The company dating game Office meetings take a modern turn
Making colleagues get to know each other better, may aid success in the business world.
‘‘I’ve never been on a blind date before,’’ says Harriet Arbuckle. It’s followed up with a quick: ’’Me neither - it’s kind of terrifying,’’ from Nick Dellabarca.
Their conversation bares all the hallmarks of the typical blind date - the initial awkwardness, jitteriness and ‘get-to-know-you’ questions until the two begin to relax and the conversation starts to flow.
‘‘Um, so... what do you do?’’ Harriet enquired.
‘‘Well Harriet, I’m a copywriter downstairs.’’ Nick said.
‘‘Yeah, I thought you were a creative ... You have the quintessential creative uniform; Nikes, black tee-shirt and rolled-up jeans!’’
But Harriett, 26, and Nick, 28, are not actually on a blind date as such. Instead, they are testing out the latest in human resources strategy, where two previously unfamiliar colleagues have coffee or lunch together in the name of improved workplace culture - not romance.
The pair work at DDB Group, one of New Zealand’s leading advertising company responsible for such iconic brands as Lotto, McDonalds, Auckland Council, Westpac and Sky TV. The company is no stranger to creative human resources strategy. Tthey have a whole floor dedicated to social spaces where people can hang out - literally - on rope swings, grab a coffee or eat their lunch.
The blind dating concept comes from Toronto-based software company FreshBooks, which has encouraged voluntary ‘‘blind dates’’ amongst staff for about three years.
‘‘Having people connect with folks they don’t necessarily work with actually helps build the ties that have kept our organisation strong, and information and ideas flowing,’’ explains FreshBooks chief executive Mike McDerment.
After the dates, 100 per cent of the volunteers said that they enjoyed the exercise.
Now, the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand is encouraging Kiwi businesses to adopt it as a way to foster better business. HRINZ Chief Executive Chris Till, said it was a way to keep your business ’’real and human, as opposed to becoming anonymous and bureaucratic.’’
A famous quote by the founder of modern management, the late Peter Drucker is: ’’Culture eats strategy for breakfast’’.
Till believes blind dating mostly helps culture in growing small to medium organisations, where there is more potential for people to not know each another.
‘‘Once you hit about 50 employees, it becomes more difficult, so the organisation just has to work a little harder.’’
Till said blind dating caught his eye because New Zealand has many small businesses who pick up and grow quickly, such as TradeMe and Xero.
The dates are voluntary and only cost as much as the coffee or lunch shared between the two, making it a cheap, cost-effective way for improving inter-office connectivity.
Back to Nick and Harriet. It’s the end of the date and Nick has made her laugh, nervously or otherwise, more than several times.
‘‘I was roped into this on the pretense it was an actual date, but once I got over my initial disappointment, it seemed like a decent, albeit slightly awkward way to meet your workmates,’’ Nick said.
Harriet said she enjoyed the experience: ’’It was cool to get an insight into what Nick does, even though it’s not the most natural set-up.’’