaboration
2. Impromptu discussions
3. Socializing
4. Building Relationships
5. Belonging

Living Work 2.0 was launched. And they started with listening, using an employee pulse survey to understand where the barriers were and the motivators too. Following the survey at the start of 2024, they engaged MOOstes with strengthened guidance on what is to be expected, how in-person time worked if you are traveling across sites, and a three-month settling-in period (as many have parent or caring responsibilities). Flexible start times were adopted to make the commute work. In short, they committed to making their vision a reality by balancing solo task time at home, and in-person collaboration. 

Data was their bedrock. With six sites and three time zones, there would need to be more than just looking around. MOO used Kadence as their data source – not only to provide a great experience when you are coming to the office (MOOsters need to know they can perform and have a desk) but to spot trends on how their office spaces are being used.

After implementing Kadence for six months, the team observed a 15% month-over-month growth in individual bookings, indicating consistent employee adoption. This was coupled with over 50% MoM growth in recurring bookings. Office utilization steadily increased as MOOsters rediscovered the value of the office, with days often exceeding 70% occupancy.

Using data to rethink how we work

Kadence was more than a solution to book a desk. The insights on peak days helped MOOsters with their in-person experiences. They are a team that likes to socialize with regular events to support their Life at MOO, which covers everything from socials to DEI events, free lunches, and games nights. They also provide refreshments and snacks during the day with well-stocked kitchens, free fruit, and breakfast so understanding their office use helped them get the most out of this cost. It also provided insights into peak times and the need for flexible working spaces like hot desks and meeting rooms. 

Discovering the needs of our teams

One of the main pieces of feedback from their pulse survey is that MOOsters feel less productive in the office, and this quickly became an action point for the workplace team – to define productivity for each team and their specific requirements to make Living Work 2.0 work for them!

The new open plan workspace in their London Camden Clubhouse enables everyone to sit together in one room – sales, customer services, and creatives, while hot desks are there for those on site with meetings scheduled. The second floor is dedicated to “focused work” where people can work without distractions with expanded communal areas supporting collaboration and socializing. The first floor has the same flexibility but noise levels tend to be higher as many customer-facing MOOsters will be on calls or for creative MOOsters to brainstorm ideas.

Using Kadence’s flexible desk booking feature, MOOsters can choose where, and how they work when they decide to come to the Camden office. Teams can decide when to schedule in-office days based on team schedules and space availability, and everyone can see easily when and where colleagues are working. MOOsters were able to connect at the right time, with the right people, and on the right days. 

Chat with our team today to see firsthand how we can elevate your team’s hybrid experience.