blogs / 08 NOV 2021
Cartus Takes a Bold Leap to Reimagine Workplace Flexibility
It was more than a year ago that most Cartus employees were directed to work from home due to the escalating number of COVID-19 cases in local communities. Since then, we have managed to support our clients and their employees effectively and empathetically while working remotely—all while earning record-breaking service scores in the process. Fast forward to today: we are now unveiling redesigned offices around the globe and officially announcing our new work strategy for employees, fostering flexibility without compromising results.
Like many organizations, Cartus is taking a flexible and collaborative approach with our workforce, providing the majority of our employees with an option to work from home some, most, or all of the time, depending on their individual and team roles. When employees are required to be in the office, they will be able to access our redesigned facilities to collaborate and catch up with colleagues. This new work arrangement is a continuation of Cartus’ and Realogy’s Reimagine Work strategy outlined last year. Going further together, we will continue to unleash the potential of our people while embracing new and flexible ways of working.
The global pandemic opened up a new way of thinking about work that aims to achieve a balance between supporting employees’ needs whilst continuing to provide the highest quality of service to our customers. The broad adoption and socialization of technology tools like Microsoft Teams has been crucial to ensuring people stay connected during border closures and tighter social distancing measures. However, we also recognize that, for specific projects, having a hub where our employees can meet in person to strategize, socialize, and connect remains a valuable resource.
“Flexibility and empowerment of our employees is an important part of our vision and how we continue to engage with our talent in fostering the unique team spirit of the Cartus family.”
– David Pascoe, Executive Senior Vice President, EMEA and APAC, Global Talent Mobility
With our new work arrangements, we hope to strike a compromise between giving our people the opportunity to be in the office (safely), where they can look forward to a more vibrant environment encouraging connections and collaboration, while still maintaining the flexibility of remote working.
“There is a lot of buzz in the industry about redesigning work or the workplace, but Cartus is amongst the first to bring employees back to the office AND actually re-design their office space to support their vision to ’Reimagine Work.’”
“We applaud Cartus for its investment in engaging your talent and investing in your infrastructure for the future.”
Redesigned Collaboration Hubs in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC
The core of our new office layouts in Danbury, CT (USA); Swindon (UK); and Singapore is based on Cartus’ highly customer- and client-oriented ethos. The results are inclusive workspaces optimized for collaboration, creativity, and better communication while amplifying our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) values. The sandbox-inspired office designs comprises open hot-desking spaces for collaborative work and networking, while informal huddle spaces and revamped meeting rooms are perfect for more private discussions or in-depth project work and ideation.
Each collaboration hub features its own unique attributes as well. For example, in Singapore, the workspace extends seamlessly into the pantry where employees can pick up a coffee or enjoy an impromptu catch-up with a coworker over lunch. In Danbury, we have added cafeteria-style seating to our main hallways to encourage “open-air conversations” and installed video conferencing capabilities and modular furniture in all large conference rooms to enable social distancing while encouraging global collaboration. Ultimately, the goal of these spaces is to create opportunities for human connection and team bonding.
The initial feedback from Cartus clients has been very positive, with many commenting on the fact that we were very deliberate in taking action to adopt a new working style and translating buzzwords into reality.
Upskilling for the New Way of Work
We are equipping our employees with the skills to succeed in a new working norm. Our robust training programs focus on strengthening and developing new power skills such as agility, resilience, and digital collaboration. These competencies will enable the success of each individual as they navigate the new experience. Programs rolled out in the last 12 months include practical tips on how to find balance at work and personally, focusing on well-being, managing productivity, fostering meaningful relationships, and maximising the utilisation of technology.
The way in which we conduct these training sessions has also evolved through a combination of LinkedIn Learning—a great resource when working remotely—as well as Learning Circles conducted by Cartus senior leaders, which are aimed at contextualising all concepts and skills through the lens of the business and day-to-day operations.
We have also enhanced our DE&I training as we continue in our journey and commitment to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. This is especially important with our new work arrangements. The initiatives will help our employees cultivate a culture of inclusion and collaboration among the different Cartus teams, help individuals to thrive in a diverse environment and gain a sense of belonging in the workplace, and ultimately lead to increased productivity, innovation, and better employee engagement.
With our new Cartus Danbury, Swindon, and Singapore hubs, I know we will continue to bring the best of Cartus to our clients, their relocating employees, and their families. To our current partners, we can’t wait to continue this journey with you. To our future partners, we can’t wait for you to join us. We look forward to hosting you in our offices when the time is right.
For more information around current mobility trends and best practices, please visit the Cartus Resource Hub.
Word count: 938
Alzone Ang
