Two-level gym, foosball tables and beer on tap: Is this Brisbane’s best office?
TechnologyOne - a “living, breathing example of Queensland innovation” - now has offices in six countries and 1300 employees worldwide.
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It was 1987. Video recorders and pagers were the pinnacle of home tech excellence, Bob Hawke won the Australian federal election and there was an intensifying rivalry between IBM and Apple, both vying to deliver an operating system that could accommodate colour graphics and multiple windows.
Far from the breakthrough innovations occurring in California, Adrian Di Marco started tinkering with a new generation of software from a demountable outside a hide-processing plant in a Brisbane industrial area.
Backed by private funding, Di Marco founded TechnologyOne, now a $5.3bn company with operations worldwide.
Chief executive Ed Chung says you wouldn’t set out to start a global tech company in Brisbane, but they are here to stay.
“Why would we go anywhere else?” he says.
“TechnologyOne is a living, breathing example of Australian – and Queensland – innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
“(Now) we have offices in six countries, we employ 1300people worldwide – 700 of them in our headquarters here in Fortitude Valley.
“We are proud to compete on the global stage from our Brisbane base.”
TechnologyOne is living the ambition of its industry, which is working with the Australian government to raise the workforce to 1.2 million people by 2030. To achieve this, tech will have to lure workers from other industries and harness skills from previously under-represented groups.
This was how Danielle Windle ended upin tech. The former travel agent joined TechnologyOne in 2010 in an administration co-ordinator role and has risen through the ranks to become a strategic program manager overseeing the development of products.
“The tech industry has been phenomenal for me,” she says.
“TechnologyOne is the type of organisation that does take risks and fosters a passion to learn and grow. If you can dream it and think it, (tech) gives you the opportunity to do it.”
She says a range of skills are needed in tech, not just in software development, and tech knowledge can be learned on the job.
Acknowledging the company thrives on the creativity and innovation of its people, TechnologyOne is consciously investing in its teams’ motivation and engagement.
The software-as-a-service provider hosts one of the nation’s largest research and development centres from the Valley, where close to 500 people work to solve problems and improve systems for businesses.
One of the annual highlights is Hack Day, a day when all employees come together to work on client, business or system problems and solve them – at speed. This year’s event generated a record 42 pitches.
“One thing we also do well at TechnologyOne is to come together as one tribe from around the world,” Chung says.
“Yes, we set ambitious targets, we certainly don’t do easy, but we have fostered a great culture that uplifts.
“It’s no secret Australia overall needs more tech talent. At TechnologyOne we’re competing against traditional tech companies, the big four consulting firms, but also non-traditional tech players, such as the big four banks, who are hiring hundreds of developers and systems architects.”
Wellbeing and community are also at the heart of the Pledge 1% program – to commit 1 per cent of profit, staff time and product to movements and causes that matter.
In the 2023 financial year, this amounted to more than $850,000, 5341 volunteer hours, and 900 SolarBuddy lighting systems switched on for communities in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Sudan.
Communication and collaboration is also critical. The Brisbane head office has a professional broadcast studio to enable regular video messages, training sessions and other strategic communications.
A focus on “the team” also means deliberate attention on bringing people together and overcoming the potential tech trait for introversion. This has translated into a physical form in the redevelopment of the head office in Brisbane. A two-level gym and end-of-trip facilities help workers get their active minutes up, while the foosball tables and craft beers on tap at the Village Green boosts Friday afternoon get-togethers.
A strategic focus on increasing the diversity of their workforce is also reaping benefits; 40 per cent of employees are women – about 10 per cent higher than the industry average. Targets are in place to try to overcome additional hurdles.
The focus on culture has a financial impact as well. The ASX-listed company says it has delivered double-digit compound growth over the past 15 years and is on track to exceed $500bn in annual recurring revenue by 2025. It seeks to double its revenue every five years.
Mr Chung says the opportunities are limitless. “Kids can know that they don’t have to move to Silicon Valley to land their dream job, but instead, they can do it right here in Fortitude Valley.’’
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