By Jason Cao, Hoffman China General Manager
Running out of office space is a good problem to have since it reflects a growing enterprise. Such was the case with our China team where 2017 saw our staff grow from 19 to 33 employees as our “Big Tech” positioning gained traction.
In the case of our Beijing office located in the prestigious China World Building, our creative space planning finally ran out of options after we had to put a desk in our lobby area. We literally ran out of real estate.
Thankfully, with a helping hand from our global VP of Operations Lydia Lau, we were able to secure a second office in the building.
Before going further, I’d like to touch on the topic of what I’ll call the “Hoffman style.” Related to the Agency’s culture, we strive for our environment to be professionally cool and comfortable. We also want an environment that reflects a creative mindset and gives off warmth. Last, we take our clients and work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves so seriously. Humor definitely has a place in our culture.
Our staff works hard. They end up spending a considerable amount of time at work. With this in mind, people should walk through our doors and experience a positive vibe. I know this is intangible and tough to measure, but it’s there.
Mission accomplished with our recent expansion.
Allow me to give you a “feel” for the new office.
This is the view from the new digs. The road you see with all the traffic is Chang’an Street.
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All the desks are outfitted with a comfortable chair, phone — though I would estimate over 90 percent of all calls take place on mobile phones — and a plant.
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The following shot shows several of our Beijing team members holding a gift basket from our U.S. colleagues.
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That’s me in front of our signage at the entrance of the office.
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Another shot of Beijing team members, this time celebrating Fei Liu’s birthday.
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An office is more than walls and a ceiling. It really does become a home away from home.
We’ve come a long way since 1999 when Lou walked through our very first office in China in the CITIC building.
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Today, we’re filling the new office with energy and smiles.
If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by.