What HR must consider before relocating

Relocating an entire workplace is a major undertaking and can cause serious headaches for HR – however, in some cases, there’s simply no other option.

Foodstuffs North Island – the company behind a number of prominent Kiwi retailers such as PAK'nSAVE and New World – is currently facing this very challenge.

The firm recently announced it would be moving its distribution centre and support office from Mount Roskill, where it’s been located for the last 53 years, to a yet-to-be-built complex at Auckland Airport, dubbed The Landing.

Of course, the decision wasn’t made lightly and HR head Wendy Hammonds said countless factors had to be taken into consideration before the new site was given the go ahead.

“We chose the site at The Landing after considering where all of our team live in Auckland, and the ability to offer important amenities like car parking, easy access to public transport and Auckland Airport, and surrounding facilities like gyms, cafés, and outdoor areas,” said Hammonds, the company’s GM of people and capability.

Hammonds also noted that Foodstuffs was looking for a site that could accommodate both its support centre and a new 65,000sqm distribution centre.

“Culturally, we believe it’s important that our support centre teams are connected with the heart of what we do in our supply chain and stores,” she told HRD. “Personal security given our shift work teams was also a significant consideration. Thanks to our size of site requirements, we didn’t have unlimited choices. This was by far the best choice.”

As the new location was carefully chosen to suit employees, Hammonds said the organisation has been met with relatively little resistance but did acknowledge there will be a certain level of disruption.

“Like any change, it will take our team members a while to get used to a new environment and a new way of working,” she told HRD. “We’ll be working on a detailed transition plan to make the move as smooth as possible for everyone. It’s very important for us that our leaders are involved and are leading the change from the front with their teams. For us the most important thing is that our team members get the opportunity to give input and have their say to help shape our new environment.”

In order to secure that buy-in and to put employees at ease, Foodstuffs implemented a number of communication measures including face-to-face briefings for teams with their leaders, so everyone had the opportunity to hear what was happening and ask any questions in person.

“We have loads of resources available for our team members,” she said. “Our open culture at ‘Foodies’ means our people are comfortable talking to their leaders and asking questions.”

With the build and transition still in its early stages, Hammonds says the organisation has no option but to accommodate a few unknowns.

“We’re still working out the details of what our move will look like, but we’ll be working closely with our team members to make sure everyone is comfortable with what the move means for them,” she said. “Like any change, it will take our team members a while to get used to a new environment and a new way of working.”

Despite the challenges which lay on the horizon, Hammonds is quick to point out a number of promising opportunities that have been created as a result of the relocation.

“The new environment is going to support more collaboration and innovation with our team members and this is an exciting career development opportunity,” she said.

“This move gives us the opportunity to rethink how our teams interact, and introduce new, more innovative ways of working together. By designing it from scratch, we’ll be able to create a modern, collaborative space for our teams.

“Our current environment is not great for many reasons, this is a fantastic opportunity to create great workspace together for the future; investing in our people or team environment in a way we haven’t for decades. We see the new workplace as being a major drawcard and feedback so far has largely supported that.”