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In a bold move to redefine workplace culture, Womble Bond Dickinson - a leading global law firm based in The Spark at Newcastle Helix, has transformed its office dynamics by prioritising employee well-being and collaboration over traditional hierarchical structures.
In the latest episode of the Both Sides of the Desk podcast, senior partners, Ian Atkinson and Francesca Hodgson, at Womble Bond Dickinson discuss how the legal industry is changing, including what social mobility means for creating a diverse workforce and how remote working has changed the game.
For Francesca, there are two ladders to climb: navigating her career in law with a working-class background and the shift to Partner, which is a male-dominated position, despite the legal profession, in general, attracting more female workers.
While Ian’s upbringing is different, he still understands the importance of sourcing talent from all walks of life. He shares how WBD achieves this through contextualised recruitment.
Social mobility is a key area of focus of the podcast. The firm has implemented contextual recruitment methods to identify talent from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a level playing field for all candidates. This includes assessing academic performance relative to the average at an individual's school, rather than using absolute grades as the sole criterion.
Franscesca says:
"The people who have historically benefited from the way our society is structured just don’t realise that they have been positively discriminated against their whole lives. The way that the whole society is set up is in their favour but that's the default, that's the norm. Any scheme which disrupts that, can be received negatively, but who says that the way things have always been is the way that they should have been set up?"
The firm is careful to avoid positive discrimination, aiming instead to identify true potential and foster it. Ian said:
"We want to find the best people, regardless of their background. By looking beyond traditional metrics, we're able to uncover talent that might otherwise be overlooked."
Also discussed is a radical decision that has garnered widespread attention. Instead of reserving the best office spaces for executives or client meetings, the firm converted its top-floor area into a communal canteen for all employees.
This unconventional approach was driven by a desire to foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment, where spontaneous interactions and casual conversations could thrive.
Ian Atkinson, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson:
"We wanted to create a space that encourages people to come together," explained one of the firm's partners. "By giving our employees the best space, we've seen an increase in engagement and a stronger sense of community."
The shifts come in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many companies to rethink their approach to work.
Key initiatives include:
Best Space Utilisation: Prioritised employee well-being and collaboration by using the top office space for a communal canteen.
Flexibility Post-COVID: Shift towards more flexible working arrangements, with an emphasis on maintaining culture and ensuring the development of junior staff.
Diversity Initiatives: Focus on gender equality and rewarding non-billable contributions that often fall on women.
Social Mobility: Use of contextual recruitment methods to identify talent from varied backgrounds, avoiding bias towards traditionally privileged candidates.
Work-Life Balance: Implementation of policies to reduce stress and promote mental well-being, recognising the challenges of maintaining balance in demanding professions.
The firm has embraced a flexible working model, allowing employees to work from home while still encouraging in-office collaboration. Data from the pandemic period revealed that remote work did not significantly impact productivity, leading the firm to adopt a more flexible stance. However, the importance of maintaining company culture, particularly for training and mentoring younger staff, remains a priority.
The firm is also leading the charge on diversity and inclusion. Through its "Thrive" network, it addresses barriers faced by women and underrepresented groups in the legal profession. The network focuses on ensuring that non-billable, yet essential work - often undertaken by women - is recognised and rewarded. This initiative reflects a broader commitment to equity within the firm. Thrive functions as a platform for employee voice and influence, helping to drive policy changes and ensure recognition for non-billable contributions, particularly in areas like diversity and community engagement.
As the legal industry continues to evolve, this firm's innovative approach to office space, flexibility, diversity and employee well-being sets a new standard for workplace culture. The move has been widely praised, with many in the industry looking to it as a model for post-pandemic working practices.
John Seager, Estates Director, Newcastle Helix said:
“It’s been great to welcome Womble Bond Dickinson here to Newcastle Helix. We’ve seen them make a significant shift away from traditional corporate norms, and reimagined its office culture and work practices, prioritising employee well-being and inclusivity.”
New Podcast Series: Both Sides of the Desk Now available
The evolution of workplace culture is the subject of a new video podcast series, Both Sides of the Desk, where you can listen to how Womble Bond Dickinson leads the charge on diversity, inclusion and employee well-being, offering valuable insights on the evolution of office dynamics post-pandemic.
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