Every office has its own atmosphere, and we like to get to know the people who create it. In the “Chilli family” series, we take a look at the everyday lives of our tenants – no reports or statistics, just real stories about what office life is really like.
Today, Sandra Kłodnicka, who has been working at Atos since 2018 as a Team Assistant in the areas of administration, inter-departmental cooperation, and onboarding of new employees, based at the Chilliflex Łódź office, tells us about it.
Couple of facts about Atos – in their own words
The Atos Group is a global leader in digital transformation, with approximately 72,000 employees and annual revenues of around €10 billion. It operates in 68 countries under two brands: Atos (services) and Eviden (products). It is the European leader in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and high-performance computing. The Atos Group is committed to building a secure and decarbonized future by offering tailored, comprehensive AI-based solutions for all industries. Atos is a European company (SE – Societas Europaea) listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange.
Atos’ mission is to co-create the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education, and research in a multicultural approach, contributing to the advancement of scientific and technological excellence. Around the world, the Group enables its clients, employees, and members of society to live, work, and thrive sustainably in a secure and protected information space.
Chilliflex:
Good morning, Sandra. Tell us, how long have you been working at the Chilliflex Łódź office for Atos?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
Good morning, I have been working at Atos for seven years, but I have been with the team on the ninth floor of the Brama Miasta building in Łódź since November 2024, and this is our permanent workplace for people from the Łódź Province.
Chilliflex:
How long have you seen the need to change the location of your Łódź branch?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
We were present at another location in Łódź for 19 years. The need for change grew cyclically, every winter and summer, i.e. on average twice a year.
Chilliflex:
That’s interesting – what do the seasons have to do with looking for an office?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
When it’s a hot summer and you’re working in a team of several dozen people, any failure of the ventilation system has a negative impact on work efficiency. Conversely, in winter, you expect a comfortable temperature without drafts from the windows. We were in a wonderful building with post-industrial design, but constant monitoring of the temperature inside, where we spend most of our time during the day, is very important to us. Despite our great fondness for the administration, we did not always have stability in this matter from the previous landlord. So the time came for a change.
Chilliflex:
I feel that this is not the only argument that prompted the decision-makers to look for a new office.
Sandra Kłodnicka:
No. Many factors influenced the decision to change offices in Łódź, such as high operating costs, the transition to a hybrid work model, and increasing the company’s attractiveness by working in a modern office building in the very center of the city.
Chilliflex:
The high operating costs you mention include electricity, Internet access, and the purchase of coffee for the coffee machine? How do you compare this to the current situation?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
Basically everything together, because the costs varied depending on the consumption and operation of each component. The main expense was the energy bill. At Chilliflex, serviced offices relieved us of this hassle and allowed us to fully optimize our expenses in a company where we have a fixed monthly cost.
Chilliflex:
Do you see any limitations in working at the Chilliflex Łódź serviced office compared to the traditional office where you worked before?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
My work is related to administration, I support employees in this area, thanks to which I have constant access to information, comments, and discussions between them. If I had to look for any drawbacks, I could only point to the parking lot; at our previous location, we had a lot of parking spaces. However, in the Brama Miasta building, where Chilliflex Łódź is located, we have underground parking spaces and a much smaller number of above-ground spaces in a nearby outdoor car park. Personally, however, I do not see this as a limitation, but rather as an encouragement for our employees to choose public transport or cycling.
Chilliflex:
Let’s move on to the privacy of conversations. Your Łódź team consists of about 150 people, of whom about 25 come to the office every day. With this number, how do you manage breaks and phone calls?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
Our offices (rooms) are divided into sectors with separate magnetic card access, so the team is spread out despite working on the same floor, and the soundproof walls give us great comfort when working and talking. – However, if someone prefers to work alone or a meeting requires a dedicated space, we also have so-called phone booths at our disposal. In addition, we also use common areas, which have a billiards zone, and in our Atos branch in Chilliflex Gdańsk, they are also connected to a café zone.
If we plan to return to full-time office work in the future, Chilliflex offices offer options such as purchasing additional workstations and separating new spaces.
Chilliflex:
Do you ever visit other Atos offices in Poland?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
Some of our colleagues regularly travel around Poland, but our office in Łódź is exceptionally well connected, and we often host our partners and colleagues from other cities and even countries, who appreciate the nearby Łódź Fabryczna railway station and the longest pedestrian street in Poland – Piotrkowska Street, where we often go for lunch.
Chilliflex:
You mentioned hybrid work earlier. Is this a better solution than switching to fully remote work?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
Definitely yes. When we work together, the atmosphere is completely different, we find solutions faster, and it promotes creative work. Team integration is also important, which is difficult to achieve when working 100% remotely. At Chilliflex in Gdańsk and Łódź, our employees appreciate the interior and decor, as well as the billiard room and well-equipped common areas, which make them feel at home.
Chilliflex:
What sets Chilliflex apart from the competition?
Sandra Kłodnicka:
Certainly, the service is top-notch. Chilliflex has high standards, and this was evident during the initial discussions, even before the decision to relocate was made. Another pleasant surprise was the fact that we can personalize our office—from the number of workstations in a given section to the design, details, placement of our favorite flower, or hanging a picture. We are not imposed with a vision from above, and as employees, we also greatly appreciate being able to adapt the workspace to our preferences. Thanks to this individual approach, we are able to control costs even better, which allows for continuous improvement and optimization.
Chilliflex:
Sandra, thank you for your kind words about us and for the meeting, which allowed us to get to know you and the company you work for a little better.
Sandra Kłodnicka:
See you over coffee! 🙂
