Page 17 - BOSS Today Issue 52

60 SECOND INTERVIEW
60 SECOND INTERVIEW BOSS Today #52

Soul Brother

Specialist OP market researcher Martin Wilde
talks to Phil Jones MBE, Managing Director of Brother UK Ltd.

MW: Please describe your career our office as a result, reducing PJ: Very different! We started to
to date the number of dedicated desks transition to our new working
and introducing much more style from May and are focusing
PJ: I’ve been in the print industry for hot-desking and collaboration on re-socialising, re-orientating
around 30 years and 27 of those areas, plus casual seating, whilst and re-establishing our people in
have been at Brother UK. keeping safety front of mind. the workplace. No big bang, just
a steady re-introduction.
MW: You recently spoke at the OPI MW: What are the benefits of having
Forum: what key message did staff back at the workplace? MW: What Brother products or
you want to get across? services will ease the return of
PJ: A workplace often gives employees to the workplace?
PJ: That it’s time to ‘re-work, identity to people through
work’. We’re going to see a lot social status, interaction and PJ: We know already that many
of movement in the homes and purpose. For sure, it boosts businesses want smaller,
jobs market post-pandemic and wellbeing for many to feel a networked devices for
employers need to seriously sense of belonging alongside workgroups and hot-desking
consider what their proposition the achievement orientation areas, so we are well placed
is in order to recruit and retain that many need to feel a sense to service those. Sales of our
their people. This will also of trajectory in their lives. It’s labelling devices have also been
create a lot of opportunities for important to note, though, that very strong for multiple reasons,
the industry to take advantage the idea of ‘100% workplace, including COVID-19 signage and
of new working patterns and 100% of the time’ is already asset tracking.
styles. outdated as a proposition for
white collar workers, so finding MW: Please tell me something about
MW: What, if any, actions are you the right blend is key. yourself that few others in the
now taking at Brother to attract industry know
staff back to the workplace? MW: How will the workplace at
Brother look by the end of the PJ: I’m a huge Soul music fan! I have
PJ: We’ve introduced hybrid year? been since the mid 80’s and have
working into the organisation a growing vinyl collection of Soul
and completely re-configured classics.

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