In a world that is constantly changing, we often talk about the benefits of adapting or ‘staying ahead of the curve.’ But how exactly is this done? New ideas, fresh thinking, diverse minds; innovation. And for us, we unlock this further through our Junior Board.

Making change

Real estate has seen moments of extreme disruption across time, from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many firms spend years trying to overcome the challenges caused by major disruptions, while other businesses pivot quickly to solve the changes ahead.

On a day-to-day basis we face challenges as individuals and as businesses that require fresh thinking to overcome. Whether it’s our processes or how we work together more efficiently, it is paramount to try new ideas and continue to evolve. But how do we consistently generate these new ideas?

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new”

At Hollis, rather than looking back, we continue to look forward to make change. We’ve always strived to find ways of doing things better, continually seeking new ideas, technologies and ways of working. We pushed the boundaries of our services and introduced our cutting-edge H360 technology that allows for virtual due diligence at a distance using drones and data capture. We’ve also trialled exciting technologies that add value for our clients, such as Geographic Information Systems. However, we’re not just innovating our services but looking inwards too.

We introduced our Junior Board in 2021 as an opportunity for a more collaborative, open and diverse approach to our decision making and engagement. A mark of our commitment to nurturing young talent and developing our future leaders, the Junior Board has made a significant impact on our business since its inauguration.

Our Junior Board

Our Junior Board’s mission is to:

• Explore new, innovative ideas for the future of the business
• Provide fresh perspectives and insights to the leadership team
• Bridge the generational gaps across the business

This means pushing the boundaries on what we can do at Hollis, creating open communication between the management board and our team, and supporting the next generation of talent to thrive.

And how does this help us innovate? To create new ideas requires new thinking. Everyone in Team Hollis has a thought to share and the Junior Board allows us access to these fresh new ideas that help shape our business; from our early careers employees, to our operational staff to our fee earning professionals.

By accessing the new generations of talent, we also diversify our thoughts. A more diverse and inclusive workforce has been proven to create more innovative ideas and help to implement them, putting our business in a stronger position to adapt, move forward and grow.

Diversifying innovation

Not only will the Junior Board help to further diversity and inclusion within our firm, but across the entire real estate sector too.

This month alone, members of our Junior Board visited the Canary Wharf Group headquarters to meet with their own successful Junior Board. We discussed our future aspirations, achievements to date, and explored how they are influencing decision making across the Canary Wharf estate. It is brilliantly inspiring to see the work other Junior Boards across the industry are doing to evolve their firms and further their achievements.

Continued collaboration across our industry is vital in pushing each other to improve and build upon the strength of our businesses.

Innovating as One Team

We always knew we could do things even better than before, for ourselves, and for our clients. By unlocking innovation through our Junior Board, we access the talents of the new generations and make sure we are always putting our best foot forwards. Through increasing the fluidity of conversation between our management board and the entirety of the company, we secure the longevity of our success. A pillar of our company, our Junior Board allows everyone to have a voice whilst keeping us grounded as One Team; Team Hollis.