Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships

The Red Hat Way
Building and Transforming
Effective Partnerships
By David Heaton, CoreNet Global
Red Hat, the world’s leading provider
of open source solutions in cloud,
virtualization, storage, Linux, and
middleware technologies, is a perfect
example of a company that has gone
from a strong project-based integration
platform to one that is now more mature
and structured in nature. While the
integration model is not necessarily a
“formalized” structure or model, it has
transformed into a well-oiled machine
where members from Global Workplace
Solutions (GWS), IT, Finance, Brand and
People come together on a quarterly
basis and collaborate on companyfocused initiatives, and meet weekly on
project-based initiatives.
THE BEGINNING
Based in Raleigh, NC, Red Hat used a
project-based integration approach
for its corporate relocation to a new
headquarters. The company, which has
approximately 5,900 employees globally,
houses approximately 1,000 people at
its new office building, which opened in
spring 2013.
The project-based integration platform
was essential for this large relocation
project.
Many different aspects of the business
were involved at the strategic level —
Real Estate, IT, People, Finance, Legal,
Brand, Communications and more.
At a tactical level, the whole company
literally took part in the project because
Red Hat reached out to every business
unit and employee to understand their
needs.
For the relocation, they created the GET
team (Growth and Expansion Team),
which consisted of about 50 leaders
from all the different departments.
They met at least once a month, and
then went back to their departments
to provide relocation information and
receive employee feedback. In turn, they
shared that feedback at their next GET
meeting to ensure employee voices were
heard and everyone was engaged in the
relocation.
The Power of GWS
Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) is designed to plan, develop and maintain
Red Hat’s global offices, which includes a portfolio consisting of over 80 leased
offices in more than 30 countries. The goal was to create a flexible and efficient
department that is scalable to Red Hat’s operations.
GWS serves as the strategic advisor to the business by delivering the following
services: Real Estate, Workplace Planning, Real Estate Development and
Sustainability, Workplace Resources, and Facilities Operations.
As a result, the team supports Red Hat’s dynamic workplace requirements, while
driving the strategic initiatives related to workplace design and location. GWS has
developed a world-class partner strategy to leverage industry best practices and
to maximize the return on investment, consistently leveraging managed partner
models to support the business requirements driven by its global portfolio.
Red Hat’s workplace plays a strategic role in supporting its corporate brand
message, as well as its employee attraction and retention strategy. The
organization is closely aligned and dependent on its corporate partners; the
People, Brand, Finance and IT teams. Together, GWS and these partners deliver
the workplace, human capital and technology that create the basic building
blocks inherent to Red Hat’s DNA.
1
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
Part of the challenge was interpreting
what various departments needed
in the new space, as Engineering,
Finance, Legal and Marketing all had
different preferences.
Development and Sustainability,
Workplace Resources, and Facilities
Operations. These five verticals serve
as the strategic advisor to each line of
business.
“Brand and Marketing wanted open,
completely collaborative spaces,
whereas Finance and Legal wanted
closed-door offices,” said Simon
George, Director of Real Estate at
Red Hat. “We needed to be able to
match and meet the needs of all
those people without sacrificing our
overall brand and culture within the
workspace.”
The team supports Red Hat’s dynamic
workplace requirements, thereby
driving strategic initiatives related
to workplace design and location.
Youst explained, “Red Hat workplace
plays a strategic role in supporting
our corporate brand message, as
well as our employee attraction and
retention strategy. Our organization
is closely aligned and dependent on
our corporate partners in IT, Finance,
Brand and People. Together, we’ve
been able to deliver the workplace,
human capital and technology to
create the basic building blocks
inherent to Red Hat’s DNA.”
Red Hat collaborated with an outside
partner, IA Interior Architects, to
create an office design that kept
every business unit happy and
productive.
Red Hat still has project-based
teams that meet both informally and
formally across departments, but that
has developed and transformed into
a more formalized process.
REAL ESTATE PARTNERS WITH
PEOPLE
So just how has Red Hat’s GWS
team been able to form effective
partnerships across the various
THE CREATION
functions?
“Our organization is support
OF GLOBAL
Youst gave some
WORKPLACE
closely aligned and
insight into how
SOLUTIONS (GWS)
they have taken
dependent on our
their collaborative
Real estate decisions
corporate
partners
partnerships to
are made with insight
next level,
from across the
in IT, Finance, Brand the
embracing
company by working
and People. Together, continuous
with business leaders
improvement by
and seeking employee we’ve been able to
becoming a valued
input, explains Craig
partner to the
deliver
the
workplace,
Youst, Senior Director,
business.
Global Workplace
human capital and
Solutions, at Red Hat.
He said the
technology to create
improvement
Youst leads Red Hat’s
the
basic
building
in the quality of
GWS team, which
delivery led
plans, develops
blocks inherent to Red service
to a strategic shift
and maintains the
of GWS to the next
Hat’s DNA.”
company’s worldwide
level of maturity in
offices to provide
connecting with
a safe and comfortable working
its business partners. Red Hat took a
environment for its employees,
holistic response in looking at people,
customers and visitors. Red Hat has
processes, systems and behaviors.
a rapidly growing global real estate
portfolio in more than 80 offices in
For example, GWS collaborates
over 30 countries.
with Red Hat’s People team and has
GWS is strategically divided into the
following five verticals: Real Estate,
Workplace Planning, Real Estate
formed partnerships centered on the
following three Workforce Planning
initiatives:
2
With Red Hat’s movement into new
markets, expansion in current markets, and
historical headcount growth, it became
apparent that real estate would need to
rapidly mature in order to proactively
support Red Hat’s future business needs.
Specialists needed to be added who had
experience managing enterprise-level real
estate and workplace departments. Proper
expectations and priorities for the business
were set with a focus on high-level
customer service.
As a result, in 2012 Craig Youst
reorganized the real estate department
into five distinct verticals (Real Estate,
Workplace Planning, Real Estate
Development and Sustainability,
Workplace Resources, and Facilities
Operations). Immediate benefits include:
•
Increased levels of knowledge and
expertise;
•
More efficient use of time and
energy;
•
Dedicated subject-matter experts
in-house;
•
Better focused efforts by experienced
professionals;
•
More mature management for
departmental development;
•
Streamlined thought processes that
focus on greater efficiency and costcontrol; and
•
Increased productivity and cleared
direction and advice
Also, Red Hat offices were classified into
four distinct categories that helps raise its
largest business priorities to the forefront
(Core, Critical, Satellite, and Managed
Services). Youst pointed out previous
efforts to treat all offices with equal
importance did not scale efficiently. Now,
real estate is positioned to invest more in
its core and critical locations, and bring
accountability for business performance
to other sites.
“GWS’ highest priority is to proactively
provide cost-effective and flexible work
spaces where our business demands it
most,” said Simon George, Director, Real
Estate for Red Hat. “This requires us to
meet regularly with key business stake
holders to understand where the business
is growing and how to ensure we support
that growth.
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
1.
Workforce Expansion – Utilize scenario planning and strategic headcount
forecasting to determine the appropriate location for geographic
expansion.
2. Workforce Optimization – Review existing sites to determine the most
effective place to put its resources and better optimize current locations,
and;
3. Demand Planning – Engage company-wide business units to develop a
three-year plan to forecast where the appropriate resources will need to
be. This helps define risk, costs and availability.
Lia Frid, Sr. Manager of HR Systems and Operations with Red Hat explained
that this is just one area where People and GWS have proactively partnered
together. “We saw the value and created a comprehensive tool that details the
essential data points required for our line of business (LOB) leaders to make
more informed decisions. The initial feedback on the tool is very positive and
we intend to use it even more to yield value for the business in the future.”
Frid explained this is a living document. “GWS and People built the template
and structure around the tool which incorporates in IT, people and real estate
data so we can make the best hiring decisions.”
Another area where GWS and People work together is around mergers and
acquisitions (M&A). In 2012, Red Hat completed three acquisitions. In response,
GWS and People created their M&A “playbooks” that details what’s required
from People and GWS. Other Red Hat functions are also creating their
playbooks, which will identify their activities during M&A to improve a seamless
integration of the new associates and assets into Red Hat.
“This is another great example of partnership and transparency,” added Frid.
“In the past, it was more siloed, but now we’ve developed a cross-functional
partnership.”
The core team for M&A consists
of: IT, Finance, GWS, People, Tax,
Operations, Brand, and Communications.
“Collaboration is a huge focus and initiative
for us at Red Hat. We’re trying to promote
a culture of cross-functional alignment in
various initiatives,” explained Youst.
“We thrive on cross functional alignment,”
said Frid. “We’re not afraid to get
everyone’s ideas and expertise. Nothing’s
done in a vacuum because we’re
constantly looking across the various
groups to get their input. At the end of the
day, the best idea wins, regardless of role,
and we make it a rule to leave your title at
the door. There’s no hierarchy.”
Youst added, “We all wear different hats.
Those that succeed at Red Hat play various
roles and learn to leverage each other’s
strengths regardless of title or role.”
The level of integration among GWS and the
other support functions at Red Hat is quite
extensive. “We view our colleagues in IT,
People, Brand, and Finance as more than just
partners, but ‘end users’ so it’s imperative we
factor in all their requirements,” said Youst.
“Our partnerships vary depending on the
vertical and the specific project or initiative
we’re working on.”
Youst went on to explain that in the
previous structure, it was difficult to
find the time and resources available to
most effectively complete the work. But
now, having an expert strategist leading
each vertical, it has created more time to
strategize and collaborate with GWS’ peers
and have a more focused vision on goals
and milestones.
“By having that high-level specialist leading
each vertical, we’ve been able to bring our
‘A’ game to the table every time. We focus
on what we’re good at and leverage our
partners on their strengths. This makes
everyone more efficient and accountable,
which not only increases the level of
respect and credibility between GWS and
other departments, but also attains better
results.”
Youst noted each vertical has a place at the
table and is an integral part in the process,
but it was GWS that recognized the need
to develop partnerships with the various
groups and who initiated the collaborative
partnerships with IT, Finance, Brand and
People.
“As we continue to grow, we’ll streamline
the process, but it was a game-changer
to make this shift so now we have the
structure in place to handle the growing
needs of the business,” said Danny Seaton,
Director, Facilities Operations at Red Hat.
“We’re now strategically positioned to drive
business relevance. GWS has been the
driving force and is influential in bringing
everyone to the table. GWS is seen as a
business partner that is involved in the
day-to-day and strategic direction of the
company.”
Making it Work
Red Hat is the type of place where everyone
from across the firm wants to contribute
and come to the table with ideas. Youst
explains this is a good thing because even
3
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
BRAND AND GWS?
GWS also works with the Employment
Branding team to promote Red Hat as
a great place to work and effectively
recruit and retain talent. Kim Jokisch,
Director, Employment Branding and
Media with Red Hat, works internally to
continue promoting the Red Hat brand
and culture and create an environment
that makes employees want to work at
Red Hat.
Even though Red Hat
might be a relatively
new brand to some, it’s
a globally recognized
strong brand. “We are
very substantial as a
brand,” said Louise
Dixon Chapman, Senior
Manager, Workplace
Planning for Red Hat.
“To compete with other
larger companies, we
work together to help
ensure we’re a place that
attracts top tier talent. We
work to create a unified
experience and consistent
message to make sure
we’re on the same page.”
In order to achieve the creation of its
brand within the workplace, GWS works
with People and Brand to make sure all
three speak the same language. People
and Brand identify the language Red Hat
wishes to speak and Dixon Chapman is
charged with creating a workplace in
the most efficient and effective manner
possible that aligns with Red Hat’s
culture.
The Employment Branding team also
markets Red Hat Tower as one of the
prime benefits of working at Red Hat.
“The new generation of worker wants to
work in a place they feel good about,”
said Jokisch. “Many employees can work
wherever they want - the beach, a coffee
shop, home, etc. So working to ensure
our office locations are a destination of
choice and provide all the amenities our
associates want and need is a huge plus
for us. Working with Craig and GWS is a
big piece of this initiative and having an
effective partnership is huge.”
Examples where Brand and GWS have
come together and developed some big
wins include the following:
1.
Interview rooms – Employment
Branding and GWS partner to
determine the appropriate number
of interview rooms needed at
each office and tailor those
rooms specifically around the
“Red Hat experience.” The design
is intentionally created for the
candidate to “live and feel the
culture.”
though there is not always agreement, it allows for the sharing and challenging of ideas across the various
verticals. As a result, the best ideas come to the forefront and individuals are given the opportunity to
challenge themselves in order to determine the best overall
outcome for Red Hat.
GWS at Red Hat reports up to the CFO. The real estate
portfolio is managed in such a way that projects and the
overall portfolio are reviewed by the various departments
(IT, People, Finance, and other GWS outsourced partners)
for appropriate feedback, prior to being presented to the
CFO. As a result, this brings integrity and credibility to the
projects and overall portfolio, and adds to the level of
confidence. GWS actually meets with the CFO directly at
least every four to six weeks.
So how exactly are workplace strategies applied at Red
Hat? The only guidance from the CFO is to make it work
as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. “We gather
benchmarking numbers to determine cost and relevance,”
said Youst. “We engage with the business through various
tools and activities to fully understand how they work most
productively. The guidelines and standards are changed
according to associate and business feedback. We engage
the business in the whole process to make sure we’re
building space specifically for Red Hat, not just reinventing
the workplace because it’s the latest ‘trend.’”
Red Hat’s GWS Service Delivery Model
4
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
2. The Show – Employment Branding produces a quarterly video that
presents a glimpse of the business and culture at Red Hat, both
professionally and personally. GWS hosts events at every global office for
shared viewings of The Show to further build
office community relationships.
“Having the
collaborative mindset
to put the company
first and express itself
cross-functionally is a
key to our success at
Red Hat.”
3. Red Hat’s achievement of over a billion
dollars in revenue in fiscal year 2012 –
Employment Branding and GWS worked
together with each location office manager
globally to plan various types of celebrations
around this company milestone.
“Our culture is one of the most important
things we have as a company,” added Jokisch.
“Having the collaborative mindset to put the
company first and express itself cross-functionally is a key to our success at
Red Hat. In Employment Branding, we see this as an opportunity to showcase
our real estate.”
One physical manifestation is on the ninth floor of Red Hat Tower in the
“community area.” “The ninth floor is a well-designed blend of both work
and play,” explained Youst. “There are a number of collaborative areas with
technology tools for informal meetings. There is a social area with pool
tables, various video games, foosball, etc. There is a sit-down area where
many associates mingle during lunch and there even is a stair to an outdoor
patio where you find people both gathering and working throughout the day.
The various work and play settings are extremely popular and the epitome of
what our culture is all about,” he noted.
And Red Hat is deliberate in wanting to showcase their story throughout Red Hat Tower. Colors are bold, the artwork
throughout is deliberate with inspirational messages dispersed in strategic locations. The theme of showcasing the Red Hat
story flows from floor to floor. Branding the Red Hat environment was clearly a priority in the building’s design.
Red Hat even positioned its interview rooms and vendor meeting rooms to overlook its common areas in a way to showcase
the building and team’s energy. “We want to subconsciously sell potential recruits on Red Hat even during the more formal
interview process,” noted Jokisch.
The Employment Branding team works closely with GWS to make sure the interview rooms create a good experience and have
just the right touch points and feel for potential employees that will tie nicely to the overall workplace experience.
And in order to stay proactive, GWS surveys and engages the employees to help determine what’s most valuable to them.
“Continued openness is key to staying on top of the game when it comes to attracting and retaining talent,” commented Jokisch.
“Our employees have a voice and know they have the opportunity to add value and impact the direction of our company and
its amenities. I can’t imagine a progressive business not having
appropriate partnerships in place. We must stay in touch and
share ideas because that ultimately benefits the company and
the employees. We’re in a very forward thinking culture,” she
added.
John Adams, Director, Brand Strategy & Management at Red
Hat noted to some it might be unusual for the Corporate Brand
and GWS to be in sync, but not at Red Hat.
In fact, one member from the GWS team acts as the brand
representative, and in turn a member from the Corporate Brand
team represents and interfaces with GWS. As a result, it allows
both groups to be in constant communication.
5
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
Allison Harris, in GWS, serves as the liaison between
Corporate Brand and GWS. According to Adams, it
makes sense to have this liaison type of role. “Allison
works on projects and schematics to provide the right
levels of branding solutions,” he explained.
“At Red Hat, our brand and workplace culture are
intrinsically linked,” said Adams. “The brand is the
people and the culture is the brand. We have to make
an explicit effort to guard and protect the brand
inside Red Hat, as well as outside.”
Adams went on to explain his group has a job as
owners of the brand to have an affinity with and the
opportunity to influence employees’ surroundings.
“We are not a company that spends a lot of money on
advertising. The face of the brand and how it comes
to life is through the experiences we have at work.
We work closely with the People team and GWS
to ensure the workspace is something special, and
working with GWS is a great way to market the Red
Hat brand.”
As the owner of the corporate brand, Adams says it’s important to know how to get our
associates to live it. “We do this through furniture, wall décor, ergonomics, and community
space in an effort to promote interaction among employees.”
It’s clear, the design and workplace culture of Red Hat Tower is centered on themes such as
being innovative, forward-thinking, open, fun and collaborative.
“The element of our brand that is most important is authenticity. Your workplace brings your
brand to life, and our facilities across the globe act as the face of our brand,” commented
Adams. “We have to always be thinking about the experience we want our employees and
customers to have when they walk in the door.”
“We’re not shifting
power, but distributing
it. Because, it’s
not about weak or
strong, but where
the accountability
belongs.”
BEYOND RED HAT TOWER
The design and branding of Red Hat goes way beyond Red Hat Tower in Raleigh, but occurs globally at its other locations
as well. “We’re growing in locations outside the U.S.,” said Harald Hinderer, Regional Director for the People Group in EMEA.
“Therefore, the need to collaborate not only globally with our partners across the LOBs, but also on a local basis is important. It’s
a good challenge that will not go away, and thankfully, corporate leadership sees this and as a result, we do not operate in silos.”
Red Hat is flexible with its branding themes and corporate workplace practices in its locations across the globe in order to
determine what works best based at each location in order to create the best workplace experience for their employees.
“We’re not shifting power, but distributing it. Because, it’s not about weak or strong, but where the accountability belongs,” said
Hinderer. “We’ve done a great job of enabling our employees to collaborate independently, if you will, so not everything needs
to be run by Corporate Headquarters, especially when it comes to the workplace and its impact on the organization within that
respective region. Ultimately, it comes down to what makes the most and best sense in that location.”
This mindset follows a common theme and mission of Red Hat to create an environment that makes it a great place to work.
“It’s one of the core principles at Red Hat. GWS is an extension of the people and our primary focus is to unite workplace with
Red Hat brand and culture,” said Youst.
WHERE DOES FINANCE FIT IN?
One can’t continue to expand without the support of the ones that control the purse strings. And that’s where Finance fits
into the equation. At Red Hat, Youst explained that Finance focuses on supporting the investment of real estate and effectively
“signs off on the budget.”
“We have a close partnership with GWS and we educate each other on the complexities of market expansion and understand
this can be an attraction and retention focus,” said Scott Patrick, Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis with Red Hat.
6
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
“We work hand in hand with Finance because that group has to be a big
advocate as we efficiently manage our real estate footprint,” explained Youst.
“I want Scott’s team to have the confidence that GWS is investing in the right
locations and understands the why’s, what’s and how’s.”
And the more Finance understands GWS’ approach and its mandates from the
LOBs, the better. Therefore, as with other functions, a conscious effort is made
to partner with Finance. Operating and capitalized budgets are shared, including
benchmarking data to support proper spending, and key drivers are discussed
on a continual basis.
Accurately predicting headcount planning has been a big win with Finance and
GWS. “I have a lot more comfort when Scott and his team endorse a specific
headcount. Finance is able to view from a different perspective, which provides
a much bigger picture. This makes GWS more confident in knowing exactly
where we need to grow,” added Youst.
Having a collective decision-making mindset makes Red Hat more mature and
better positioned when the company might not necessarily have to acquire
more real estate.
“It has to do with the collaborative nature we have developed,” explained Patrick.
“We are more than just numbers. It’s important to be recognized as a contributor
to the business and it’s a delicate balancing act to provide support at the
appropriate level.”
GWS also works with Finance to justify business and technology tools in the
workplace that ensure associates are as productive as possible. Whatever
associates feel will help them function best, GWS considers and supports so they have the appropriate amenities to be fully
engaged.
Just like with Brand, GWS also has a finance person on its team that acts as a liaison between GWS and Finance. “Having this
individual has paid off tremendously because it more closely aligns our two groups. Emphasizing Finance lingo – impact on
earnings per share, discounted payback, return on investments, etc. – while leveraging benchmarking and other pertinent
data to support GWS initiatives and strategies ensures all of us are rowing in the same direction. We understand each other’s
priorities and quickly move forward,” said Youst.
“CONNECTING” WITH IT
The relationship between GWS and IT has grown tremendously the past few years. It started many years ago and matured
greatly with Red Hat Tower, but it has grown significantly since then.
“When we go into a massive project or strategic initiative, having a partnership with GWS and other functions allows us to bring
to light ideas we might not have previously considered,” explained Jim Palermo, Senior Manager, IT Regional Infrastructure
with Red Hat. “What’s most impressive, is we’re open and transparent to the challenges we have. IT has many touch points with
GWS, and from an operations standpoint, we’ve developed a great model. We talk about what’s working, most productive and
constructive, always having the common goals of the company in mind.”
As Red Hat continues to grow domestic and internationally, there are always projects occurring across the globe. “We have
over 80 offices across more than 30 countries and those international locations are not shy about identifying challenges and
potential solutions,” added Christian Huettermann, Director, Information Services with Red Hat. “Our business and workforce
works in a ‘decentralized’ state. The various localities have to work hand in hand, and being able to support those offices across
the various groups is important.”
Red Hat’s IT department is doing more around standards regardless of the region. And most important, having the ability
to work together with members from GWS and develop joint standards around design is a huge win. IT and GWS work very
closely in the tiering of Red Hat offices (core, critical, satellite and managed).
In Red Hat’s newer tier one buildings (those considered core) GWS works with IT, Finance, People and Brand in raising the bar
on the employee user experience. “It comes down to talking to our employees and working with our internal communications
7
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
team to determine the best, most efficient way to communicate the capabilities of the office and how Red Hat employees can
‘consume’ it,” said Youst. “How we raise productivity and determine how employees use the workspace more effectively is what
it’s all about.”
Red Hat’s workforce is becoming more mobile and in the near future, wireless will be ubiquitous. So determining how Red Hat
makes the remote employee experience more personal and recognizable is a top priority for IT.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
“The good thing is we have the right mindset,” said Huettermann. “We have an open source mindset and collaborating with our
peers in GWS, Finance, People and Brand is at the heart of what we do and want to accomplish.”
Over the next few years, Red Hat’s expansion is expected to continue outside the United States. As a result, it’s very critical to have
as much standardization as possible, yet be flexible to take local cultures into consideration. Having the right personnel involved
from across all LOBs, including those at that exact location is critical to the overall success of the team. “Having the right partners
and standardization brings so much value,” added Palermo.
So, GWS, IT, Finance, People and Brand all come together to help analyze where the company should expand, its projected head
count analysis, appropriate technology that will need to be in place, the design of the office, and amenities needed. From that,
Red Hat is able to determine what it needs to build. “Our CIO is all about having employees and customers walk in from anywhere
and the office be recognizable as Red Hat. The details may be different depending on regional and cultural influences, but the
overall experience is very similar,” said Palermo.
“Identifying opportunities to bring the world together and find technology solutions to service our employees across the globe, is
going to be the real ‘game changer’ as we move into the future,” said Palermo.
“This is truly a partnership and one that continues to grow,” added Huettermann. “Of course, there are many challenges, but
ultimately we share common goals and work together to bring our functions together to enable us all going forward. By doing
this, Red Hat can continue to expand its footprint and the growth of the ‘mobile’ employee continues.”
The shift in technology continues to have a drastic impact on the workspace and what employees want internally and externally.
The real value comes when all the factors are added together and looked at holistically.
“We’re not without issues,” said Palermo. “The trick is determining what you do about it and keep communication and an open
mind. Having a clean process and
willingness to go through different steps,
and continue streamlining will make
the process flow more efficiently and
seamlessly.”
The results transcend the traditional
confines of real estate and partnerships
with other functions. GWS has been
able to take what initially began as a
project team with Red Hat Tower and has
developed this partnership to the next
level. While it’s not a “formal” structure
with clear reporting lines and one leader,
it is formal in that GWS collaborates
seamlessly with its partners in IT, Finance,
Brand and People. This super nucleus
model is not uncommon at Red Hat and
is seen as an integral part of its company
culture throughout the organization.
8
Building and Transforming Effective Partnerships
Arenas where Global Workplace Solutions works together with IT, Finance, Brand, and People
IT:
•
Collaborate on Discovery Session #1 of our Workplace Strategy Tools
•
Partner on the use of audio video and other technology tools (e.g. calendar keypads, digital messaging, etc.) within the
workplace
•
Partner on the Total Cost of Headcount analysis
•
Partner on the four Office Tiers (i.e. Core, Critical, Satellite, Managed Services) to deliver consistent service levels internally
•
Partner on Business Continuity and the importance of having a “place” to do business if and when an emergency occurs
FINANCE:
•
Collaborate on Best Practices and Benchmarking to ensure our Workplace investment is in line with market, competitors,
and our own Brand
•
Partner on Financial Process and Cost Transparency to maximize our investment strategy and support our Office Tier service
level delivery
•
Partner on workforce forecasts in all markets and business units to leverage acquisition and/or disposition of real estate
•
Partner with the Global Expansion Committee to fully evaluate new market and real estate expansion opportunities
•
Leverage our Shared Services Model from an Operations perspective, supporting the Finance function in many global offices
BRAND:
•
Partner on all Brand graphics within Red Hat workspace
•
Align our Space Standards (i.e. “SharedSpace”) with our Brand and Culture
•
Partner on the four Office Tiers (i.e. Core, Critical, Satellite, Managed Services) to deliver consistent service levels internally
•
Maximize brand exposure while balancing culture and investment
•
Leverage our workplace as an Attraction and Retention tool
PEOPLE:
•
Partner on the Total Cost of Headcount analysis
•
Partner on internal and external public relations that highlights the SharedSpace model and Red Hat workspace
•
Partner to align our workforce strategy with our real estate investment globally
•
Work with Red Hat University to highlight global initiatives like our Sustainability Story and Safety & Health Management
Program
•
Partner on our Ergonomics Program, specifically involving Associates requiring special accommodations
•
Leverage our Shared Services Model from an Operations perspective, supporting the People function in many global offices
•
Collaborate on areas like wellness to ensure our fitness areas and food services align with healthy habits provided to our
Associates
•
Leverage our workplace as an Attraction and Retention tool
•
Partner with Employment Branding on interview rooms
•
Partner on communications to associates to ensure messages are culturally aligned
9