Tara Woloszijn is our Pre-Construction Manager. With over a decade of experience in the design and build industry, working for some of the UK’s top office fit-out specialists, she has joined TSK on our growth journey, developing comprehensive processes and managing day-to-day operational activities.

In this interview, we speak to Tara about how she feels the world of work is evolving and how organisations can start their workplace change process.

So, first of all, what drew you to work in the design and build industry?

Within weeks of working in the design and build industry, I’d fallen in love with it. I’m drawn to the client engagement process and the close-knit relationships you develop. It’s all about helping businesses grow and be sustainable, making a real difference in people’s lives. Some say we’re contractors, but we’re not really – so much of what we do is about human behaviour and psychology.

The most crucial aspect of our work is listening to everybody in the client team, pinpointing the essence of that change and achieving the best solution for every person within the organisation. We have a huge responsibility to make good change happen. Empowering people to progress in their careers is an honour, and that’s why I love design and build!

In your experience, how have project briefs evolved over the last couple of years?

Traditionally, briefs would be centred around space requirements. But it’s better if we start by evaluating how our teams currently work and how they wish to work in the future. That intelligence sits with our strategy and design teams.  

It’s essential to have multiple stakeholders involved in the decision-making process to capture everyone’s needs within the business when it comes to workplace change. At TSK, we encourage clients to appoint a committee or an employee forum (sometimes known as change champions) because those people can explain where the positives and the challenges are.

Some people don’t like change and are hesitant to steer away from traditional working methods. You need to allow everybody to voice something. Businesses need to tick general requirement boxes as well as introduce new settings and technology that will benefit the team. It’s our job to show the possibilities and guide people in the right direction.

There must be a huge element of trust involved with the client as you lead them into unknown waters. How do you build that sense of confidence?

If you’re honest with your client, know what you’re talking about, create a wonderful solution and don’t mind doing all the extra legwork, that’s when you build trust. We love our projects at TSK and so are happy to talk to people about timelines, surveys and cost plans openly and honestly. It’s all about finding resolutions together.

How can organisations make the right decisions for both their people and the business?

Most company leadership teams understand that their staff’s wellbeing leads to success in business, and not the other way around. In most cases, when leaders have invested in workplace redevelopment, they’ve found an increase in turnover.

If you haven’t got a successful business, it could be down to your internal teams not operating or working together correctly. If you don’t change the physical aspect of the office, it makes the workplace change journey, especially in current times, more difficult. If you give staff a new setting with purpose, they can feel and sense the change happening naturally, they get excited about it, and they’re more likely to buy into the overall business mission. It gives them the work settings they need to operate effectively, naturally driving more success.

There’s now more media coverage around how a workplace should benefit its staff and business, and so our industry is no longer something that happens in the margins. It’s at the forefront. Previously, these were seen as monetary-driven projects led primarily by finance and property teams. Now, these projects are heavily influenced by the HR and change-management side of the business.

How have the past two years impacted design and build? And do you anticipate any changes in behaviour that perhaps we are yet to see?

The biggest positive of COVID is that it’s accelerated the inevitable. People have realised the benefits of obtaining a better work-life balance. We need the same benefits in the office that we have at home. In a nutshell, it’s not an office anymore; it’s an extension of home. Our offices are becoming less about benches of desks and more about places of hospitality. I suspect we’ll see more of this in the future.

"It’s not an office anymore; it’s an extension of home."

Broadly speaking, we’re currently designing with 30–40% of collaboration space. I think it will go 50/50 and then even further with 30–40% desk space. There will likely be a 50/50 split between working remotely and in the office. As a result, the office will become more about collaboration, connections and social time.

The world will become smaller, and so opportunities, flexibility and productivity will be greater.

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Is there a danger of doing things too quickly? What pitfalls should leaders avoid when it comes to workplace change?

Moving forwards, there will be three key drivers: wellness, inclusivity and spaces that suit core characteristics. We need to be careful as we don’t want a situation where personality types and those who ‘shout the loudest’ dictate the needs, losing out on creating truly inclusive environments.

While we’re all driving this massive movement in how we work and live, some people are frightened of change, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be a part of our workplace. We don’t want to exclude those who are resistant to change. Some employees find it difficult to use new technology, so we need to ensure it’s simple to use. Let’s not force people; let’s embrace them and give them what they need to do their jobs.

Everything is now tech-enabled. As great as this is, we don’t all want to become hermits, and so the office needs to allow more interaction and collaboration. It should provide spaces with easy-to-use technology that allows employees to connect quickly to remote workers. On the flip side, areas with no technology are just as important. People need quiet space in the office too!

How has your pre-construction process changed during the upheaval of the last two and a half years?

Our pre-construction process hasn’t changed too much, but it’s developed and become more straightforward. Achieving a developed design is still the objective. What we have been working on is making the process leaner and more simple to follow. We’ve removed unnecessary steps and have made them more comprehensive as a result for our clients.

I split up the process into bite-size chunks so it’s not overwhelming. Rather than focusing on the big picture, we look at three weeks at a time with clear steps.

Integrating technology is considered throughout but usually finalised at the end of the pre-construction process. Now, after the first design meeting, we use the second meeting to look at the technology and how it sits with the services. This is because it often goes hand in glove with sustainability targets, and we can incorporate it into the long-term design rather than it being an afterthought.

What’s the process for getting the design and delivery teams on the same page?

It’s all about communication. I go through a specific process to develop a set of information that our Operations Manager needs. I concentrate on pre-construction, and he concentrates on construction. Once I’ve gathered as much information as possible about what needs to be done, we sit down as a team and go through every detail.

The pre-construction team then acts more as a consultant, staying involved to answer questions that were discussed in the early meetings. Effectively, it’s about running a strict pre-construction process and passing that over in a comprehensive manner to the construction team. TSK is a very fluid and emotional company, but this part of the process is more rigid to ensure a seamless build!

Are there any common sticking points when developing processes for organisations?

It’s often more challenging with smaller organisations or those new to the country as they don’t necessarily have an internal business process they can refer to. The risk is getting overwhelmed by the scale of decision-making and sign-off points during the process. That’s why making joint decisions through a committee is better. It’s important to remember that nothing is ever final; we can keep on experimenting and tweaking for years to come.

How do organisations start their workplace change process?

The first step is to assess your space requirements. This is a good time to bring in an expert to do the calculations.

When choosing a building, look around with an open mind and note the facilities in the local area. How will your staff get there? Are there transport links? Parking? How much does it cost to park? Consider where employees can go for lunch. When choosing an office, you need to weigh up everything you would consider when buying a new house.

"When choosing an office, you need to weigh up everything you would consider when buying a new house."

Once you have a shortlist of buildings, bring that to a company like TSK to test and experiment, so we can determine how that space can help your organisation become more successful.

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