Transforming Workplace Experiences: Insights from Eliza Harper at Cushman & Wakefield

Eliza Harper, Director of Workplace Experience at Cushman & Wakefield, embodies a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in workplace services. With a diverse background in finance and corporate real estate, Eliza has significantly enhanced the workplace experience for clients and teams alike. In this employee spotlight, Eliza shares insights on her career journey, mentorship, and passion for improving workplace environments.

Can you share your journey to your current role at Cushman & Wakefield?

Absolutely. I left high school and was fortunate to receive a traineeship in corporate real estate with a company called Multiplex Constructions. They engaged in significant projects, including building Stadium Australia for the Sydney Olympics and various high-profile developments across the Sydney CBD.

I started in the accounts payable department as part of a traineeship program but after about 11 months, I realized I needed more face-to-face experience. I had not worked part-time while in school due to my commitment to dance and baton twirling at an international level. So, I left the traineeship and took a retail job over the Christmas period to build my interpersonal skills, I must admit, when I first joined the workforce I was initially intimidated by answering phones in an office setting, as it was still the era of desktop computers, and I would often let calls go to voicemail!

After that, I joined a finance team in education while also attending business and technical college at night. Most of my career since then has been in financial services, primarily in office support roles. At AMP, one of Australia's largest wealth providers, I worked in the customer transformation program in their PMO for six months. This role allowed me to take insights from the customer transformation experience and apply them to workplace transformation, particularly in enhancing front-of-house and corporate hospitality experiences in their famous corporate offices at 33 Alfred Street.

Eventually, I decided to take a voluntary redundancy, which led me to Cushman & Wakefield.

Have you had any mentors during your career or at Cushman & Wakefield, and how have they shaped your professional development?

While I have not had formal mentors at Cushman & Wakefield, I’ve been inspired by several remarkable women in our Australian business, particularly Maria Russo and Kristy Megaw. Their leadership has been inspiring.

More broadly, I had a fantastic mentor during my three years at AMP, Karen Primmer, who is now the Director of Workplace Transformation at Colliers. She played a pivotal role in my career as Karen’s encouragement was invaluable in helping me unlock my strategic thinking skills.

What innovative projects have you implemented that significantly enhanced workplace experience, and how did they align with the company's vision?

My role is quite dynamic; I work on both the client side and within our direct business unit. Currently, I oversee our Australian operations, focusing on enhancing the experience employees, visitors and guests have within the workplace.

When I first started with Cushman, I spent11 months with NAB, one of Australia’s major banks as their Head of workplace my role was to identified areas for improvement. The client sought enhancements in service delivery and therefore, experience. I spent the first few months collaborating with the leadership team, observing and working closely with the broader workplace function to establish strategic pillars that aligned with NAB’s objectives.

To deliver this, we restructured our team to foster a more engaged workforce, rewrote standard operating procedures to align with brand experiences, and integrated NAB’s employee value proposition into our service delivery. This alignment ensured that whether in front-of-house roles, like concierge services, or back-of-house functions, we consistently represented NAB’s brand.

We also utilized data analytics to monitor and improve our processes, creating a circular economy of continuous improvement. This proactive approach transformed our service delivery, enabling teams across regions to share best practices and innovations.

What drives your passion for continuous improvement in workplace services, and how has Cushman & Wakefield supported that passion?

I believe my perfectionism drives my passion for continuous improvement. Growing up, I was involved in disciplined sports, where the hard work behind the scenes is crucial for achieving a polished final product.

I have a strong inclination to analyze and improve processes. If I am dissatisfied with an experience, I assume others feel the same, so I strive to make things easier and more efficient. I cannot understand the mindset of doing things simply because “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Particularly if it is not producing a great end user outcome. 

I believe that without evolving, we do not grow, and that motivates me to challenge the status quo.

What projects or initiatives have you been most proud of during your time at Cushman & Wakefield, particularly in the context of workplace experience?

One project I am particularly proud of involved consulting for a major energy company in Australia, focusing on their Employee Services team. When I first engaged with them, the team was fragmented and lacked leadership and direction, which negatively impacted both their experience and that of their end users.

Over the past year, I have been working to build a highly engaged workforce that can meet our client’s needs. With only seven team members, it was crucial to foster collaboration and unity. Fortunately, we’re starting to see the strategy come together, and the team is now highly engaged, supporting one another effectively.

During our monthly supplier relationship meetings, client feedback has been incredibly positive, even when we encounter mistakes. We have established a culture of accountability, and our ability to rectify issues quickly has contributed to a strong, positive relationship. Overall, morale is high, and the client is pleased with the services being delivered through to their employees, visitors, and guests.

If you could offer one key piece of advice to your younger self starting out in a role focusing on workplace experience, what would it be?

I would advise my younger self not to take mistakes personally. When you are starting out, it’s essential to recognize that mistakes are part of the learning process. I tend to be quite hard on myself and often replay conversations in my mind trying to work out how I could have mitigated what went wrong. Someone once told me that mistakes are how you learn, and that has stuck with me. I used to dwell on miscommunications or errors, blaming myself for them. It is important to learn from these experiences and then move on without dwelling too much on the past.

As you reflect on your journey to Cushman & Wakefield, what advice would you give to someone looking to advance in the company or in a similar role?

During the 14 years at my previous employer, I held seven different roles, which taught me the value of lateral movement. Sometimes, advancing in your career means stepping sideways rather than just upward. Not every career progression is about a higher salary; gaining diverse experience can be just as valuable.

Additionally, consistently demonstrate the value you bring to the organization. Do not confine yourself to your current role; showcase how you contribute to the company’s success. If you are not actively demonstrating your value, opportunities for advancement may come more slowly.