We made work work for Milk Education

Headquartered on the 11th floor of The Plaza, Liverpool, Milk Education is a specialist eco-friendly education recruitment agency providing quality supply talent to schools across Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Chester and Hull.

From its central location to skyline and waterfront views, The Plaza offers the best of everything to take your business to the next level. Milk Education’s Recruitment Director, Emma Walsh, talks to us about dance floors, dogs, and a good day at the office.

What appealed to you about this location?
Our office is in The Plaza Building in Liverpool City Centre. We like it because it’s just slightly on the outskirts but also only an 8-minute walk to the city centre.  It’s a fantastic route to the motorway, it’s great for parking, we’ve got the NCP right next door which is only a 30-second walk. It is in a fantastic place for all the train stations as well. And we’re sitting here looking out over the River Mersey. The views are unreal, I think that is one of the first things people say when they come into our offices. We can see the Mersey as we are at quite a height on the eleventh floor. We see storms, we see the sun, rainbows often and it’s just beautiful the way the sun glistens on the sea, it’s such a great panoramic view. We see the cruise ships pass, and every ship that comes into Liverpool tends to come on that route, so we see all of them.

What made you consider Bruntwood Works?
The previous offices were a little too traditional for us, so in order to evolve, we had to relocate. I think people want to communicate a little bit more now. They want a building manager—a building management team— that is accessible, somebody they can go to if they have a requirement or want to make a change. 

Why did you choose The Plaza?
The biggest thing for us is we wanted to be in a building that was more of a forward-thinking destination building, and I think that Bruntwood has really captured that with the added benefits they have put downstairs, especially the restaurant; it looks beautiful. I just think everything they have done here has represented our business well. It’s a great entrance to the building and an addition to our business.

What do you think this building says about your business?
That we are a premium brand. We’re in one of Liverpool’s best buildings. And I think it reflects the image that we want to be.

Tell me about the first time you saw this space.
As soon as you walk in, it has a wow factor because you look straight at the Mersey and the views are panoramic, which is what we wanted. I could see what I wanted to build, I knew what I was going to design in my head, and I knew how to get there from this space, and it was the right space to do that.

How did Bruntwood Works help make this space work for you?
Bruntwood knew that we wanted to move quite quickly, so they helped me push the paperwork through and worked with the designs I was creating. Even though they were a little bit wild with dance floors and all sorts, they were very supportive of our forward-thinking ideas. We hired an external builder, and Bruntwood were really helpful in allowing those builders to come in and do this work and check that everything was going to plan and some of them nipped in when I was on holiday. 

How do you use the amenities in this building?
The restaurant does all types of food, with vegan options, which I think is really forward-thinking. They have a fantastic café area which serves the best food, with lots of choice. They have got such a great space for casual meetings.  They have a WH Smith, which is super useful If you enjoy using the wellbeing space, then you have a new fitness room downstairs, the gym area, the shower room, which is of a really high quality; it’s even got GHD straighteners and hairdryers. It’s fantastic. You’d want to hang out in their bathrooms; it’s honestly like a five-star hotel downstairs.

So this is more than a conventional office space?
When we talk about our business, a lot of people know it; they say, ‘Are you the guys with the dancefloor?’ or, ‘Are you guys the ones with the wellbeing dogs? I guess it's good to stand out for being a little unique! As you are down there at the traffic lights, you can see that, so it’s very obvious. It looks like a bar or a spaceship. It is a destination place.  

We supported the building in becoming Dog Friendly, which was important as we are very passionate about animals here and have 6 rescue doggos roaming around!

What values do you share with Bruntwood Works?
I would say community and respect. They’re the two biggest ones for us, that mutual respect was super important for us and feeling like they’re going to treat you like a human when you’ve got an issue or you need support. 

What are your office plans going forward?
I think, for Liverpool, I couldn’t see us being in another office. I think this is our home, and we’re already on an eight-year lease, so I only see the future here at the moment. 

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