Corporate Headquarters Adopts Hybrid Strategy to Promote Fairness and Ownership

TechSmith, the global leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions, has opened its new headquarters in East Lansing, MI, covering 63,000 square feet. The building, which cost over $15 million to construct, was designed with a hybrid work environment in mind, reflecting the company's shift towards remote and flexible work during the pandemic.

The new headquarters boasts a variety of collaboration spaces, including 70 small offices, 30 double rooms, 5 huddle rooms, 4 standup rooms, 23 team rooms, 6 conference rooms, 1 board room, 1 training room, 1 creative collaboration space, 1 programming room, 1 video studio, 1 audio recording room, and 1 atrium space with DTEN screens.

The atrium space, in particular, is equipped with two 75-inch DTEN screens, one of which is used as a digital whiteboard or to display meetings from the training room. Larger collaboration spaces have been outfitted with ceiling-mounted microphone arrays from Yamaha UC and Shure, while smaller offices without ceiling-mounted mics use the Razer Seiren X due to its cost, ease of use, and physical mute button.

All collaboration spaces were built with Zoom technology, including Zoom-enabled Neat.boards for brainstorming. The company partnered with a local arcade to rotate a couple of pinball machines and a Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga cabinet in the game room, providing a fun and engaging space for employees to unwind.

The building also includes a video studio, an audio recording room, and a family room, four wellness rooms, and a game room, all with screens displaying company information. The majority of spaces in the new building are equipped with dual Dell UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C hub monitors.

The feedback from TechSmith's employees has been overwhelmingly positive. Team rooms, in particular, have been popular, providing a comfortable and collaborative space for teams to work together. The company's hybrid policies, collaboration tech, and building layout have resulted in greater scheduling flexibility and improved work-life balance among staff.

The CEO of TechSmith, Bill Hamilton, emphasized the importance of involving employees in decisions about workspace and reducing footprint, focusing on outcomes rather than size, and understanding how a hybrid environment may impact product development and customer engagement. He also noted that the more than $6 million investment in TechSmith's headquarters was necessary to ensure a parity of experience for all employees, whether in-office, remote, or hybrid.

TechSmith is known for its suite of productivity solutions, including Snagit, an asynchronous workplace communication tool; Camtasia, an all-in-one screen recording and video editor; and Audiate, an audio recorder and text-based audio editing application. The company provides these solutions to over 73 million people globally.

The initial planning stages for the building in 2019 aimed to be 'hybrid-friendly' while having most employees work in the office. However, the pandemic forced TechSmith to go fully remote, causing a shift in the priorities for their new headquarters to be 100% 'hybrid-first.' In July 2022, TechSmith held an 'Async-First' experiment, where teams worked and communicated asynchronously through various platforms.

Zink, the company's Chief Operating Officer, advised CEOs to realize and communicate that a shift to a hybrid workplace is an evolving process, with different policies and rules potentially changing as they strive to find the right balance. He also stated that all the technologies in TechSmith's headquarters were essential for the seamless work of the company and served as a reminder to all staff that they are treated equally whether in-office or remote.

In conclusion, TechSmith's new headquarters represents a significant investment in the future of work, providing a state-of-the-art hybrid workspace that supports collaboration, flexibility, and work-life balance for its employees. The company's commitment to involving employees in decisions and focusing on outcomes rather than size sets a positive example for other companies considering a shift to a hybrid workplace.