“In a world where the preference is to work at home, our team actually prefers the office"
The IGA Talent Solutions team, (l-r) Harry Cocking, Rebecca O'Carroll and Mark Stanton say their state-of-the-art new setup with Iconic Offices has even helped them to attract new recruits.
Rolling out of bed at 8.50am for a nine o’clock start, getting away with sitting through important meetings whilst donning your suit and tie and pyjama bottoms, and removing the need to interact with overbearing colleague who has a habit of lingering by your desk…
The benefits of working from home are pretty hard to deny. In fact, perks like these have bettered our lives to such an extent that while it was the norm only three years ago to drag ourselves to the office and back five days a week, doing that now seems absolutely unimaginable to many of us.
How on earth did we manage it back then, we often wonder? What could possibly beat our comfortable new routine of working from home?
Well, here to answer that question is Iconic Offices. For over 10 years they’ve served as Ireland’s leading flexible workspace provider – they’ve seen the demand for flexible workspace options become the norm post- pandemic, offering space that supports flexible working while being an attractive business home for days in the office.
Working with everyone from SMEs to global brands alike, they are seeing first-hand how the rise of remote work has simply driven an appetite for a new type of office, one that can operate as hybrid workspace.
After 9 years operating in Dublin, Iconic last year expanded the model into their newest location in NSQ2 Cork, bringing their unique style of flexible workspace options to the Cork market.
Offering clients the very best in all aspects of office life — from screening rooms that could double as a state-of-the-art cinema as well as a space to display presentations or Zoom conference calls to the rest of your team, to lunch areas that could rival the appearance of any chic city bar, nevermind the more traditional staff canteen, and studio booths that allow your team to make podcasts and promo jingles with a setup worthy of Grammy winners — working at any of the Iconic Offices creates a sense of occasion around going to your regular nine-to-five.
So much so, that some of the country’s biggest names and most promising entrepreneurs are already opting to fill the coworking spaces and private offices of Iconic’s new ‘NSQ2’ base, located right in the heart of Cork City in Navigation Square.
Among them are the Riley team — an Irish company who shot to international attention in recent years with their ground-breaking range of sustainable pads and tampons. Their subscription boxes have become a mainstay for thousands of customers every month, offering period products made from 100% organic cotton, free from bleach, pesticides, toxins and other harmful chemicals.
As Riley’s mission is all about being kinder to both our bodies and our planet, it was important to them to find a home for their business that reflected those values. Fiona Parfey, Riley’s co-founder, says they realised very early on that Iconic Offices could provide them with exactly that.
“We first joined Iconic in Dublin last August and then expanded to Cork in September when NSQ2 opened, with the team being split between both locations,” she explains. “Iconic is not only a flexible workspace solution which is perfect for our growing team, but also a really innovative and inspiring workspace to work from and it definitely helps to motivate us.”
Another hugely motivating factor for Fiona is that the Riley team get to see the fruits of their labour going to use at their workplace each day, as Iconic exclusively supply the Riley products complimentary to their 3,000 plus members and staff across all their locations.
“Iconic are very aligned with our brand,” Fiona says proudly. “Not only do they put their community first but they also have WELL certified buildings, both the Cork and Dublin locations we work from are WELL certified, which really aligns with our own sustainability values.”
The WELL Building Standard is an internationally-recognised certification, awarded for buildings and public spaces that enhance human health and wellbeing. Iconic Offices became WELL certified in 2019, becoming one of the first workspaces in Europe to do so. With this kind of cutting edge building design to their name, it’s little surprise that Iconic Offices have also attracted some of the titans of the Irish construction industry as their clients.
One such group is ORS, a prominent Irish multidisciplinary building consultancy who have trusted Iconic to house their employees in both Dublin and Cork. Having initially been a private office client with Iconic Offices in Dublin for two years, ORS Director Gerard Fagan says the care they received from the expert team there made it a no-brainer to expand their business by taking on a second location with Iconic in Cork’s NSQ2.
“ORS operates with a hybrid working model, but we recognise the importance of having a physical office space for our team to come together and collaborate effectively,” he explains. “In 2020, we secured an office space in SouthPoint, Iconic, Dublin, which has since become a vital hub for the team. Iconic aligns with our values of community, flexibility, and a focus on exceptional client care, and therefore was the natural choice when expanding our business in Cork.
“Since joining Iconic, ORS has found that the office space has fostered a strong sense of community among its team members and has allowed us to work productively and efficiently. Overall, our experience with Iconic has demonstrated the importance of well-designed and collaborative office space, particularly for companies that operate with a hybrid working model. Additionally, the flexible access to Iconic in multiple locations allows our team to work from different locations depending on their needs, whether meeting clients or collaborating with colleagues.”
This desire to meet employee’s needs, and allow them increased flexibility while still getting them to return to the office, is one that can prove a tricky balancing act for many employers. Yet Iconic Offices help the companies under their roof to pull it off so well that it not only increases morale among their existing workforce, but for some the return to the office can actually be framed as an incentive for potential new candidates.
“Iconic’s stylish and practical workspaces have allowed us to attract some of the best talent in Cork,” reveals Mark Stanton, Business Unit Manager of IGA Talent Solutions. “In a world where the preference is to work at home, given the option, our team actually prefers to work in the office, all because of the fantastic facilities we have at Iconic.”
IGA Talent Solutions first started as coworking members in NSQ2 last year, before quickly growing into their own office space. A specialist recruitment firm, IGA has staff working across multiple markets including Change & Transformation, Actuarial Services, Financial Crime, Investments & Pensions, People & Culture and Tech roles — just a small sample of the huge variety of activity taking place in any Iconic location.
For IGA, who were established in the UK in 2018 and backed by former Dragon's Den star James Caan to grow rapidly and expand into new markets, setting up in Cork has always been a huge goal — especially with a location as central as Iconic’s.
“As the first branch outside of the UK, it was important that we found an office space that could support our growth ambitions and NSQ2 offered us exactly that,” Mark explains. “The location in the city centre is key, and the Iconic team immediately understood and catered for our business needs, so much so that the Iconic staff feel like part of IGA.
“As a new branch, essentially a start-up, flexibility was of the utmost importance for us in Cork. We started out in the co-working space at NSQ2, and in January made the switch to a private office, conveniently located on the same floor. With larger offices available, we hope to continue that growth trajectory in NSQ2 into the future. It's also important as a recruitment business to be at the centre of the business community, and NSQ2 is quickly becoming a hub for likeminded, ambitious businesses in Cork as the facilities and service are truly world class. They match, if not exceed, anything we have in our offices across London and the UK.”
Meanwhile, for Jason Sleator, the commercial area manager at Iconic Offices in Cork, it’s always been only a matter of time before people would realise all that the region has to offer as a hub for their business. "I came to Cork 15 years ago and fell in love with this city," he shares. “It has become my home and I’ve seen it grow from strength to strength since I got here — I'm delighted we’re now seeing clear evidence of increasing demand for flexible workspace solutions in Cork city. We’re very excited about what the future holds for Iconic Offices and our clients here."
To find out more about NSQ2 and the Iconic Offices across Dublin, visit their website.
