Cool offices: A workplace fit for the fit

By Nisha T. Naidu

KFit’s office is located in the heart of Bangsar South.

Your workplace is almost always your second home. If you’re going to be sitting in your office for eight hours, you wouldn’t want an old-fashioned, boring and dated environment, would you?

Last year, we virtually took you to some of the coolest offices in KL, including the likes of IKEA, Maxis, Leo Burnett, and Salty Customs to check out their swanky and chic offices.

Audra Pakalnyte

For 2016, we’ve scouted out a fresh list of stylish workplaces waiting to be explored. First up, is none other than the KFit office, a new company that is flourishing thanks to its fresh take on the fitness, wellness and beauty industry.

KFit offers a revolutionised system of fitness by centralising gyms in Malaysia through their smartphone and online app, where users pay a monthly fee to access participating gyms and their classes. Recently, the company expanded into wellness and beauty, offering access to an even bigger variety services such as massages, spas and other activities.

KFit Culture

What exactly is it like working in a young startup, whose primary passion centres around fitness?

The culture at KFit is befitting its product, with its employees operating on a team-centric approach.

“The way we talk to our new joiners about our culture is that we are like a sports team,” says KFit head of people and product Audra Pakalnyte. “In a sports team although one or two people may not be performing their best today or this week, their team mates will step in to fulfil the goals.”

In KFit, the employees are sectioned into goal-oriented teams, with the manager or the head of the team leading in the style of a team captain rather than a team coach. The difference, says Pakalnyte, is that a coach tells the team what to do and how to play, while a team captain plays with a team and leads while being an equal to other members of a team.

KFit practices an open office concept.

“Because KFit is a young start-up that is expanding quickly, and we have presence in eight countries, only really aligned team spirit and goals allow us to move fast,” says Pakalnyte. “We are very open, transparent, friendly, but also very driven.”

Team-orientated goals are emphasised in KFit.

While some look for a formula to happy and satisfied employees, KFit encourages its employees to be dissatisfied – that is, dissatisfied with mediocrity. The startup looks for talent that is entrepreneurial, innovative, and creative problem solvers and people who generally ask for more, deliver more, and challenge themselves to no end.

They empower employees by practicing a lean and flat organisational structure. That way, anyone and everyone has the right to voice out a great idea without it being shut down.

“To sum up, we function like a sports team that is driven by goals to achieve and everybody celebrates together." says Pakalnyte.

Employees are free to work from their desk, pantry, or anywhere from the office that suits their comfort.

The KFit Office

Employees are free to work from their desk, pantry, or anywhere comfortable around the office.

What qualified KFit to be featured in our cool office series was not the colourful beanbags that were casually strewn on the faux grass in the hallway, nor the comfy chairs by the window-sill with funky pillowcases.

Instead, KFit’s office layout compliments the company’s fitness theme, keeping the company in-line with its branding as an employer and as a business.

At the entrance of KFit and running all around the medium-sized office are turquoise and white running tracks. It is not unusual to see employees hopping on skateboards to go pick up their coffee from coffee machines.

Coffee, tea, and refreshments are at the disposal of the staff.

At around 3pm, the small area cordoned off as an indoor basketball court, sees a surge in activity as employees of KFit start to take a break by shooting hoops. Sometimes, informal meetings can even take place on the court to casually bounce off (pun intended) new ideas among the team.

It’s not unusual to have discussions in their pantry or even on their basketball court.

At the far end of the office, sits a café-like pantry emanating a hipster vibe, stocked with free beverages and refreshments for employees to enjoy.

Employees have several ways of releasing steam.

Informal discussions can even take place during a basketball game.

Says Pakalnyte: “Most importantly, we want people to be comfortable here. We work hard, therefore we want to create an environment that is fun, where we can play and it feels like at home.”

Pakalnyte proceeds to explain that the facilities in the office are meant to cater to their people’s different times of activity and inactivity. As KFit practices a goals-orientated form of performance monitoring, employees needn’t sit at their desk at all times to prove that they are being productive.

Informal discussions can even take place during a basketball game. In fact, working hours are also varied at KFit. The company practices flexible working hours while also maintaining fixed corporation hours during which everyone must be present. This ensures communication and alignment of teams while granting them flexibility to arrange their schedules.

Needless to say, all employees enjoy free membership at KFit. Apart from that, the company also implements a cookie jar talent fund that is allocated to every team monthly for the purpose of teambuilding, whether it is watching a movie, going rock climbing, or saving up for a group retreat.

KFit is hiring!

Now we come to the part with the good news! KFit is expanding its business both regionally as well in their local headquarters in Malaysia. Are you entrepreneurial, passionate, and creative in your way of thinking? Then apply for these vacancies now.

• Software Engineer (Ruby on Rails)

• Mobile Developer (iOS/ Android)

Do you work in an awesome office or know of one? Email the details over to editor@mystarjob.com for an opportunity to be featured on myStarjob.com! Don't forget to follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date with our latest insightful articles and career advice.

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