Agile Working Comes to a New-Look WPR

Birmingham-based integrated PR agency WPR has responded to the disruption of the past 18 months by seizing the opportunity to embrace an agile approach to how the team works. The vision has seen WPR’s office reshaped as a creative hub where the agency’s PR, social, SEO, paid media and design specialists can work collaboratively.

As the roadmap towards the relaxing of Covid restrictions progressed, the WPR leadership team reviewed lessons learnt while the agency was operating remotely, seeking input from colleagues about the pros and cons of working from home, and identified ways to implement lasting improvements.

A commitment to agile working will create a ‘best of both worlds’ approach, offering individual flexibility within an agency-wide structure that enhances and enables effective teamwork. Everyone will spend at least two days in the office, working with colleagues to collaborate, share and learn. The remainder of the time will see people out and about – on client visits, shoots, pitches or meetings – or working from home.

WPR managing director Jane Ainsworth said: “I was astounded at how well many aspects of WPR life translated into the virtual world when offices closed in March 2020. We quickly established how effectively we could deliver client work remotely, but people are the heart of our business so keeping the WPR culture alive was equally important.

“We are thrilled to be returning to the office – and meeting clients in person again – to enjoy the collective creativity and camaraderie of working alongside one another. But the past 18 months have shown there are advantages to embracing different ways of working. Our belief is that this agile approach will benefit both our team members and our clients, establishing the office as a hub where people are inspired to learn, share ideas and innovate. We are proud that WPR is already a great place to work but we are always looking for ways to improve even further.”

An extensive refurbishment of WPR’s Edgbaston head office has seen spaces opened up to develop a more flexible layout. Versatile breakout rooms where teams can work on campaign development, standing desks and a hot-desk system designed to mix up teams and encourage everyone to interact with a wider range of colleagues have all been incorporated into the changes. Significant investment in cloud-based technologies has also made dynamic working quicker and easier, no matter where people are located.