Xero opens newly built Australian headquarters in Melbourne
The Xero Australia HQ officially opens its doors to hundreds of local employees
Melbourne — 21 March, 2022 —Xero, the global small business platform, is today officially opening its new Australian headquarters in Hawthorn, Melbourne.
For the first time in 10 years, the new office will bring together Xeroʼs Melbourne team under one roof, aer previously working across multiple sites in Hawthorn. Employees will be able to reconnect, share knowledge and collaborate to deliver innovative solutions to better support the small business community.
Designed and built during the pandemic, the space has a focus on activity-based working and spans more than 7000 square metres across four levels. It includes amenities such as breakout spaces (which include hearing assistance solutions), webinar suites and an indoor garden – a nod to the home backyards that served as offices for so many during lockdowns.
Joseph Lyons, Managing Director Australia and Asia, Xero, said: “Weʼre thrilled to have an office that reunites our local team under one roof, particularly after the events of the past two years. This building is a representation of our culture and values, and will be a home base for our people to reconnect and enable them to do work in support of our customers.
“With the pandemic causing major shis in the way we live and work, we were able to make adjustments during the design phase to meet the changing needs of our people. Our teams are continuing to innovate and find new ways to serve small businesses and their advisors better every day - so we have focused on offering a place to work that supports our people with what they need when they choose to come in, in a way that makes them feel supported, considered and safe,” said Lyons.
A focus on culture and the right policies to attract and retain talent
The office opening comes on the back of a string of new updates announced by Xero to support its people and attract new talent. In the past year, Xero has been named an Employer of Choice as well as awarded fourth in the 2021 Best Place to Work in technology.
Recent updates include:
- Remote Roles: Having offered flexible working for many years, Xeroʼs policy now goes a step further to give people in product and tech roles in specific regions, including Australia, the option to work remotely in a permanent arrangement. Remote workers have the opportunity to take four funded office visits a year.
- Parental leave: Xeroʼs support for parents allows all permanent employees to take up to six months (26 weeks) of paid leave to care for their child. The leave is available to primary carers irrespective of gender or how they became a parent. Xero supplements any government allowance or other regional support to guarantee that carers receive 100 percent of their base salary during this period. The policy also supports partner's leave, keeping in touch days and a flexible return to work.
“At Xero, we focus on creating a great environment for people to be able to come to work and be their genuine self. We know there are a number of factors that come into consideration when choosing a job - and being purpose and values driven is a key part of that and something we've always prioritised,” added Lyons.
Features of the new building
Employee wellbeing is emphasized across all four levels of the office with services including:
- A fully-equipped gym
- End-of-trip facilities (including bike storage and towel service)
- Wellbeing rooms for prayer or breastfeeding mothers
To beautify the space and bring in a sense of community, Xero worked with three local small business artists - Carla McRae, Clemens Habicht and Ryhia Dank - who each created a bespoke mural for the new building.
Aligning with Xeroʼs sustainability commitments, and Net Zero @ Xero initiative, the office was built to meet NABERS five star rating. Where possible, furniture and technology from previous offices were employed, while any unused items were donated through not-for-profit ʻPonyUpʼ, resulting in over 2000kg of technology avoiding landfill. More than 220 solar panels, a rainwater harvesting system and 12 electric vehicle charging stations ensure Xero is taking steps to minimize impacts on the environment.
Xero partnered with Idle Architecture Studio, property developer Podia, project management firm Facilitate and construction company Hacer to design, develop and fit out the new office.
For information on careers at Xero, visit xero.com/au/about/careers
ENDS
Media Contacts
Xero Australia | Jessica Brophy | +61 431 268 549 | jess.brophy@xero.com
About Xero
Xero is a cloud-based accounting soware platform for small businesses with over 3 million subscribers globally. Through Xero, small business owners and their advisors have access to real-time financial data any time, anywhere and on any device. Xero offers an ecosystem of over 1,000 third-party apps and 300 plus connections to banks and other financial partners. For three consecutive years (2020-2022), Xero has been included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. In 2021, Xero was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), powered by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment and in 2020, Xero was recognized by IDC MarketScape as a leader in its worldwide SaaS and cloud-enabled small business finance and accounting applications vendor assessment.
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