Almost every time we get talking about where our office is located, we tend to get this reaction:
Firstly, if you’re not from Melbourne, you probably haven’t even heard of Ringwood, the leafy heart of the eastern suburbs, so:
- We’re about 25km east of Melbourne, right on top of the new Eastland complex.
- It’s a 30min train ride from the Melbourne City Loop (trains run every 5 minutes during peak hour)
- There’s about 2.5 million people within 30minutes of Ringwood, which makes it one of the ‘nodes’ of Victoria
With more than $1billion invested into the development of Ringwood over the past couple of years, the suburb is booming. Our office, opposite the most modern library in Melbourne in Town Square, every public transport option imaginable and heaps of local amenities, Ringwood is placed to be one of the largest ‘nodes’ in Victoria.
But wait a minute. SaaS companies should be in the CBD! How can you run a tech company in the suburbs? More importantly, how can you run a tech company in Australia?
Here’s 10 reasons why we love making HR technology in Ringwood (and why you would too!)
1. No CBD traffic
Ringwood is a busy place. But it’s not Punt Road at 8am on a Monday morning busy.
Having a faster, more relaxed commute to work every day makes a big impact on your day.
2. The Cadbury Factory is in Ringwood
That’s right. The home of chocolate. Right in Ringwood.
It’s not generally open to the general public (you’d need to book a tour), and the fences are quite high…..but it’s comforting to know that in the even of a natural disaster, we’ll be able to sustain ourselves on Picnics and Cherry Ripes indefinitely.
3. Endless lunch options at our doorstep
Jimmy Grant’s, Huxtaburger, Kyoto Cafe, 400 Gradi, Hunky Dory, Cupcake Central (note: not to be consumed for lunch every day), Schnitz, Nando’s, Roll’d, Sumo Salad, Boost Juice…..we have all of this and more on our doorstep.
Trying to decide what to eat is just one of those challenges we have to overcome every day.
4. Plenty of space
The typical tech startup is located in either a crowded, chaotic co-lab space or in a crowded, tiny office that larger companies have no interest in leasing.
Our office has plenty of space for us to host indoor cricket games, spread out in our bean bags, find a quiet place to work when we need to and still have the space to collaborate (definitely not like the soulless industrial parks elsewhere in Victoria!)
5. Parking is much easier (and cheaper)
Whilst the restrictions are coming in hard, it’s still much cheaper to park in Ringwood than the CBD. There’s plenty of on-street parking if you know where to look, and paid carparks are usually less than $10 a day (just don’t park at Eastland all day unless you want to keep moving your car!)
6. Trees, birds, trails and views
The famous Mullum Mullum trail passes right through the middle of Ringwood, giving access for cyclists and walkers to enjoy all of the greenery and wildlife on offer. There’s even farmers markets in the middle of Ringwood Town Square, with herb gardens scattered around too.
It’s always nice to look out the window or go for a walk amongst trees and birds rather than concrete and cars.
7. Boutique shopping
Ok, this could be a negative for your bank account, but Ringwood hosts all the high-end brands like Camilla, Country Road, H&M, Mimco, Marimekko, Pandora, Peter Alexander, sass & bide, Scanlan Theodore, Swarovski, Tiger Mist, Victoria’s Secret, Uniqlo, Seed, Tony Bianco, Calibre, Kiehl’s, French Connection, Marcs, Kikki K, Mecca Cosmetica, Tarocash, Politix, Oxford and more are all located just outside our office door.
Of course, we’re a tech company, so about half of our office dress in nothing but jeans and t-shirts anyway, but for those who are fashion-inclined, it’s nice to have these options.
8. We have a CostCo
On the other end of the shopping spectrum, you can get all the muffins and pretzels you could ever want (or carry) from our local CostCo.
Our office is always full of CostCo goodies – our dev team run on sugar and adrenaline.
9. Family-friendly (but there’s still a nightlife!)
The older (sorry, ‘experienced’) team members with families at HROnboard from around the area love bringing them to the office, grabbing lunch at Town Square or just generally enjoying the casual Ringwood-life.
The younger crowd are usually found at the Cellar Door for post-work drinks, so all tastes are catered for!
10. We’re a tech startup. We do things differently.
Perhaps the biggest reason why we love being in Ringwood is because we love doing things our own way. You don’t get into tech because you like doing what everyone else does – you do it because you want to do something important, in a fun, challenging environment, in ways no one else has done things before.
Being in Ringwood matches who we are: we like to have fun, we’re casual, honest and relaxed and we let our tech do the talking!
Don’t believe us? Come down to Ringwood and check out our office! We love entertaining those interested in HR tech, so whether you’re looking for a great place to work or just want to see what it’s like running a tech business in Ringwood, come in and say hi.